Here’s The Easiest Way To Make The Best Roast Turkey Ever

Flickr / Slice of Chic

If we had to guess, you’d rather let your more experienced family members volunteer for turkey duty when Thanksgiving rolls around. The last thing you want to do is ruin everyone’s most-anticipated dish. Well, making a perfect roast turkey is actually a lot easier than you think. Our recipe is stripped down to the basics without slacking on flavor, and it’s totally foolproof. Try it yourself (and the bonus gravy recipe below), and you’ll see that roasting the bird is no big deal.

The Easiest Roast Turkey Recipe Ever

Ingredients

• 1 10-12 pound turkey
• 1/2 pound (or one stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
• 1 bundle of thyme springs
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 apple, quartered
• 3 big carrots, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°. Take neck and giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Pat the turkey dry, then season inside and out liberally with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with thyme, onion, lemon, apple and carrots, then brush liberally with melted butter. Put the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan and tent it (meaning cover the top without sealing completely) with foil, to avoid browning. Roast for two hours (add 15 minutes cooking time per pound for a larger bird).

Remove the foil, brush the turkey again with the rest of the melted butter and put back in the oven. Turn the heat up to 425° and roast for another hour, or until the the meat at the thigh is at least 165°. Rest for at least 20 minutes to let the juices settle. Slice it up and enjoy!

Flickr / Slice of Chic

Bonus: Easiest Gravy Recipe Ever

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. pan drippings from the cooked turkey
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 thyme sprig

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, cook drippings and chicken stock over medium high heat until lightly bubbling.

Stir cornstarch and water in a bowl until fully incorporated, then add to the pan with salt, pepper and thyme. Heat to a boil, whisking constantly, until the gravy is smooth and thick. Serve with turkey and enjoy!