This juicy, roasted Thanksgiving turkey recipe is complete with garlic herb butter stuffed skin and foolproof gravy (complete with gluten free option!). No basting is necessary for this easy recipe. Plus find lots of tips and charts for timing, thawing, serving sizes and more!

I have learned a lot over the years hosting huge Thanksgiving gatherings. Over the past 6 years living near Samuel's family, it was pretty usual for me to host 10+ adults and 20+ kids. And that's not even half of his family! So, I guess I should be a pro at this by now.

This year, I'm not hosting, but I did make a turkey just for you. And I'm going to share all the tips and tricks I've learned over the years to give you the perfect turkey if you are on turkey duty this year!

So, let's get right to it.

How do you make sure you Thanksgiving turkey is juicy?

To make sure your turkey is juicy, do not overcook it! The most common problem for Thanksgiving turkeys is dried out breasts. I only cook the turkey to 160ºF. It will rise 5 more degrees to the safe temperature of 165ºF while it rests. The legs and thighs are arguably better when cooked to 175ºF-180ºF, but you can always throw the thighs and legs back in the oven before eating, but you can't undo the harm of overcooking breasts. Plus, 165ºF is perfectly safe for the dark meat and very juicy, maybe just a bit less tender.

Basting will not help you with dry breasts. I never baste my turkey because I think it makes the skin less crispy and it doesn't actually penetrate the meat to battle dryness anyway.

Just look at that juicy white meat!

Should you baste your Thanksgiving turkey?

No, I never baste my turkey. It doesn't actually help with the juiciness of the meat and it can make the skin soggy. Plus, it's just a hassle! If anything you can brush the skin with a little butter halfway through.

Should you stuff your Thanksgiving turkey?

No, do not stuff your turkey for two reasons:

1. The stuffing will not be cooked through. Basically you're getting raw turkey germs all over the stuffing by stuffing it in there and then not cooking the germs off unless you're willing to cook it long enough that you dry out your meat.

If you really want to stuff the turkey, you will want to return the stuffing to the oven to finish cooking while the turkey rests before carving.

2. While it is great to get the turkey dripping flavors in the stuffing, it will steal juices that you want to use for your gravy. I would much rather have plenty of gravy with a very turkey-full flavor than use it all on the stuffing.

However, I will also show you how to make some extra turkey stock with the neck which you can use for your gravy or use for your stuffing!

How do you make sure your turkey gravy isn't lumpy?

The best way to avoid lumpy gravy to make a slurry of flour and liquid and stream it into your drippings slowly while whisking the drippings. I always prefer to make a "slurry" as opposed to a "roux". A slurry is just room temperature liquid combined with flour (or gluten free flour!) or cornstarch. If you add liquid to your flour only a couple tablespoons at a time, you can make sure you have no lumps before you add it to your drippings. Plus, you can even make your slurry a day in advance to make your hectic kitchen a little more peaceful when it's time to get your gravy made.

A roux on the other hand (butter or other fat mixed with the flour and whisked and cooked until browned before adding the liquid) is great, but it's definitely more prone to mistakes, lumpiness, etc.

How do you fix lumpy gravy?

If you do have lumpy gravy though, never fear! Simply pour it through a fine mesh strainer on its way to your serving bowl or gravy boat!

How do you make gluten free turkey gravy?

You can certainly use corn starch for gluten free gravy, but I do prefer the texture with Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour mix!

How do you make sure you have enough gravy for Thanksgiving?

If you want to make sure you won't run out of gravy, you will want to add some chicken or turkey stock to your drippings to add to the volume. I always make a some extra turkey stock with the turkey neck and add it right into the bottom of the roasting pan so I know I'll have plenty of gravy with a full turkey flavor! Adding liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan also prevents the turkey drippings from burning.

This recipe makes two gravy boats full and then some!

How long do you thaw your turkey?

10-18 lbs: 3-4 days in the fridge or 5-9 hours in cold water

18-22 lbs: 4-5 days in the fridge or 9-11 hours in cold water

22-24 lbs: 5-6 days in the fridge or 11-12 hours in cold water

24-30 lbs: 6-7 days in the fridge or 12-15 hours in cold water

Plan on at LEAST 24 hrs. for every 4 pounds if thawing in the fridge (this is the preferred method!).

If you are using the cold water method, you'll want to change out the water every half hour. Also do not remove it from the package before placing it in the water. Once it's thawed, store in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

Check your turkey the day before Thanksgiving and if it is still frozen, you can put it in cold water for a few hours!

Thawed turkey can be kept for 2 days in the fridge before roasting, so err on the side of getting it thawed out too soon.

How many pounds of turkey should you buy per person?

A good rule of thumb is 1 1/2 pounds per person, so just pull out your calculator and multiply your guests by 1.5. However, 1 pound per person should feed everyone if you aren't worried about having leftovers (this is why I calculated more conservatively for having a larger group of guests). You can also consider making two smaller turkeys if you have more than 20 people.

Here is a chart to help you determine how many pounds you will need per adult sized serving:

6-8 guests: 9-13 lb turkey

10-12 guests: 12-18 lb turkey

15-20 guests: 20-25 lb turkey

25-30 guests: 30-34 lb turkey

How many servings of turkey will kids eat at Thanksgiving?

Children will eat less, so don't count them as a whole serving. Here's a little chart to help you with serving sizes if a lot of children will be a part of your party.

This is a rough estimate and will depend on the kids, but should help you out if you don't mind doing a little math.

1-3 year olds= 1/8 adult serving

4-7 year olds=1/4 adult serving

8-10 year olds= 1/2 adult serving

11-15 year olds= 3/4 adult serving

How many hours before Thanksgiving dinner should I pull my turkey out of the fridge?

For this recipe, I pulled my 15 lb. turkey out 4 hours before dinner. Here's a chart if you have a different sized turkey:

10-13 lbs: 3 hours 45 minutes

14-16 lbs: 4 hours

17-20 lbs: 4 hours 45 minutes

21-24 lbs: 5 hours 30 minutes

24-30 lbs: 6 hours

What do I do if my turkey is done before we are ready to eat?

You can keep your turkey in a cooler to keep it warm for 4 hours, so always err on the side of getting it done "too soon" instead of having to wait on the turkey at the end!

Do you need to rinse your turkey?

There is no need to rinse your turkey. In fact, you want to keep your turkey skin nice and dry with only it's own fat and some butter to help it get crispy! Simply pat your turkey dry before roasting instead of rinsing.

How do you add flavor to your Thanksgiving Turkey?

I love stuffing the skin with butter, garlic, and herbs. This helps the skin stay crispy, and gets flavor in direct contact with the meat! It's very easy to slide your hand into the skin and separate it from the meat to slide your butter mixture in.

How long do you roast a Thanksgiving Turkey?

It's best to start your turkey at 450ºF for 45 minutes to ensure a beautifully browned exterior. After that, reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue to cook another 5-8 minutes per pound. I only cook my turkey to an internal temperature of 160ºF. The temperature will continue to rise the final 5 degrees to reach the safe temperature of 165ºF as it rests.

After the turkey rests for 20 minutes, you can remove the thighs and drumsticks and return them to the oven until they reach a temp of 175ºF-180ºF if you wish. They are perfectly safe at 165ºF, they are a little more tender at a higher temperature.

Roasting Times by Size:

10-13 lb turkey

450ºF for 45 min., then 350ºF for 50 min. to 1 hr 45 min.

14-16 lb turkey

450ºF for 45 min., then 350ºF for 1 hr. 15 min. to 2 hrs.

17-20 lb turkey

450ºF for 45 min., then 350ºF for 1 hr. 25 min. to 2 hrs. 40 min.

21-24 lb turkey

450ºF for 45 min., then 350ºF for 1 hr. 45 min. to 3 hrs. 12 min

25-30 lb turkey

450ºF for 45 min., then 350ºF for 2 hr. 5 min. to 4 hrs.

Start checking your temperature at the minimum roasting time, but give yourself until the maximum roasting time until dinner, just to be safe!

Keep the cooked turkey in a cooler to rest if it gets done more than 20 minutes before dinner.

Should you carve your turkey before you put it in the cooler to stay warm?

No, wait to carve your turkey until you are ready to eat! This will ensure that the juices don't run out. However, you can remove the thighs and drumsticks and put them back in the oven to crisp up and cook to a higher temp if you prefer your dark meat done a little more.

How long can I leave the carved turkey at room temperature before packing it away in the fridge?

It's best to get your leftover meat in the refrigerator before the two hour mark. However, I am a personal survivor of disobeying this rule. Heh heh.

How long can I keep a hot turkey in a cooler to stay warm?

You can keep hot meat in the cooler for 4 hours, or possibly longer depending on your cooler. As long as the meat's temp is above 140ºF, it's safe!

One of my secrets to the best Thanksgiving turkey is a simple garlic herb butter stuffed into the skin. I simply combine minced garlic, finely chopped thyme, and finely chopped sage to a couple of sticks of softened salted butter.

The skin of the turkey easily separates from the meat. This is actually really satisfying part of the process for me, and it's what really sets this recipe apart as far as flavor!

All the butter will not only add to the flavor of the meat, but will also help keep the skin nice and crispy and eliminate any need for basting, since it is essentially being "basted" from the inside the entire time by the butter.

Once you have gotten some butter into the skin, you can press it from the outside to spread it evenly across the turkey...

Once the butter is all stuffed under the skin, rub a little more on the outside of the skin. Then all you need to do is salt and pepper the outside. I add some white wine and turkey stock to the bottom of the pan to get a head start on the drippings, and also to make sure the drippings from the turkey don't burn!

I also add some "stuffing" to the turkey (vegetables and herbs), but this is more of a garnish for displaying the turkey before it's carved than anything else. The vegetables on the inside really don't get cooked super well and they don't really contribute much to the flavor besides maybe to the drippings.

I always cover the breasts for the first 45 minutes. There's nothing worse than overcooked turkey breasts, and the foil helps slow it down a little bit.

Now, as I've mentioned before, I always make a little extra turkey stock with the neck that you will find inside of the turkey. I hate to waste that neck when it can be put to good use adding more turkey flavor to your gravy or stuffing! I always end up using it to add volume to my gravy, but you can save it for making your stuffing if you want to make sure you have some turkey flavor there.

If you want to make the turkey stock, you can make it up to four days in advance and keep it in your fridge until it's ready to use.

You can also skip making the turkey stock altogether if you prefer and just use chicken stock!