Very Moist and Flavorful Roast Turkey

4.8
(12)

Does your turkey need a boost of moisture and flavor? Try this! Tweak it to your own liking as much as your imagination wants. Carve the entire turkey and save the bones, joints, tail, wing tips, drippings, and reserved onion, garlic and celery (but NOT the skin) to make turkey soup. Mix the apple pieces into your dressing.

A whole roasted turkey, served on a blue platter with fresh herbs, with plates and drinking glasses
3
3
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
3 hrs 30 mins
Additional Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
1 whole turkey
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

  • ½ cup cold butter

  • 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 Granny Smith apples - cored, peeled, and cut into 8 wedges each

  • 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges

  • ½ whole head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

  • 1 pound celery, cut into 2-inch lengths

  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

    Ingredients to make moist roast turkey

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  2. Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, quarter the pieces, and refrigerate butter until needed.

    A small glass bowl with cubed butter

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  3. Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the turkey breast and thighs. Cut a hole in the turkey skin between tail and body (to affix legs); cut a hole on each side of the turkey beneath each wing (to affix wings). Rub the entire skin with vegetable oil.

    A whole turkey on a baking sheet, with two hands rubbing oil all over the skin

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  4. Toss apple and onion wedges, garlic cloves, and celery in a large bowl until combined; sprinkle poultry seasoning over the apple mixture and toss again to coat.

    A large bowl of apples, onion, and celery seasoned with poultry seasoning

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  5. Stuff the body and neck cavities with the apple mixture. Insert each wing tip into the hole under the wing to secure wings; insert both legs into hole near tail to secure legs.

    A whole trussed turkey on a baking sheet, stuffed with apple-onion mixture

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  6. Place turkey onto a rack and set in a roasting pan. Insert cold butter pieces under the loosened skin, distributing the butter as evenly as possible.

    A whole stuffed and trussed turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, with two hands placing cubed butter beneath the skin

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  7. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Check for doneness after 3 hours.

    A roast turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, with a thermometer checking the internal temperature

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

  8. Remove roasting pan containing turkey from oven and cover with aluminum foil, lightly pressing the foil directly onto the bird. Let the turkey rest for 40 minutes before carving.

    A whole roast turkey on a rack in a roasting pan covered with aluminum foil

    Allrecipes/Qi Ai

28 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

774 Calories
40g Fat
6g Carbs
91g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 774
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 40g 52%
Saturated Fat 14g 71%
Cholesterol 285mg 95%
Sodium 305mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 91g 183%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 113mg 9%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 1059mg 23%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.