The best roast turkey recipes for poultry lovers. Get inspired!

Do you love poultry and would like to try roast turkey recipes?

Are you looking for a good recipe that will make the whole family lick their lips?

Do you want the meat to be juicy, crispy and delicious in all circumstances?

Then get inspired with us.

Classic roast turkey

Many people dread the idea of roasting such a huge bird, but believe me, if you do it systematically, it’s a piece of cake and the result will please all taste buds.

It is clear that a larger number of diners will be needed for such a quantity of meat, which is the reason why turkey, or turkey, is prepared especially for Thanksgiving.

However, this does not mean that you cannot prepare it at any time during the year. Together, we will look at a simple but classic preparation of turkey, the resulting perfect taste of which depends mainly on high-quality butter and the right seasoning. Also, take a look at how to prepare a turkey in several ways during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

• 7-10 kg turkey (it should be fresh or at least completely thawed)
• 1 softened fresh butter
• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 large onion (yellow or red)
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley

Method:

• Remove the turkey and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the rack in the oven to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 250°C.
• Once the turkey is at room temperature, we remove its neck, remove the giblets and pluck out the remaining feathers that look like small pins.
• Take paper kitchen towels and use them to thoroughly dry the turkey on the surface and inside.
• Place the turkey on a baking sheet with a rack and tuck the wings under it.
• Salt and pepper the inside of the turkey.
• Put softened butter, lemon zest, thyme, chopped rosemary in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Carefully slide your fingers under the skin on the breast and lift it gently, but just a little to separate it from the meat.
• Take the prepared butter with herbs and rub a part under the skin. Use the rest on the top of the turkey, i.e. the skin on all sides except the bottom, until you have enough butter.
• Peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Peel the garlic and add it to the turkey along with the onion and chopped parsley.
• Use kitchen string to tie the turkey legs together.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 175 – 180°C for approximately 2 3/4 hours to 3.5 hours.
• During baking, it is a good idea to cover the top part with aluminum foil or baking paper to prevent the turkey from burning.
• Once the turkey is done, let it rest for about 45 minutes.
• Only then serve it with whatever you like, whether it’s boiled or baked chips, porridge or just steamed vegetables.

Mother’s Thanksgiving turkey

Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday that requires a traditionally conceived festive board. It is no longer the case that the turkey is cooked only in the USA, on the contrary, this type of bird has found a place in our households as well. Why not try to prepare such a recipe, for example, for the approaching Easter?

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey (approx. 12 kg)
• 1 – 2 large onions
• 1 lemon
• 1 large apple
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• A pinch of fresh sage
• 1 unsweetened fresh butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 cloves of garlic

Method:

• To begin with, we must not forget that the turkey must be thawed before preparation, if we do not have it refrigerated and warmed to room temperature.
• We start by placing the baking rack in the middle part of the oven and preheat the oven to 170°C.
• Peel the onion and cut it into quarters.
• Wash the lemon thoroughly and cut it in half.
• Cut the apple into slices, remove the core and set aside with the other ingredients.
• Prepare a bowl, put softened butter in it and add salt and pepper and crushed garlic.
• Take half a sprig of thyme and rosemary and chop finely.
• Add half of the sage to the butter and set the other aside.
• Mix everything thoroughly and let it rest for a while.
• Remove the neck from the turkey and clean it of the entrails (offal).
• We rinse the interior and then carefully dry the entire turkey with kitchen paper towels/towels.
• Salt, pepper and stuff the turkey with lemon, apple, onion and remaining herbs.
• We insert our fingers on the edge under the skin and carefully lift it so that it partially separates from the body of the turkey.
• Spread some of the herb butter under the skin and then press the skin gently.
• Place the turkey in a roasting pan with a rack so that its wings are hidden underneath.
• Melt the remaining herb butter in the microwave for a while and then rub it all over the turkey, leaving out the underside.
• We set the oven to 180 degrees and bake for about 3 hours, repeatedly brushing with the remaining butter and herbs during baking.
• If the skin starts to burn or just brown too quickly, cover the top of the turkey with a piece of aluminum foil.
• About 30-40 minutes before the end of baking, remove the foil and lower the temperature to 170°C.
• Once the turkey is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest on the line for another 30 minutes, ideally under aluminum foil.
• Carefully drain the fried lard in the pan and use it for greasing.
• Then all you have to do is cut the turkey appropriately and serve it with a side dish of your choice.

Roast turkey with potatoes and peaches

Turkey is best roasted, but why not make the recipe a little special. Lemon as part of the filling is nothing unusual, but what about peaches, have you tried them yet? If not yet, then our recipe will definitely come in handy. After all, whenever there is fruit somewhere, it tastes great.

Ingredients:

• 6 kg of turkey
• 1/2 cube of softened butter
• Peel from one chemically untreated lemon
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1,500 g of baby potatoes
• 6 halved pitted peaches
• 1 apple
• ½ orange
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Method:

• First, mix softened butter, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Clean the turkey and dry it with a kitchen towel.
• We carefully insert our fingers under the skin on the breast and separate it from the meat.
• We are careful not to tear our skin somewhere.
• Spread flavored butter on each breast half and smooth the skin back to how it was.
• Halve the lemon and cut the apples into quarters and remove the core.
• Salt the inside of the turkey and add an apple and one peach.
• Tie the legs of the turkey with kitchen twine and transfer the turkey to a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Brush the entire surface of the turkey with olive oil and pour 1-2 cups of water into the roasting pan, depending on the size of the roasting pan.
• Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven.
• Bake for about 2 hours, adding water every 30 minutes as needed.
• Then remove the foil and bake for another 45-75 minutes until golden.
• During this time, the excess water will also be baked off and juice will form from the meat.
• When we pierce the thickest part of the thigh of the turkey and if it is done, then the whole turkey is cooked.
• Take the baking pan out of the oven, cover it again with foil and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.
• After this time, add the potatoes and peaches to the baking dish.
• Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkle with rosemary.
• Put it back in the oven and bake together for another 40 minutes.
• Then just remove the roasting pan, let the turkey rest for 5 minutes and serve with baked potatoes and peaches.

Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Roast Turkey

When you’re bored with tried and tested recipes, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at how world-renowned chefs and popular celebrities cook. Sometimes you can come across very interesting dishes that are definitely worth trying.

This time, we have chosen a recipe for you from the popular chef Jamie Oliver, whose delicacies are also loved by the head of the British royal monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II.

Ingredients:

• 1 small turkey (approx. 5 – 7 kilograms)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 chemically untreated lemon
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 cube of unsalted fresh butter
• 2 onions
• 2 stalks of celery stalks
• 2 large carrots
• 3 tangerines (ideally the Clementina variety)
• 1 liter of chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 large onions
• 1 large handful of dried fruit (apricot, papaya, dates, plums, etc.)
• 1 large handful of unsalted almonds or pistachios
• 1 – 2 slices of hard bread
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 300 g of minced pork
• 1 kg of parsnips
• 1.5 kg of red potatoes
• 500 g of baby carrots
• 300 g of mussels

Method:

• We start by taking the chilled turkey out an hour in advance to bring it to room temperature.
• Then we start preparing the stuffing. Prepare a pan for this and heat up some oil.
• Put the peeled and finely diced onion into it and let it fry for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, so that it acquires a golden hue.
• Then we add new spices, chopped dried fruit, nuts and thyme. Salt and pepper.
• Let it boil for about 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
• Transfer the mixture from the pan to a bowl and let it cool completely.
• As soon as the mixture is cold, we add minced pork and breadcrumbs, which we prepare in the food processor from hard bread.
• Mix everything thoroughly and let it stand for 10 minutes.
• Divide the finished stuffing in half. Leave one half in the turkey, put the other in a small baking dish.
• Preheat the oven to 250°C and start preparing the turkey itself.
• We carefully remove the entrails, pluck off the rest of the feathers and use kitchen towels to dry from all sides, including the inside.
• Peel the garlic and press it into a bowl.
• Add softened butter, finely grated lemon peel, salt, ground black pepper and half of the chopped rosemary and thyme.
• Mix well to combine everything.
• We run our fingers under the skin on the breast and carefully separate it from the meat.
• Carefully apply butter to the breasts under the skin and spread.
• We slowly squeeze the skin so that it returns to its original place and combines with the butter.
• It is good to squeeze the stuffing so that it also gets under the skin on the neck, tucking the neck skin under the turkey.
• Drizzle the turkey with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and carefully rub the skin so that everything adheres well from all sides.
• Cut the lemon in half and add it to the turkey.
• Again, peel 1 onion, chop it roughly and put it on the bottom of the baking dish, which has been drizzled with oil beforehand.
• Clean the large carrots and cut them into pieces together with the stalked celery. Add to the baking dish with the onion.
• Spread the vegetables evenly over the entire bottom of the baking dish and place the prepared turkey on it.
• Cover with a little water, cover with aluminum foil and place in an oven preheated to 250°C.
• As soon as we put the turkey inside, we close the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 180°C.
• Bake for about 3 1/2 hours, while every 30-40 minutes during the baking process, pour the juices from the baking over the turkey.
• After 2 1/2 hours, we remove the foil to give the surface the right color and mix a little olive oil and the remaining herbs, which we chop thoroughly and apply to the surface of the turkey.
• Halve the tangerines and add them to the roasting pan around the turkey with the vegetables.
• If we want to be sure that the turkey is ready, stick a knife in the thickest part of the thigh. When the turkey is roasted at this point, it is done whole.
• If not, let it bake for another 30-40 minutes.
• Take the turkey out and cover it with foil along with a triple layer of tea towels to keep it warm and let it rest.
• In the meantime, set the oven to 200°C.
• Peel the potatoes and the remaining 2 onions, clean the parsnip and garlic and grate the carrots.
• Put water in a pot and bring to a boil.
• Throw in baby carrots and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then pour into a colander and let it drain.
• Cut the potatoes into pieces of the same size (approx. 2 cm) and cut the parsnips in half lengthwise.
• We take a large baking dish and place a baking dish with the stuffing in it and a second, larger baking dish, in which we put potatoes, parsnips, baby carrots, garlic and onions, and place it on the baking dish.
• Add a little water and let it bake for about 40-45 minutes.
• In the meantime, transfer the turkey to a serving plate and pour the roasting pan into a pan.
• Bring the fat from the roasting pan to a boil over medium heat.
• Once the fat is heated, add the flour and mix thoroughly.
• Using a wooden spatula, carefully peel off everything that is stuck to the bottom of the baking dish and pour red wine over it.
• Let it come to a boil and pour in the chicken broth.
• Drain a little and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce has the right consistency.
• We prepare a serving container, put a sieve on it and strain the finished sauce from the pan through it.
• We sieve thoroughly so that everything that can pass through the sieve.
• Then all you have to do is remove the stuffing with vegetables from the oven, slice the turkey and serve.

Roast in toasted bread

Do you think that you can only eat roast turkey on holidays and always only served with potatoes, vegetables or some other favorite side dish? Error!

Be inspired by our recipe and prepare luxurious sandwiches from roast turkey, which are just dusty after. This delicacy is good to prepare when you have leftover turkey breast.

Ingredients:

• Roast turkey (ideally turkey breast)
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of tarragon
• 1/2 cube of unsalted butter
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 – 8 slices of toasted bread (light/dark)
• 300 g of Italian Fontina cheese
• 1 large ripe avocado (so-called ready to eat)
• Juice from 1 chemically untreated lemon
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 6 – 8 slices of English bacon
• Watercress (can also be iceberg lettuce or Lollo Biondo)

Method:

• First, preheat the oven to 190°C.
• We previously baked the turkey as we are used to and only separate the breasts.
• Put softened butter, finely chopped herbs in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
• Put the breasts in a baking dish and spread half of the herb butter.
• We can also pepper and lightly salt.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
• After this time, take out the turkey and let it rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.
• We toast the toasted bread in the toaster or we can leave it as it is.
• Cut the turkey breast into slices, as well as the Fontina cheese.
• Fry the bacon in a pan and cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of it.
• Well, now comes the time to assemble the sandwich.
• Brush the bottom slice of bread with herb butter, put slices of cheese and a few slices of turkey breast on it.
• Cut the avocado in half, remove the skin and pit and cut into slices.
• Spread them, pour lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Put the avocado seasoned in this way in the form of several slices on top of the turkey.
• Cover with bacon, a piece of lettuce, and add a slice of Fontina.
• Lightly salt and pepper it.
• anoint the second bread with herb butter and cover the sandwich.
• Let a piece of butter melt in the pan where we fried the bacon.
• Put the sandwich in the pan, press it down using a turner and fry it on both sides.
• This is how we prepare all the sandwiches, which we cut in half after frying and put on a plate. We can also add slices of cheese.

Oven turkey with gravy

This recipe is special in that the turkey is served with a delicious gravy. However, it is not thickened with flour or cornstarch, but with fresh potatoes.

The taste is therefore unique and is not spoiled by anything that would distort the perfect result. If this sauce is to be perfect, you also need a powerful table blender to process it.

Ingredients:

• A turkey weighing 9 – 10 kg
• 4 liters of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of regular salt
• 1 cup of agave nectar
• 2 large onions
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 large sprigs of fresh sage
• 10 – 15 balls of whole black pepper
• 4 1/2 liters of ice cold water
• 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 cups chicken or turkey stock
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

• First, peel the onion and cut it into quarters.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces.
• Prepare a large pot into which we pour vegetable broth, a cup of salt, agave nectar, onion, thyme, sage and pepper.
• Bring everything together to a boil on the highest setting.
• Then reduce the temperature and let it cook for 15 minutes.
• After fifteen minutes, set aside and let cool to room temperature.
• Pour the cooled mixture into a 16 liter pot and add ice water.
• Subsequently, we immerse the turkey in the liquid so that the breast is facing down.
• To be sure, we weigh the turkey with a plate so that it is still submerged.
• Let it cool for up to 18 hours.
• Once this time has passed, place the rack in the oven in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 240°C.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Dry with kitchen towels and pour the marinade.
• Brush the well-dried turkey with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Prepare a roasting pan with a grid, place the turkey on it and tuck the wings under it.
• We connect the legs using kitchen twine.
• Let the turkey bake for 15 minutes, then turn the pan over and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Then take the baking pan out of the oven, cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and pour 2 cups of boiling water into the bottom of the baking pan.
• Bake for another 2 hours, rotating the pan after one hour of baking so that the turkey cooks evenly.
• While the turkey is roasting, boil the potatoes in a large pot of water.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium.
• Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes have a very soft consistency.
• Then drain them and set them aside.
• After two hours, we test the temperature of the turkey. These should be at least 75 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.
• Return the turkey to the oven, reduce the temperature to 210° and bake for another 1 and 1/2 hours.
• About 30 minutes before the end of baking, remove the foil and bake until the skin turns golden or rather browns.
• When we remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a serving plate, remove the string and let it rest under the foil.
• Place the turkey roasting pan on the stove, cover with chicken/turkey stock and bring to a boil.
• Using a flat wooden spatula, carefully scrape off all the pieces stuck to the bottom of the baking dish.
• Then pour everything from the roasting pan into the blender jar, add the boiled potatoes, cover and mix on the highest setting.
• If the sauce has a too thick consistency, add a little water, or a little more broth if we have any left.
• Pour the mixed sauce back into the baking dish or take a pan for it and let it cook at a low temperature for approx. 2-4 minutes so that it is hot.
• Season the sauce with pepper.
• Finally, just cut the turkey into portions and serve with the sauce.

Why is it good to eat turkey meat?

The answer is easy, it’s simply healthy and delicious. It contains a minimal amount of fat, and turkey fat is more beneficial than, for example, beef fat. Turkey meat is rich in linoleic acid.

It is an essential unsaturated fatty acid, which is necessary for the good condition of our arteries and also for reducing the level of unhealthy cholesterol in the blood.

Compared to other types of meat, it has a much higher protein content. These are important for the proper functioning of cells and their renewal. What is most pleasing is its easy digestibility and universal use.