Main Dishes
The 3 Top-Rated Roast Turkeys, Compared (Plus the 5 Fixes Reviewers Swear By)
We compared the three highest-rated roast turkeys online, read what thousands of home cooks changed, and folded the best fixes into one foolproof bird.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Why this ranks: turkey drives the biggest cluster of Thanksgiving “how to” searches on Google Trends: how to brine, smoke, oven-roast, deep-fry and spatchcock a turkey.
The top-rated originals (ratings checked Nov 1, 2026)
We read the reviews on each of these recipes and summarized the changes cooks make most, in our own words. Click through for the full original recipe. Ratings change over time.
- 3 top-rated originals
- 9,858 combined ratings
- 5 reviewer-tested fixes
- Nov 1 ratings last checked
1
Dry-Brined Turkey
NYT Cooking shows whole stars only. Ratings checked Nov 1, 2026.
Developed by Kim Severson for NYT Cooking, this version holds a 5-star average from 5,852 ratings and 599 reader comments. Reviewer notes for this one are still being summarized.
2
Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way
Rating checked Nov 1, 2026. Ratings change over time.
A reader favorite on Allrecipes, this version holds a 4.8-star average from 2,234 ratings and 1,610 written reviews. Here is what the cooks who made it changed most often.
What reviewers change
- Be generous with butter under the skin; cooks roasting 20-plus pound birds used a stick or more.
- Season the night before. Some slip lemon slices and rosemary under the skin.
- Add onion, carrot and celery to the pan with the broth, and baste from it.
- Skip the dried parsley on top, which goes crunchy. Scatter fresh parsley after roasting.
- Go by a probe thermometer, not the time chart.
3
Perfect Turkey
Rating checked Nov 1, 2026. Ratings change over time.
A reader favorite on Allrecipes, this version holds a 4.8-star average from 1,772 ratings. Here is what the cooks who made it changed most often.
What reviewers change
- No fridge space? Brine the bird in a sealed oven bag inside a cooler packed with ice.
- Skip the brine for pre-brined turkeys such as Butterball.
- Keep extra wine or broth handy for when you flip the bird. Apple juice works in place of wine.
- Flip with waterproof gloves, or oven mitts covered in plastic bags.
- Pull it a few degrees early and tent with foil; it climbs to 165°F as it rests.
The 5 changes reviewers make most, across all three
- Dry-brine one to two days ahead. Kosher salt, herbs and citrus zest, and leave the bird uncovered in the fridge the last night so the skin dries and crisps.
- Butter under the skin. Readers rave about pushing softened herb butter right onto the breast meat.
- Don’t brine a pre-brined bird. Butterball, kosher and other “enhanced” turkeys are already salted and turn out too salty.
- Load the pan. Onion, carrot, celery and a cup or two of broth, wine or apple juice keep the drippings from scorching, and that’s your gravy base.
- Trust a thermometer, not the clock. Small birds finish well ahead of the chart. Tent the breast with foil if it browns too fast.
What you’ll need
- Roasting pan with a V-rack, so hot air reaches the underside. Shop on Amazonor the new release
- Leave-in probe thermometer, so you never open the oven to guess. Shop on Amazonor the new release
- Carving board with a juice groove, to keep drippings off the counter. Shop on Amazonor the new release
- Kitchen twine, for tying the legs. Shop on Amazonor the new release
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 1 turkey, 12 to 14 lb, fully thawed (not pre-brined)
- 3 tbsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use 2 tbsp if Morton)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 tbsp chopped sage
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
Directions
- Two days ahead, pat the turkey dry. Mix the salt, sugar, half the herbs, zest and pepper, then rub it all over the turkey and inside the cavity. Set it on a rack in a pan and refrigerate, loosely covered.
- The night before, uncover it so the skin dries out.
- Take the turkey out an hour before roasting. Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Mash the butter with the rest of the herbs. Loosen the breast skin with your fingers and spread most of the butter underneath; rub the rest on top. Don’t rinse off the salt.
- Scatter the vegetables in the pan, add the broth, and set the turkey on the rack. Tie the legs.
- Roast 30 minutes at 425°F, then lower to 325°F. Add broth if the pan goes dry, and tent the breast with foil once it’s deep golden.
- Start checking at 2.5 hours. It’s done at 160°F in the thickest part of the breast and 170°F in the thigh (temperature keeps rising as it rests to the USDA-safe 165°F).
- Rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving. Strain the pan juices for gravy.
FAQ
How long to thaw? About 24 hours in the fridge per 4 to 5 pounds.
Can I stuff it? You can, but it slows cooking and the stuffing must hit 165°F. We bake ours in a dish.
Leftovers? Refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 3 to 4 days or freeze.