• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Add Salt & Serve
  • Our
    Recipes
  • Meal
    Plans
  • Busy Cook's
    Secrets
  • Your Recipe
    Collections

  • About
  • Member
    Login
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Your Collections
  • Secrets of a Busy Cook
  • Subscribe
  • Bulk Cooking
  • About
  • Contact
  • Your Purchases
  • Facebook Group
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Turkey Recipes

    Easy Roast Turkey & Gravy

    Jump to Recipe
    Sliced roasted turkey breast with golden brown skin on a white plate garnished with parsley

    Sometimes the best is also the easiest. Slow roasting a turkey seasoned with turkey rub makes a tender and delicious bird for your holiday meal.

    Sliced roasted turkey breast with golden brown skin on a white plate garnished with parsley

    Sliced roasted turkey breast with golden brown skin on a white plate garnished with parsley

    Easy Roast Turkey and Gravy

    Sometimes the best is also the easiest. Slow roasting a turkey seasoned with turkey rub makes a tender and delicious bird for your holiday meal.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 401

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 lb. turkey, fresh or thawed
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • 4 Tbsp. turkey rub
    • 1 extra large cooking bag, such as Reynold's cooking bags for turkeys

    Gravy

    • ½ cup water
    • 2 Tbsp. flour
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Turkey:

    • These instructions are for cooking the turkey in the oven with a roaster that has a lid, or in an electric roaster. For alternate instructions, see the notes below.
    • Remove the giblets (if any) or other contents of the cavity. rinse and dry the turkey.
    • Rub the skin all over with the oil.
    • Sprinkle the turkey rub all over the turkey, rubbing it in if necessary.
    • Follow the time and temperature recommendations that came with your turkey. Generally, you can count on cooking an unstuffed turkey for 15 minutes per pound at 325ºF. Stuffed turkeys take slightly longer; about 18 minutes per pound at the same temperature (do not stuff a turkey larger than 24 lbs. for safety reasons). Always use internal temperature to determine doneness—the turkey is done when it reaches an all over internal temperature of 165ºF (revised down from 180ºF, which some people still prefer as the safest temperature).
    • When done, remove the turkey from the roasting pan and let it sit for about 20 minutes before carving.

    Gravy:

    • When the turkey is done, transfer the drippings from the baking bag or pan to a saucepan through a strainer.
    • If your turkey came with a gravy packet, use it with the drippings from the turkey according to the packet instructions.
    • If it did not come with a gravy packet, combine ½ cup warm water and 2 Tbsp. flour in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously until the flour is dissolved. Add to drippings.
    • Heat the drippings, stirring frequently, until gravy is thickened. If you need to stretch your gravy, add all or part of a can of chicken broth.
    • Pour the gravy through a strainer into a gravy boat to remove any lumps.

    Notes

    You can use a purchased turkey rub, or try a homemade one. Spruce Eats has a nice collection of turkey rub recipes.
    I don’t use a 12 lb. turkey; as beautiful as a large roasted turkey is, much of it goes to waste in my house. I use 2 turkey breasts instead of 1 whole turkey because my family prefers white meat.
    Crockpot: If using turkey breasts and they are small enough (and presentation isn't important), they can be cooked in a crockpot. This makes the most tender and juicy turkey, and it frees up your oven for other dishes. Times should be approximately the same for turkeys cooked in the crockpot, but know that a turkey cooked in the crockpot is not going to make a centerpiece turkey. It will be so tender that the meat will fall off of the bone and you will be lucky to get it out of the crockpot in one piece.
    Oven without a Roaster: If you need to roast your turkey in the oven and do not have a roasting pan with a lid, use a cooking bag according to the bag instructions, which will keep the meat very moist. I use the Reynold’s Turkey Size cooking bags.
    Grilling & Smoking: https://hgic.clemson.edu/hot-topic/cooking-the-holiday-turkey/
    Safe Handling: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/safe-handling-of-poultry/
    Questions: If you have any questions about safe handling of your turkey you may contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (888) 674-6854 M-F from 10am-4pm EST.

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 401 calCarbohydrates: 1.81 gProtein: 52.52 gFat: 19.79 gSodium: 271.8 mgFiber: 0.53 gSugar: 0.17 g
    Pin Recipe Share
    Sliced roasted turkey breast with golden brown skin on a white plate garnished with parsley
    Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Email

    More Turkey Recipes

    • Turkey & Swiss Hoagies
    • Turkey Caprese Sandwiches
    • Turkey and Cheese Tortellini
    • Turkey Noodle Soup

    Posted by Mary Ann on September 16, 2021; Updated on October 24, 2022Filed Under: Turkey Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Recipes
    • Meal Plans

    Member area →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As featured on

    As seen on PBSParents, SFGate, NYT Diner's Journal, How Stuff Works, BankRate, TheSpruceEats, The Wine Coach As seen on PBSParents, SFGate, NYT Diner's Journal, How Stuff Works, BankRate, TheSpruceEats, The Wine Coach Add Salt & Serve (formerly Menus4Moms) © 2000–2023 Kelley Media, Ltd. All rights reserved.
    Contact | About | Member Login | For the Media | Terms / Disclaimers | Privacy | Refund Policy | Sitemap | DMCA | Accessibility | Do Not Sell My Information
    As an Amazon Associate Add Salt & Serve earns from qualifying purchases.