No-Baste Turkey is the easiest turkey recipe you’ll make and it’s guaranteed to make you a crispy, moist unfussy holiday main course!
If you tried my recipe for Roast Turkey last year and want to make the easiest Thanksgiving turkey ever that you don’t have to babysit, try this delicious No-Baste Turkey. That’s right, you don’t actually have to baste it, and this turkey turns out moist and tender with crispy skin.
NO-BASTE TURKEY
Is it necessary to baste a turkey? Absolutely not, if you know what you’re doing. If you want a juicy turkey for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, but hate having to baste it every few hours? This Thanksgiving turkey recipe takes the hard work out of roasting the bird, which frees you up to get the rest of the house ready for your dinner guests. You also don’t have to worry about brining the turkey days head of time, all you’ve got to do is thaw it out ahead of time.
Something that you may notice about this recipe is the cooking time. Instead of roasting the turkey at a lower temperature for a long time, you bake the turkey on a very high temperature for a short cook time, then turn off the oven and leave the turkey inside with the door closed until the oven completely cools down. The oven will take around 6 hours to fully cool, which makes for a moist turkey that has plenty of pan drippings to make turkey gravy out of.
HOW TO MAKE NO-BASTE TURKEY
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VARIATIONS ON NO-BASTE TURKEY
- Spices: Try adding in a dash of black pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning or garlic to give the turkey a different flavor without having to worry about changing up the entire recipe.
- If you want to make this a one pan meal, try adding in vegetables around the base of the turkey. Be sure to leave the chunks of these vegetables quite large. Using root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and russet potatoes would be a good fit.
NO-BASTE TURKEY FAQS
- Should you put water in turkey roasting pan? Yes, you should. Add boiling water to the turkey pan, then put it in the oven to roast.
- How do I keep my turkey moist? If you’re not basting the turkey, it’s essential to keep the oven door shut to keep the meat moist. Opening the door releases the moisture.
HOLIDAY SIDE DISH RECIPES
HOW LONG IS NO-BASTE TURKEY GOOD?
- Serve: Never leave a No-Baste Turkey out at room temperature for longer than about 2 hours.
- Store: Let the turkey completely cool down to room temperature, then cover it in plastic wrap or cut it off of the bones and store the meat in an airtight container. The turkey will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days before it goes bad and you need to throw it out.
- Freeze: You can freeze a fully cooked No-Baste Turkey for up to 3 months before you should eat it or throw it out.
WHEN IS NO-BASTE TURKEY SAFE TO EAT?
According to the USDA’s official website, turkey is considered safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (73.8 degrees C). Always check the thickest part of the turkey with a meat thermometer before you serve to be certain that it has cooked through.
No-Baste Turkey
The crispiest, most juicy no-baste Thanksgiving Turkey EVER.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- 12 pound turkey , thawed and cleaned out
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 stalks celery , cut into 1" chunks
- 1 yellow onion , cut into 1" chunks
- 1 large carrot , cut into 1" chunks
- 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and get a large roasting pan at least two inches larger than your turkey on all sides and walls 2 inches tall.
Add the turkey to the roasting pan and rub the it with butter inside and out and season with salt and pepper.
Add the chopped carrots, celery and onions inside the turkey cavity.
Add the boiling water to the bottom of the roasting pan carefully then cover with foil tightly (take care to be sure you tent it over the turkey but the foil is not touching the turkey skin) and place into the oven.
Bake for 60 minutes then turn off the oven but do not open the door or remove the foil or do anything at all.
Leave the turkey undisturbed in the oven for 5 hours until the oven has completely cooled.
What about for a 16lb turkey?
No, it must be with this sized bird. The timing is based on that size. I wish it worked with larger ones too!
1 hour and 500 then sit for 5 for a total of 6 hours?
Yes, 1 hour at 500 and then it sits in the oven for 5 hours. Enjoy!
I’m going to use your recipe because it looks so nice and easy!
Do I use the kind of roasting pan with a V shape rack or just put the turkey directly in the boiling water?
There’s a wire rack in the roasting pan. 🙂
I am in charge of the turkey & you’ve made it look so easy & tender! Here’s to making the perfect Turkey!