Roaster Oven Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

whole turkey – we generally use Butterball and buy fresh (not frozen) if possible. If fresh turkey isn’t available we buy a frozen one.

butter – you can use either salted or unsalted.

onion – we use a yellow onion, a white onion is fine.

carrots – you don’t need to peel the carrots as they are used for flavoring and will be discarded. 

celery – the leafy tops can be left on the celery. 

parsley – we use fresh flat leaf parsley to mix with the butter. 

salt – table salt, sea salt or kosher salt will work. 

pepper – black pepper is used in the cavity and on the outside of the bird to add flavor. 

How long does it take to thaw a frozen turkey

The safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. You should allow 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey. The turkey can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days after it is thawed. So for example, a 16 pound frozen turkey can be put in the refrigerator as early as the Friday before Thanksgiving. 

Should you take turkey out of the fridge before cooking?

The turkey should be room temperature before putting it into the oven, so take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you want to start cooking it. 

How to cook a turkey in the roaster

See recipe card for exact amounts of ingredients to use in the steps below. 

1. Take the inside pan out of the roaster and put the lid on it, preheat it to 450° for 15 minutes while you prepare the turkey. 
2. Mix the softened butter with fresh parsley, salt and pepper. 
3. Remove the bag of giblets from the cavity and reserve if you plan on using it to make gravy. Place it breast side up on top of the rack in the roasting pan. Pat the skin dry with a paper towel, do NOT wash the turkey. 
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity, then place the onion, carrot and celery in the cavity as well. Rub the herbed butter mixture all over the outside of the turkey. Tuck the wings under the body and tie up the legs if needed. 
5. When the roaster is preheated carefully place the inside pan into the roaster, cover and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes reduce the heat to 350° and continue to cook for a total of 10 minutes per pound. Do not take the lid off. 
6. Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place on a platter. Tent with foil and allow to rest for about one-half hour. 
7. Carve and serve. 

*It is important to know that the outside of the roaster oven gets very hot so you will want to put it out of the reach of small children and make sure everyone knows not to touch it.

Tips

• Sometimes the giblets are right there in the cavity of the bird but sometimes you have to hunt for them. Like the turkey in these photos for example. The bag was stuffed up around the neck hole and I had to search and search, then finally found it. When I was a young cook I actually never did find it and thought it must not have come with this particular turkey. But, after we cooked it and were carving it Lee found the whole bag! Since then I always look until I find it. It’s always there somewhere.
• Butterball turkey has a natural leg tuck using the skin to hold the legs in place. If the turkey you are using doesn’t have this you will want to tie the legs together using kitchen twine. See how to do it here.
• Don’t have a platter big enough to hold a turkey? Just use a sheet pan and be sure to be careful if you move it because it will be hot. 

How long to cook a turkey in a roaster

This will depend on the size of the bird. A good rule of thumb is 10 minutes per pound at 350° to ensure the turkey gets cooked all the way to the bone. A meat thermometer should read 165° when inserted into the breast meat and 175° when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. 

Substitutions and additions

• Don’t have fresh parsley? That’s okay, you can leave it out. 
• Use fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, or thyme with, or instead of, parsley. 
• Add some poultry seasoning either in the turkey cavity, on the outside, or both. Maybe a teaspoon or two.
• Swap some or all of the butter with olive oil. 

How to move a hot turkey

Moving a piping hot turkey can be scary! You’ve got to get it out of the pan so you can remove the pan drippings to make the giblet gravy while the turkey is resting.

The best way to move a hot turkey from the pan is with many wadded up paper towels. You want to wad them up so you have a few layers in each hand. Then grab the turkey where the legs and body meet and lift, tilting is slightly so the juice runs form the cavity of the turkey back into the pan. Be sure to have a large serving platter close by to set the turkey on. 

As you can see in the photos, this method did mess up the skin on the wing a little.

Should you stuff a turkey?

It is best not to stuff the turkey to avoid food born illness. It is best to cook the stuffing separately, I have a recipe for homemade stove-top stuffing that’s perfect! 

Can I use a turkey bag in a roaster oven?

A turkey bag is not necessary when cooking a turkey in a roaster oven because the bag will melt if it touches the sides, bottom, or top of the roaster. 

Do I put water in the bottom of a roaster for turkey?

It isn’t necessary to add water or broth to the bottom of the roasting pan because the turkey will create its own juices. I typically get enough meat juice to make about 4 cups of turkey gravy. 

To make more than 4 cups of gravy I use the neck, giblets, onion, celery and carrots to make turkey stock to add to the juice produced by cooking the turkey. An in-depth post on how to make giblet gravy will be coming soon!

Does turkey need to sit on a rack in roaster?

While a turkey can be cooked in a roaster without a roasting rack it is helpful to keep the turkey out of the juices it creates. If you don’t have a wire rack then you can use either rolled up foil or a layer of large pieces of vegetables such as carrots, onion and celery. 

How often to baste turkey in roaster?

As long as the lid fits properly and is kept on the roaster the turkey will self-baste. It isn’t necessary to baste it every 30 minutes!

Do I cook turkey with lid on or off if in a roaster?

The key to a moist and juicy roast turkey in a roaster oven is to leave the lid on. This helps the steam circulate. The temperature will also drop if the lid is taken off and will result in a longer cooking time. 

Do you cook a turkey breast up or down in a roaster?

It’s personal choice whether you choose to cook the turkey breast side up or breast side down. We roast ours breast side up for a couple of reasons.

Reason number one is that I don’t want to wrestle with trying to flip a hot bird over. And reason number two is I want the skin on the breast-side of the turkey to have golden skin that isn’t soggy.