Roast Turkey – Easy and Delicious. This Roast Turkey recipe is a fail-free way to cook a turkey. The secret is using the cheesecloth method for roasting.
Completely cover the turkey with a cheesecloth that has been dipped in a butter and white wine mixture. Baste every 40 minutes, this will make the meat exceptionally moist. It also produces a deep rich golden brown skin.
If it your first time making turkey, or if you have years of experience, this method is always “Perfect”.
This turkey recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart, where her website explains. “The cheesecloth has direct contact with the turkey’s skin the whole time. So it slowly absorbs the butter mixture and slowly crisps up the skin.”
Keep the cheesecloth moist by basting with the white wine-butter sauce every 40-45 minutes…so easy.
Ingredient Needed
- Turkey: my favorite is Butterball turkeys from BJ’s, but use what you like.
- Butter: Unsalted butter
- Onion, garlic, and celery:
- Salt: I find approximately 2-3 teaspoons is enough for all sizes.
What Size of Turkey?
The rule of thumb is 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person. With leftovers and 1 pound of turkey per person without leftovers. When in doubt go larger, leftovers are always better than not having enough. Just note that a 10 pound turkey does not have a lot of meat. It is mostly bone, so keep that in mind.
Tips:
Prior to cooking: Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Allow about one hour for a 15-pound turkey or up to two hours for 21 pound turkey. If stuffing the turkey, this should only be done right before you put it in the oven. Do not let the stuffing sit in the raw bird.
Use a rack: if you have one, use a rack as it allows the turkey to cook evenly.
Roasting and resting time before carving Turkey
When you are planning your serving time, remember to allow at least 20-30 minutes for it to rest. Resting helps prevents loosing juices while carving, and makes for a moist slice of turkey.
Chart is from USDA website: How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey | USDA
How do you tell if a turkey is done?
When roasting a stuffed turkey, the temperature should read 165°F in the stuffing, and 170°F in the thigh. Remember when checking the temperature, do not let the thermometer touch the bone.
Here are some tips from the USDA’s website on how to: Keep your Kitchen Clean and Sanitized this Thanksgiving | USDA
Try some of our other recipes:
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Roast Turkey
Equipment
- roasting pan with rack
Ingredients
- 20 pound fresh whole turkey, giblets and neck removed
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons
- one 750-ml bottle dry white wine
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- onion, celery, garlic or your stuffing options
Instructions
- Remove turkey from refrigerator, remove from packaging. Let rest for 1-2 hours at room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add white wine. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters, dunk the cheesecloth into the butter and wine mixture.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy roasting pan. If there is a pop-up timer, remove it and use an instant read thermometer as it is much more accurate.
- Fold wing tips under turkey.
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper inside turkey. If using stuffing, fill the large cavity and neck loosely with as much stuffing as it can hold, do not pack it tightly. Cook any remains stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes, at 375 degrees. If not using stuffing, place an onion sliced in half, one stalk of celery cut up and 2 cloves of garlic in the cavity.
- Tie the legs of the turkey together loosely with kitchen string. Fold neck flap under and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the 4 tablespoons of softened butter, sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over the turkey.
- Lift the cheesecloth out of the saucepan and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evening over the breast and down the sides of the turkey, covering as much of the legs and wings as you can.
- Place turkey in preheated oven legs first. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 350 degrees, continue to cook until done. See temperature chart above. Baste with the melted butter/wine sauce every 45 minutes.
- Once done, remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for about 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecloth and carve.
I’ve never used cheesecloth on a Turkey before. I was a little hesitant, gave it a try this year and was amazed at how nice and brown the Turkey was. Not only that but how moist the white meat was. Nothing like it compares. I will be using this recipe over and over again, won’t go back to the old method of roasting Turkey.