Simple Roast Turkey
The best Thanksgiving turkey recipe saves the day year after year with no mistakes and no stress. This recipe utilizes GE's advanced cooking technology to make roasting the Thanksgiving turkey as easy as pressing a button—well, almost that easy.
Ingredients:
1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey, trimmed, neck, giblets, and tailpiece removed (keep for gravy if desired)
Kosher salt
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small onion, quartered
2 celery ribs, chopped coarse
1 small apple, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup water, plus extra as needed
Method:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position. If using a GE meat probe, precede to the next step. If not, set oven to 325 degrees.
Remove turkey wrapper and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Do not rinse. Remove neck and giblets.
Season the outside and inside of the turkey thoroughly with kosher salt.
Fill the turkey cavity with aromatics. A mix of celery, onions, fresh herbs, apple and lemon. Rub outside of skin with softened butter and brush with soy sauce. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wings behind back.
Lucky enough to have GE meat probe? Place turkey in a roasting rack set into a shallow rimmed baking sheet. Insert meat probe into the thickest part of the breast. Place turkey in oven. Plug the meat probe into the oven and add 1 cup of water to the pan. Choose the Convection Roast mode from the menu. Set the desired temperature to 160 degrees. The oven will automatically shut off when the turkey has reached the desired temperature.
Don’t have a GE meat probe? Roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees on a digital thermometer. Total roasting time will depend on the size of your bird. For a smaller turkey plan on 2-3 hours; a larger bird will take 3-4 hours.
Remove turkey from oven. Gently tip turkey so that any juices accumulated in the cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to cutting board and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes before carving. This recipe pairs perfectly with our Turkey Gravy and Homemade Holiday Dressing recipes.
Chef's Notes:
Frozen turkeys take a long time to safely defrost. Plan on 1 day per 5 pounds of turkey, and always thaw in the refrigerator.