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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
No more arguing with my Mom over when the turkey is done! This method is SO forgiving that I’d bet the white meat will never dry out. The turkey turns out incredibly tender and delicious, and it practically falls apart when you carve it!
This recipe is up there with my Deconstructed Turkey and Roast Turkey Breast recipes as one of my favorites. Not a fan of turkey? Try my Pork Loin Roast or Sirloin Tip Roast instead – they’re just as delicious!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This turkey is easy to make, so beginner cooks shouldn’t shy away from making it!
- Total Time: You’ll need about 5 hours and 15 minutes from start to finish, but it’s worth the wait. Most of the cooking time is low and slow, so you can focus on getting the rest of your holiday meal ready.
- Variations: Add my Turkey Seasoning to the spices you rub onto the turkey, or give it an extra boost of flavor with paprika, cayenne, chili powder, or your favorite herbs. Pair your delicious turkey with my Oven Baked Turkey Stuffing or Mom’s Homemade Stove Top Stuffing and these Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes for the ultimate holiday meal!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need an oven bag, a knife for chopping, a bowl for mixing the seasoning, a roasting pan, a meat thermometer, and a platter for serving.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Turkey: You’ll need a 15–25 pound turkey for this recipe. Karlynn’s Tip: The turkey shown in these photos is 13 pounds, but the first one I made was 20 pounds, so you can absolutely use this method with the turkey size that works best for you!
Seasonings: Use sea salt flakes or coarse salt and dried parsley to season your turkey. Feel free to add any other seasonings you enjoy, like black pepper, my Homemade Poultry Seasoning, or your favorite herbs and spices.
Turkey Broth: You can use turkey broth or chicken broth in this recipe, whichever you have on hand.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is rubbed on the turkey and helps the seasonings stick to the skin. Karlynn’s Tip: You can also use butter instead of olive oil if you prefer!
Vegetables: You’ll need a white onion, peeled and quartered, plus a couple of celery stalks. They add flavor to the turkey and work especially well with the quartered apple used in the recipe.
How To Make The Juiciest, Most Tender Oven Roast Turkey
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. The USDA recommends cooking turkey in an oven set to a minimum of 325°F, which you can also do if you want the turkey to cook faster.
- Pat the top and sides of the turkey dry with paper towels, then throw the towels away and wash your hands.
- Place the turkey completely inside the oven bag, positioning it so the opening is angled toward the top rather than straight across.
- Place the quartered onion, celery, apple, and any other vegetables into the turkey cavity.
- Mix the salt with the dried parsley in a small bowl. If you’re cooking a larger turkey, you can double the seasoning mixture.
- Drizzle a small stream of olive oil over the turkey breast, thighs, and legs.
- Rub the olive oil all over the turkey skin, making sure it’s evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the turkey, then rub it into the skin.
- Pour the turkey or chicken broth into the bottom of the oven bag, being careful not to wash the seasoning off the turkey.
- Seal the bag using the tie that comes with it, then cut a few small holes in the top of the bag to allow steam to escape.
- Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cook for 3–4 hours for a 13-pound turkey, or up to 5–6 hours for a larger turkey.
- When the thigh meat reaches 180°F and the breast meat reaches at least 165°F, remove the turkey from the oven. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the oven bag.
- Transfer the turkey to a platter, or carve it right in the roasting pan.
- Save the drippings and use them to make turkey gravy!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Oven Roast Turkey
- Use a Turkey-Sized Oven Bag: The simple secret to this turkey is using a turkey-sized oven roasting bag. And to be clear, I mean an oven bag, not a brown paper bag! Brown paper bags are NOT safe for cooking, so you should always use a food-safe oven bag. The oven bag is key to this recipe, so don’t skip it!
- The Secret Is Braising: This turkey turns out so well because the olive oil and salt help crisp up the skin, while the broth creates steam inside the oven bag and braises the turkey instead of simply roasting it. Braising is one of my favorite ways to cook meat, and it’s especially helpful with turkey because it helps you to get moist breast meat while still cooking the legs to the proper temperature!
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Let the turkey cool, then remove the meat from the bones and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or place the turkey in a covered baking dish with a splash of broth and warm in the oven until heated through.
Freezer: Freeze leftover turkey in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating!
More Delicious Turkey Recipes
Turkey isn’t just for the centerpiece at Thanksgiving dinner! Try one of my tried-and-true Poultry & Turkey Recipes for your next tasty meal:
- These Turkey Kebabs are the perfect way to combine tender turkey and vegetables in one easy meal.
- No roast turkey is complete without a classic Turkey Gravy!
- Put your leftovers from a great turkey dinner to good use with my savory Turkey Turnovers. What’s better than meat and puff pastry?
And that’s all there is to it! This oven-bag turkey is tender, juicy, and incredibly forgiving, so it’s a wonderful choice for your next holiday dinner.
Give this method a try for your next turkey and see why I’ll never make one another way! Let me know how it turned out in the comments below, and don’t forget to save those delicious drippings for gravy.
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
How to Cook the Juiciest, Most Tender Oven Roast Turkey
Ingredients
- one 15-25 pounds turkey
- 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes or coarse salt
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 litre carton turkey broth
- 1 turkey sized oven safe roasting bag
- 1 small white onion, peeled and quartered
- 1-2 stalks celery ,washed and cut into sticks
- 1 apple, de-seeded and quartered
Instructions
- NOTE : This method cooks your turkey a LOT FASTER than usual! The USDA doesn't recommend cooking under 325 ° F However, this method steams the turkey and it will get crazy hot inside the bag. If you want an all day turkey, turn the heat down. IF it's cooking too fast, turn the heat down, the residual steam will keep it cooking. The choice is up to you!
- Pre-heat your oven to 300 °F.
- Pat the tops and sides of the turkey dry with paper towels and throw them out.
- Place your turkey so that it’s completely in the oven bag BUT so that the opening is slanted more towards the top instead of straight across . Take your chosen onions quarters, celery, apple etc and place them into the turkey cavity.
- Take one tablespoon of sea salt flakes or coarse salt and a tablespoon of parsley and mix them in a bowl. IF you have a larger turkey you can double this. Set aside for now, you just had to get this ready because now your hands are getting dirty again!
- Take a bottle of olive oil and drizzle a small stream across the skin on the breast of the turkey and some on the thighs and legs. Gauge how much you need to cover the surface area in a nice coating. Put the bottle away and roll up your sleeves.
- Rub the olive oil all over the turkey skin, getting it covered well. You don’t have to do the bottom.
- Take the salt/parsley mixture and rub it all over the turkey in an even layer. The olive oil will help it stick. It should look like the photo above. Then of course, wash your hands and move on to the next step.
- Pour the turkey or chicken broth into the bottom of the bag, making sure not to wash off the spices.
- Use the little tie that comes with your oven bags and seal the bag. Cut small holes into the top of the roasting bag to let steam out.
- Place in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours for my 13 pound turkey and up to 5-6 for a larger turkey. If you notice the breast is getting too brown and crispy. you can cover the top with tinfoil.
- When the thigh meat reaches a temperature of 185 °F and the breast meat is 165°F minimum, you can remove the turkey. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then remove the bag.
- You can either move it to a platter (it can be done, with two people and a few forks holding it together in key places) or simply carve it in the pan.
- Use the drippings to make what is the BEST turkey gravy you will ever eat.
Notes
- The USDA RECOMMENDS that you cook at a minimum of 325°F oven temp, which you can also do and the turkey cooks faster. The choice is up to you how you want to cook it.
- NUTRITIONAL VALUES shown are only for a slice of turkey breast meat, and NOT for the entire turkey or any gravy you make!
- You are only restricted in turkey size by what fits into the bag and closes up to cook! If it fits, it cooks!
- Add more cooking time on for larger turkeys.
- If the top of your turkey is getting too brown, cover the top with tinfoil.
- You can choose whatever vegetables you want to place in your turkey cavity, I like an apple, celery and an onion. Whatever you put in there WILL affect the taste!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Candice says
Hi! I’m a newbie to this turkey business.
I have a 22lb turkey. Once I put it in the bag can I still use a butter/herb run on it?
Kelly says
After my turkey is done i just toss the celery and apples. This is probably a dumb question. Lol
Margaret says
I have searched your site and I can’t find the gravy recipe to use the “drippings” in.
Help, Please! I have the turkey in the oven right now. We are doing Thanksgiving tonight!
Karlynn Johnston says
Hey Margaret! Just take a few cups of the drippings – there will be cups and cups of it because you used broth – and then pour it into a pot on the stove. Boil them down until they are stronger and flavorful, then whisk 2-3 tbsp of cornstarch in some cold water. Whisk that into the drippings rapidly, using just enough to thicken them. Add salt and pepper to taste, and you’re done! The secret is to boil the drippings down until they are strong, so that you don’t have a weak gravy!
Trish says
Can I cook it at 350? How long for a 20 pound turkey? Thank you!
Karlynn Johnston says
You totally can! It would be faster. It’s about 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkey at 350F.
Marissa Castillo says
Hello 🙂 would my cook time be different if I chose not to stuff the turkey ? How long would you recommend unstuffed ?
Karlynn Johnston says
You do not stuff the turkey it’ll dissolve into the broth. Simply cook your stuffing in the oven, search my stove top stuffing.on the site!
Margaret says
How do you know if it is done right without a meat thermometer?
Karlynn Johnston says
You don’t. A meat thermometer is essential for any meat!
Angel Sonerholm says
Is it ok to use chicken broth instead of turkey broth? I can’t find it anywhere.
Angel Sonerholm says
Also is it ok to use a roaster oven?
Karlynn Johnston says
Chicken broth is fine and any oven used has to be large enough to hold the turkey and the expanding bag. The bag expands out and up and can’t touch elements.
Joe says
What’s your opinion on flouring the inside of the oven bag? You don’t mention it, so I am presuming it isn’t a problem to do it without flouring. I’d prefer to just follow your recipe, but am just a little concerned about the bag instructions saying to flour the inside of the bag, so wanted your two cents if you don’t mind….
Karlynn Johnston says
Hey, I have never floured the cooking bag, and we make this turkey 2-3 times a year now since I first came up with it!
Kelly says
Hello, I’m going to use your recipe for my first turkey! Did you brine your turkey beforehand?
Karlynn Johnston says
No, you are steaming the turkey in delicious juices while it cooks in the bag, no need to brine!
Tracy D says
I want to try this! How long for a 20 pound turkey?
Karlynn Johnston says
I would say 4-5 hours, BUT if the steam really gets going it could be as little as 4! You CAN cook this at 350F, and it will take less time. The bag method is adjustable to your needs. IT cooks it a LOT faster than usual!
Kelly says
My husband is insisting on brining the turkey🙄 Will this ruin your recipe? He won’t let up on wanting to brine.
Karlynn Johnston says
Haha! You know what go ahead and bring it, let him do the brine. It will still cook up wonderfully but maybe a bit faster because of all the moisture in the meat. That moisture is just going to create steam heat more so than usual in the oven bag. Who knows maybe he’s creating an amazing method! But just watch the temperature and cooking closer because the extra moisture will heat it up faster. Let me know how it goes I’m curious!
Kim says
My second time I made a turkey.. I was dreading making it and wondered why I bought it as I don’t even like turkey that much. Followed this recipe and it was the most AMAZING juiciest turkey I’ve had!!! I cannot thank you enough for sharing this .. 😊😊
Karlynn Johnston says
Yay!!! Another person converted to the oven bag method! I don’t even try any other way anymore when it comes to holiday meals, it’s so easy and good!
Rob says
Can I still stuff this turkey with dressing?
Karlynn Johnston says
No, you can’t, it will liquefy!
Kevin Hannum says
Thank you very much for this easy to follow recipe. How do I make the gravy from the juices left in the bag? So I just simple pour it into a gravy bowl and use as is? Lastly, are the onions, celery, apples good to serve with the turkey as a side? Thank you for your help.
Kim Mcmillan says
Can I prep this the day before?
Karlynn Johnston says
I would prep it in the bag without the broth, then add the broth and seal it right before cooking!
Katie Osterling says
I’d like your gravy recipe too! We’re having thanksgiving tomorrow due to our work and life schedules ?. Can’t wait to try the turkey!!! What type of taste does the celery, onion and apple make?
Kari says
This is definitely the best way to fix a turkey! It was so juicy and delicious! I am usually not a huge fan of turkey because I feel it’s always dried out but now I will definitely be making turkey more often! And we saved the leftovers in the juice and broth from the turkey and it was just as good left over as it was the first day and still juicy and moist! Thanks for helping us have a wonderful turkey dinner on Thanksgiving!
Karlynn says
I am thrilled that you loved the recipe Kari! it honestly turned my husband and I into roast turkey fans as well, I’ve really never been able to cook it so that we’ve loved it before. I’m so glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tabitha Frushour says
Can you prepare this recipe in a roaster instead of the oven and get the same results
Ray says
Karlynn,
I put pats of butter under the skin on the breast meat then olive oil on top of skin, covered with foil. Comes out juicy! Next year I’m going to try the bag, hope it’s large enough for a 25 pounder! Going to make your Turkey Carcass soup tomorrow, wish me luck!
Ed says
What is with “yuck” for seeing juices run out of a brisket? You sound like a woman I know who won’t eat meat off a bone, because it is so “barbaric.” Yes that included chicken, and ribs. LOL.
My Mother used to make turkey like this. It was always juicy and tender. That was back in the 60s, so this isn’t a new thing. I think people got away from cooking like this because the powers that be decided you had to cook turkey at least at 325-350 degrees. That totally ignored time at temperature. I have eaten turkey cooked like this for 62 years and never had a problem getting sick from it.
Karlynn says
Haha Ed no, I can’t stand that they squeeze the.juices out and leave a bone dry brisket and ruin it! Sacrilege! Nothing beats juicy meat, but for the love of God people need to stop beating it to death in videos just to show people it’s juicy ?
Your mom is right, low and slow is the way to cook.
Miranda says
How long will it take for an 11lb Turkey on 300? Can you use Turkey stock instead of broth?
Natasha Ross says
Hello, I wanted to know your thoughts on adding white cooking wine to half the Turkey broth? Also, what’s the difference in Time if I put the oven on convection baking verses regular baking? Should I not use the convection function on my stove? Thank you.
Karlynn says
As long as you like white wine in your gravy (or you aren’t going to use your drippings for gravy so it doesn’t matter). White wine would be totally fine!
Christen says
I don’t have any broth —- ? can I use water instead?
Karlynn says
You can use water, you just won’t be able to make as good of a gravy at the end. Do you have any bouillon cube you could put into water or anything to flavour it?
Veronica says
Can I prepare the turkey the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning???
Karlynn Johnston says
I would prep everything the night before and then add the broth right before you cook it so that the turkey doesn’t get waterlogged, for lack of a better word.
Kimberly says
I have a 12 lb. turkey. Using this recipe, how long should I cook it?
Karlynn says
About 3-4 hours
Aolani says
I’m sure you won’t see this as it’s already Thanksgiving right now but I followed your directions exactly I have a 12 pound turkey it’s already been cooking for three hours at 300 and it looks completely raw like there is Zero color at all, I’m getting ? worried
Steph says
I can’t wait to try this for my first time making Thanksgiving for my husband, 13 month old and I! Super easy instructions, so thank you for that!
I do have one question, did you use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil? And what is the pan that the turkey is cooked in?
Thanks!
Karlynn says
Extra virgin olive oil is fine!
Maranda says
I have a 16lb turkey, how long should I cook it? Also, I’m not stuffing the turkey with any veggies, will this affect the cooking time?
Karlynn says
Aim for 4-5 hours for 16 lbs.
Kristy says
Do you eat the apples, onion, and celery you stuffed in the Turkey or are they just for flavoring?
Steph says
I can’t wait to try this for my first time making Thanksgiving for my husband, 13 month old and I! Super easy instructions, so thank you for that!
I do have one question, did you use regular olive oil or extra virgin olive oil?
Thanks!
Mar Tre says
Hi Karlynn,
Thanks for the tips! I have a large family and would like to make two turkeys, maybe 12-15 lbs each. Can I put both in the oven at the same time? If so, how would oven temps and cooking times vary from your instructions?
NEiL says
This is going to be recipe- simple and delightful. Thoughts on butter vs olive oil? I always only cook with olive oil except on turkey day…
Karlynn says
Butter is always good but I worry about it getting too browned since we cook it so long…. let me know what you think if you make it!
Kim says
I’m making my first turkey ever this Thanksgiving and I’m giving your recipe a shot! Looks delicious. This might be a silly question, but is the parsley supposed to be dried or fresh? Thanks!
Karlynn says
Dried parsley!
Teryn says
I’d love your gravy recipe please!!
Tiffany says
Me too!
Becky says
Me too! I need it it right now, it’s gravy time. 😉
cj says
Hi there. Where can we purchase the turkey roasting bags please?
Karlynn says
Grocery stores all carry them!
Jen says
Can you use stuffing instead of vegetables and if not what is different about this method that you can’t?
Darcell Ezell says
Those was good recipes tips
Gerard says
what do you have for insta pot recipes?
Susan Macko says
I read your recipes every morning when I’m first up. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas. I’m diabetic, I appreciate the low carb recipes.
Karlynn Johnston says
That’s awesome to hear Susan!! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes! I have a low carb website too, https://www.thekitchenmagpielowcarb.com! It doesn’t have as many recipes as this main one, but we are working on it!