Turkey in the Roaster Oven frees up kitchen space, delivers juicy results, and makes holiday prep feel a whole lot easier. With even heat and hands-off roasting, it’s a foolproof way to serve a golden, tender bird. Skip the oven shuffle and let your roaster do the heavy lifting.
If you like different ideas for your turkey, try my Oven Bag Cooked Turkey and Slow Roasted Turkey Breast they are both tried and true winners.
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Why this Turkey in a Roaster Oven Recipe is a Keeper
I love this recipe for roaster turkey breast because it’s super easy and incredibly delicious. It’s a great flavorful turkey recipe to add to a holiday dinner recipe stash.
- Frees up Your Oven: This is the #1 reason this method is favored, especially for large holiday meals like Thanksgiving. It allows you to use your main oven for side dishes, rolls, and pies.
- Moist and Tender Turkey: The roaster oven’s enclosed cooking environment is often cited for producing an exceptionally juicy and moist turkey.
- Faster Cooking Time: Many recipes claim a roaster oven cooks the turkey in less time than a traditional oven.
- Easy Cleanup: The removable insert pan makes cleaning up relatively simple.
Do I Need to Baste a Turkey in an Electric Roaster Oven?
The beauty about this recipe is that it doesn’t require you to constantly baste the turkey, unlike cooking in an oven.
Pro Tip for Cook Time
During the last 3o minutes of cook time, crack the lid or remove the lid to dry and crip the skin and have turkey with golden brown skin.
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Ingredient Notes for Turkey Golden Brown
All of the required ingredients for turkey cooked in a roaster are easy to find at the store, but some of the ingredients may be around the kitchen already.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Turkey: Use a 12 to 20 pound turkey (whole) to make this recipe.
- Veggies: You will need 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks.
- Seasoning: Make your own Poultry Seasoning to help season the herb butter along with the thyme.
Variations and Substitutions for Perfect Turkey in an Electric Roaster
Feel free to use different ingredients to substitute or experiment with flavors.
- Substitution: Swap olive oil for softened butter (or a combination) for rubbing the turkey.
- Stock: Feel free to use turkey or chicken broth as the cooking liquid.
- Variation: Create a compound butter by mixing softened butter with fresh herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary), garlic powder, and onion powder to rub under and over the turkey skin.
- Aromatics: Stuff the cavity with cut onions, carrots, celery, and citrus halves (lemon, orange) instead of traditional stuffing to add flavor without increasing cook time significantly.
- Brining: Consider a wet or dry brine 12-24 hours before roasting for maximum juiciness and flavor. If brining, reduce or eliminate added salt in the seasoning rub.
Special Equipment to Cook a Turkey and Make Turkey Gravy
To make this recipe for a large turkey in an oven roaster, you will need a few different kitchen items to make it just right.
- Electric Roaster Oven: The essential piece of equipment. Ensure it’s large enough for your turkey (up to 20 pounds for many models).
- Roasting Rack (for the roaster): Most roasters come with one; it’s essential to lift the turkey out of the drippings.
- Wired or Digital Meat Thermometer: This allows you to monitor the internal temperature without lifting the lid, which is key to a faster cook time.
How to Make this Roast Turkey Recipe
Cooking a golden brown turkey in electric roaster is done in 5 simple steps. This recipe ends up as perfect turkey every time, it quickly became one of my favorite ways to cook turkey.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep the Turkey: Remove the neck and gizzards from the turkey. Rinse the entire bird with cold water a pat dry with paper towels.
- Season and Stuff the Turkey: Season the turkey, inside and outside of the turkey, with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with prepared stuffing, or with extra vegetables.
- Make the Herb Butter: Mix together the softened butter, salt, pepper, minced thyme and Poultry Seasoning. Rub the herb butter all over the turkey, including bottom.
- Assemble in the Roaster: Place the chopped veggies in the bottom of the pan, followed by the turkey stock. Add the roasting rack to the pan and place the turkey on top. Put the lid on the roaster and roast at 450°F for 30 minutes.
- Roast a Turkey: After 30 minutes, turn the roaster down to 350°F and roast for 3 hours, or until cooked through. Remove from roaster and allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Prep to Thaw Your Turkey and Cooking Turkey in a Roaster
Start preparing steps to this recipe ahead of time so that the cooking process is as easy as can be. The goal is free up oven space.
- Thawing Frozen Turkey: Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator (24 hours for every 5 pounds). This must be done several days in advance.
- Brining: If using a wet brine, start the process 1-2 days ahead.
- Herb Butter/Seasoning: Prepare your compound butter or seasoning mix a day or two in advance.
- Vegetables: Chop the aromatics (onions, carrots, celery) for the cavity and pan bottom ahead of time to place around the turkey.
Alternate Cooking Methods for Thanksgiving Turkey
If you do not want to use a roaster, make this recipe another way by using your oven.
- Conventional Oven Roasting: If you want to use your regular oven to cook your turkey, use a heavy-duty roasting pan with a rack. Temperatures often range from 325°F to 425°F, depending on the desired outcome (faster cooking vs. gentler heat). Basting or tenting with foil is often required.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Turkey
- Storage: Store carved, cooked turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Place slices in an oven-safe dish with a little broth or pan drippings. Cover tightly with foil and heat at 300°F until warmed through.
- Microwave: Best for small portions; add a splash of broth to prevent drying out.
- Using Leftovers: Turn leftover turkey into a hearty turkey soup, turkey chili, creamy turkey pot pie or a rich turkey casserole. You can also create a turkey tetrazzini or simply use slices for wraps, tacos, or on top of a large salad.
Common Questions About The Best Turkey Recipe
Nope! The turkey stock will act as the cooking liquid when cooking a turkey in a roaster.
The internal temperature of the turkey should be 165°F in the thickest part.
Yes! You can either stuff the turkey cavity with prepared stuffing, or with chopped vegetables.
Expert Tips to Make Turkey in a Roaster Oven
- Don’t Wash the Turkey: The USDA advises against washing raw turkey as it can spread bacteria around your sink and kitchen surfaces (cross-contamination).
- Stuffing Safety: If stuffing the turkey, ensure the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165. It is safer to cook the stuffing separately.
- Resting is Crucial: Once done, remove the turkey from the roaster, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a tender and moist final product.
- Gravy Drippings: The drippings at the bottom of the roaster pan are full of flavor and perfect for making homemade gravy.
- Serve With: Serve this recipe with Turkey Gravy from the Drippings, Crispy Brussel Sprouts Recipe with Prosciutto or Creamy Whipped Potatoes.
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Turkey in the Roaster Oven
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Ingredients
- 12-20 pound Whole turkey
- 1 Herb Butter, recipe below
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 2 stalks Celery, cleaned and chopped into chunks
- 2 cups Turkey stock, or chicken stock
- Prepared stuffing , or extra chopped vegetables 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery
Herb Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Fresh thyme, minced
- 2 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
Instructions
- Take the insert pan out of the roaster and pre-heat the roaster to 450℉.
- Combine all ingredients for herb butter together (I do this in a food processor); set aside.
- Clean turkey – remove neck and gizzards from the cavity.
- Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water, including the cavity. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the outside and cavity generously with salt and pepper.
- If stuffing the bird, fill the cavity with stuffing. If not stuffing the bird, fill the cavity will extra vegetables.
- Rub herb butter all over the outside of the bird, including the underneath.
- Place chopped onion, carrots and celery in the bottom on the pan; add stock.
- Add roasting rack to the pan and place turkey on top of the rack.
- Insert a wired meat thermometer into the thickest part of the bird, avoiding the bone.
- Add the cover to the roaster and roast at 450℉ for 30 minutes.
- Turn down to 325℉ and roast for 2-3 hours depending on the size (Unstuffed: 13 minutes per pound, stuffed: 15 minutes per pound) or until internal temperature (between the leg and breast) reaches 165℉.
- Remove turkey from roaster and let rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.
Christina’s Notes
- To Thaw a Turkey: For a frozen turkey allow to thaw 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey in a refrigerator.
- Add Fresh Sage: Sage is a wonderful fall flavor, perfect for turkey.
- Turkey Breast: Try a bone-in or boneless turkey breast in the bag.
- Variation Tip: Feel free to use gluten free flour in the bag or when you make the gravy with the giblets from the turkey.
- Unstuffed Turkey: If not using a stuffing remember to place vegetables in the cavity of the turkey.
- Turkey Bag: You can use a turkey bag in the roaster.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.