If you’re planning to roast a turkey, most likely it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or some other major holiday. However, turkey is a great dish to make anytime of year, especially if you like leftovers. Since not everyone has a large family, we’ve written this recipe for a small (8-10 pound) turkey. All of you finite foodies who must cook in a small kitchen with limited supplies and space will appreciate this.
A good rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per person, with no seconds or leftovers. We believe an 8-10 pound turkey is perfect for 4-6 people to feast on and enjoy leftovers. (Think of it this way: most chickens weigh 3-5 pounds.) If you’re serving 8-10 people, you might want a 12-pound turkey, just to be sure there’s plenty.
We recommend ordering a small turkey, or you might not find one otherwise. Avoid the major brands, which add water, fillers, and flavorings and are therefore not necessarily gluten-free. Look for turkeys raised without hormones and antibiotics, or splurge and buy an organic turkey!
We recommend buying a disposable aluminum roasting pan for easy cleanup and to free up the limited amount of bakeware you own, especially if you’re cooking a large spread for the holidays.
However, you can also use your 10 x 15-inch rimmed baking sheet if you choose to. In that case, line it with a wide piece of foil or two strips that will give you about 4-6 extra inches along the sides. Fold the sides in half and stand up like this:
For the Herb Butter, it’s best to use fresh, not dried herbs. One of these days we plan to try this with coconut oil instead of butter, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t turn out just fine. Feel free to add French tarragon, oregano, basil, or parsley as well, but keep the three main herbs in the mix. We like to make the Herb Butter the day before then let it sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes before we’re ready to assemble the turkey. (If you don’t have any herbs, that’s ok. Just leave out the Herb Butter and simply season the turkey with salt and pepper, like we do with our simple Roast Chicken.)
Our cooking times are based on a turkey that is NOT stuffed, since that’s what we recommend. Once you stuff a turkey, the cooking time must be increased to insure that all bacteria has been killed in the interior, but that also means the exterior meat will be overcooked, which is one reason we don’t do it. We typically truss our turkey as well, which can lengthen the cooking time slightly over an untrussed turkey. (We prefer the look of a trussed turkey if you plan to bring it out whole to the table. If you plan to carve it before anyone sees it, then go ahead and leave it untrussed.) See How to Truss a Chicken or Turkey, Regardless, you’ll have to check the turkey with a meat thermometer, one of the kitchen gadgets on our Essentials list, to know when it’s done. The general rule of thumb is 13-15 minutes per pound. Every oven is different, so don’t leave it to chance. Buy a meat thermometer (not expensive) and use it!
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| Prep Time | |
| 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 2 hours | 1 (plus 20 minutes to rest) |
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- 1 (8-10 pound) turkey (thawed)
- 1/2 tablespoon high heat cooking oil (or melted butter)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 small onion (optional)
- 1 lemon (optional)
- Soften butter by leaving out at room temperature 30-60 minutes, or in a microwave for 5-10 seconds.
- Chop herbs and mince garlic, if using. Mix with butter in a small bowl.
- Be sure to thaw the turkey ahead of time if frozen! This can be done 1-2 days before. We thaw it partially in the refrigerator and partially on the counter (don’t leave it out so long that it is no longer cold to touch). It can take up to 3 days to thaw exclusively in the refrigerator.
- About one hour before cooking, set the thawed turkey on the counter to get rid of the chill. Remove package of giblets that is usually inside the turkey cavity. Store these in the refrigerator until ready to make giblet gravy. Place turkey on a baking sheet lined with foil or in a roasting pan. (A disposal aluminum pan is fine if you don’t own one.)
- Loosen the skin of the turkey, starting at the neck, by running a finger under the skin. Work as far down the breast as possible, without tearing the skin. Go to the cavity end of the turkey and loosen skin from that side. Now get about a tablespoon of the butter at a time and push under the skin with your fingers; cover the breast meat and into the area where the legs join the body.
- Place any leftover herbs sprigs into the cavity. If desired, cut the peeled onion and lemon into quarters and stuff into the cavity as well.
- Truss the turkey legs, if desired. To truss: cut a 16-inch piece of cooking twine. Wrap it around the tail and tie. Cross the drumsticks and bring one end up and around where the legs cross. Then bring other end up and around the opposite side and direction. Bring both ends to top side and tie in a knot. Bend the wings backward and tuck the tips under the back. (See How to Truss a Chicken or Turkey for pictures.)
- Brush oil over the turkey then sprinkle salt and pepper generously over it.
- Remove all racks in the oven except one. Place it in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°F. Continue to leave turkey on counter while you wait for the oven to heat. Time things so the turkey is out of the refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes.
- When hot, place turkey in the oven and cook on high heat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn heat down to 350°F, baste, and set timer for 1-1/2 more hours for an 8-10 pound turkey. Add about 13-15 minutes for each additional pound. Baste the turkey every 30-45 minutes. Remember, this timing is for a turkey that is NOT stuffed.
- When the turkey has about 30 minutes left to cook, use a meat thermometer if you have one (we highly recommend) and stick it in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure it’s not touching a bone. The turkey is done when the internal temperature is about 165°F. Chef’s Tip: If you don’t have a meat thermometer, or if it seems inaccurate, cut a slit in the thickest part of the thigh when you think the turkey is done. The juices that run out should be clear with no tinge of pink.
- Remove the turkey from the oven when done and let rest about 20 minutes before cutting to give it time to reabsorb the juices.
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