How to Cook a Turkey
A butter-basted roast turkey scented with rosemary and sage turns out juicy with crisp, well-seasoned skin. Nestled over onions, celery, and carrots, it develops savory pan aromas as it roasts. How to Cook a Turkey is ideal for holiday gatherings or any celebratory meal where a centerpiece bird is the star.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook3 hrs 5 mins
- Serves24
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in How to Cook a Turkey, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 54 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 89 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 40
- Heart Health
- 69
- Metabolic
- 12
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 52
- Performance
- 43
- General Wellness
- 1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- 2
Arrange the onion, celery, and carrot in a large, shallow roasting pan.
- 3
Set the turkey breast-side up on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Pat the outside and inside of the turkey dry with paper towels.
- 4
Mix the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Season the inside of the turkey with about 1/3 of the salt mixture. Tuck the wing tips under the bird.
- 5
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the edges turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the rosemary and sage; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 6
Place the rosemary and sage inside the cavity of the turkey; reserve the melted butter. Tie the turkey legs together with twine.
- 7
Brush the melted butter over the turkey. Season with the remaining salt mixture.
- 8
Bake the turkey, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the bone is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 3 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
- 9
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
- Calories 35.43 kcal Low Source 2%
- Protein 2.57 g Low Source 5%
- Carbohydrate 1.21 g 0%
- Total Fat 2.24 g Low Source 3%
- Saturated Fat 1.23 g Moderate 6%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 13.29 mg Low Source 4%
- Sodium 25.52 mg Low Source 1%
- Dietary Fiber 0.36 g Low Source 1%
- Total Sugars 0.49 g --
- Added Sugars 0.01 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 5.81 mg Low Source 0%
- Iron 0.28 mg Low Source 2%
- Potassium 28.65 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin A 1.43 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 0.1 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Celery
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
How to Cook a Turkey is made with 10 ingredients and serves 24. It takes about 3 hrs 25 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Butter, Carrot, and Cayenne Pepper. Each serving provides about 35.43 kcal.
Recipe Questions
- What is How to Cook a Turkey made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Butter, Carrot, Cayenne Pepper, Celery. The full list of 10 is above.
- How long does it take to make How to Cook a Turkey?
- About 3 hrs 25 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 5 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 35.43 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is How to Cook a Turkey easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 10 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is How to Cook a Turkey healthy?
- How to Cook a Turkey has an easyChef Pro health score of 47/100. Per serving, it provides 35.43 calories and 2.57 g of protein, or 5% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 1.23 g (6% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Celery and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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