Classic Roasted Turkey No Stuffing

I’ll be honest—roasted turkey used to stress me out. I thought you had to stuff it to make it taste good, and that meant dealing with soggy bread, wondering if it cooked through, and adding at least an hour to the whole process. Then one year, I decided to skip the stuffing entirely and just roast the bird.

Best decision ever. Without stuffing taking up space inside, the turkey cooks faster and more evenly. The meat stays juicy, and I don’t have to worry about whether the center of the stuffing hit the right temperature. Plus, I can make my dressing separately in a casserole dish, which means it actually gets crispy on top.

Want a simple turkey that doesn’t require wrestling with stuffing? This is the recipe for you. It’s straightforward, reliable, and leaves you with more time to make the sides everyone actually remembers.

What Kind of Turkey Should I Use?

For this recipe, you can use either a fresh or frozen turkey, though fresh tends to be a bit easier to work with since there’s no thawing time involved. If you’re going with frozen, just make sure to give yourself enough time to thaw it properly in the fridge – usually about 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey. Whether you choose a standard turkey or a free-range, organic bird is totally up to your preference and budget, as both will turn out great with this roasting method. Just avoid pre-basted or self-basting turkeys since we’re making our own herb butter, and those turkeys already have added solutions that can affect the flavor.

Options for Substitutions

While turkey is the star here and can’t really be swapped, there’s plenty of room to play around with the other ingredients:

• Fresh herbs: If fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage aren’t available, you can use dried herbs instead. Use about 1 tablespoon of each dried herb to replace the fresh containers, but keep in mind the flavor will be a bit more concentrated.
• Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter if that’s what you have – just reduce or skip the added salt in the recipe to avoid over-salting your bird.
• Lemon: An orange works great as a substitute and adds a slightly sweeter citrus note to the turkey. You can also use a combination of both.
• Apple: Try pears or even additional onion if you don’t have apples on hand. These aromatics are mainly for flavoring the cavity, so most firm fruits or vegetables work fine.
• Garlic cloves: In a pinch, you can use 2-3 teaspoons of garlic powder mixed into the butter, though fresh garlic does give better flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Roasting

The biggest mistake when roasting turkey is not letting it come to room temperature before cooking, which can add an extra hour to your cooking time and result in unevenly cooked meat – take the bird out of the fridge about an hour before it goes in the oven.

Skipping the step of drying the skin thoroughly with paper towels will prevent you from getting that crispy, golden skin everyone loves, so make sure to pat it completely dry before applying your herb butter.

Another common error is not using a meat thermometer and relying on cooking time alone – your turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, not when the timer goes off.

Finally, cutting into the turkey right away is tempting, but letting it rest for at least 20-30 minutes allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist instead of spilling out onto your cutting board.

What to Serve With Roasted Turkey?

A roasted turkey is the star of the show, so you’ll want to build a spread of classic sides around it. Mashed potatoes are pretty much a must-have, along with some good gravy made from the turkey drippings, and don’t forget the cranberry sauce for that sweet-tart contrast. Green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, or glazed carrots add some color to the plate, while warm dinner rolls give everyone something to mop up all those delicious juices. For a complete meal, add a simple salad and maybe some sweet potato casserole or stuffing on the side, and you’ve got yourself a proper feast.

Storage Instructions

Store: Once your turkey has cooled down, carve off the meat and store it in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to separate the white and dark meat into different containers so everyone can grab their favorite. Don’t forget to save those bones for making turkey stock!

Freeze: Turkey freezes really well for up to 3 months. I usually portion it out into meal-sized amounts in freezer bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Label them with the date so you know when you froze it, and you’ll have delicious turkey ready for sandwiches, soups, or casseroles whenever you need it.

Reheat: To keep your leftover turkey moist when reheating, add a splash of chicken broth to the container and warm it gently in the oven at 325°F covered with foil. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave with a damp paper towel over the top to prevent it from drying out.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 7300-12100
• Protein: 960-1600 g
• Fat: 430-700 g
• Carbohydrates: 55-80 g

Ingredients

For the turkey:

• 1 turkey (12 to 20 lb)
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
• 1 lemon, sliced into quarters
• 1 apple, quarted (any kind you prefer)
• 0.75 oz fresh rosemary
• 0.75 oz fresh thyme
• 0.75 oz fresh sage
• Salt, to season cavity
• Black pepper, to season cavity
• Extra fresh herbs, chopped, for garnish

For the herb butter:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

Step 1: Thaw and Prepare the Turkey

• 1 turkey (12 to 20 lb)

If using a frozen turkey, thaw it in the refrigerator for 24 hours per 5 pounds, giving yourself an extra day to be safe.

Once thawed, remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting to let it come to room temperature.

While the turkey is coming to temperature, adjust your oven rack so the turkey will sit in the center.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Step 2: Make the Herb Butter

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the room temperature unsalted butter with finely chopped garlic, salt, ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, and 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped sage.

Mix until you have a well-blended herb butter.

The remaining fresh herbs will be used for stuffing the turkey cavity.

I like to make sure the butter is really soft—let it sit out well ahead of time—or microwave it gently for an easy spread.

Step 3: Season and Stuff the Turkey

• 1 turkey (12 to 20 lb)
• salt, to season cavity
• black pepper, to season cavity
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
• 1 lemon, sliced into quarters
• 1 apple, quarted (any kind you prefer)
• 0.75 oz fresh rosemary
• 0.75 oz fresh thyme
• 0.75 oz fresh sage

Remove the turkey from its packaging and take out the neck and giblets from inside the cavity (you can reserve them for gravy or discard).

Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels.

Generously season the cavity with salt and black pepper.

Stuff the cavity with the quartered onion, quartered lemon, quartered apple, and the remaining fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage.

This will infuse wonderful flavor into the bird while roasting.

Step 4: Apply Herb Butter and Arrange the Turkey

• herb butter from Step 2
• turkey prepared and stuffed from Step 3

Gently loosen and lift the skin above the turkey breasts using your fingers, taking care not to tear it.

Smooth a few tablespoons of the herb butter (from Step 2) directly underneath the skin over the breasts.

Tuck the wings underneath the body.

Transfer the turkey to a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan.

Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for about 30 seconds until very soft but not melted.

Using a basting brush, coat the outside of the turkey, including the legs and wings, with the softened herb butter.

Step 5: Roast the Turkey

• turkey buttered and arranged from Step 4

Roast the turkey at 325°F for approximately 13–15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.

About halfway through roasting, check the turkey; once the skin turns golden brown, cover the top loosely with foil to keep the breast meat from overcooking.

You can also start roasting with the bird tented in foil and remove the foil for the last hour to allow the skin to brown.

Let the turkey rest, tented with foil, for 20–30 minutes before carving to help the juices redistribute.

I always save the pan drippings to make turkey gravy.

Step 6: Carve and Garnish the Turkey

• extra fresh herbs, chopped, for garnish

Transfer the rested turkey to a cutting board for carving, catching any juices with a sheet pan beneath.

Garnish the carved turkey with extra freshly chopped herbs before serving for a beautiful presentation.