Harassed on the considered cooking a turkey? Don’t be! We’ve made dozens of turkeys over time and we’ve discovered tips on how to cook dinner a turkey completely each time. Spoiler: one of the best ways to cook dinner a turkey is in a bowl!
I do know, this isn’t your typical roast turkey recipe, however look how brown it received and may you see the way it’s falling aside?!

The BEST Turkey Recipe
My pal Brittany was chatting with me over Thanksgiving dinner final 12 months all about turkeys. You see, Brittany doesn’t cook dinner a turkey within the conventional manner. In actual fact, she completely blew my thoughts when she instructed me, one of the best ways to cook dinner a turkey — this turkey in a bowl recipe — is life altering.
Sure, it’s a turkey that’s actually cooked in a giant bowl within the oven.
You’re going to wish to purchase a giant bowl and do that one out for your self. It’s the best and quickest solution to put together turkey that I’ve ever seen, however the outcomes are collapse moist and tender.
Watch How one can Make the Juiciest Turkey in a Bowl
Turkey Fundamentals
Earlier than we get too far into this, I wish to cowl a number of of the fundamentals so you recognize if is the proper match in your consuming schedule:
- A frozen turkey will want thaw 24 hours per each 5 kilos.
- Turkey might want to cook dinner for 1 hour per pound.
- Secure inner temperature for a turkey is 175 levels F the thigh and 165 levels F within the breast.
So let’s assume you’re going to roast a 18 pound turkey that’s frozen while you buy it and also you wish to have your meal on Thursday afternoon. Right here is your transient timeline:
- Take away turkey from freezer to thaw within the fridge: 4 days forward of time (Sunday afternoon – Wednesday afternoon)
- Turkey roasts within the oven: 15 hours
- Turkey rests: half-hour
The turkey might be falling off the bones and possibly gained’t even actually have to be carved! Now listed below are those self same steps in just a little extra element…

Turkey in a Bowl Substances
To make one of the best turkey recipe attainable, listed below are the substances you’ll want:
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Entire Turkey
- Butter
- Lemon Zest
- Recent Sage
- Recent Thyme
- Paprika
- Kosher Salt
Actually, that’s it! Cooking a turkey requires far much less substances than you’d suppose. Should you’d wish to make turkey gravy from the drippings (which you need to positively do!), you’ll additionally want some water and cornstarch when making this complete turkey recipe.

Provides Wanted for This Straightforward Turkey Recipe
Along with the substances listed above, you’ll additionally want to purchase a giant oven-safe bowl. As a result of I’ve received lazy bones, I typically order this 20 QT bowl from Amazon, however you would completely take a look at kitchen shops in your space as properly.
It’s truly completely definitely worth the funding too as we use this bowl to combine up massive snack mixes like our 5-Minute Reese’s Snack Mix and 5-Minute Halloween Snack mix, plus we make bread in it, and so forth.

How one can Cook dinner a Turkey in a Bowl
For this straightforward turkey recipe, you’ll mainly be creating your individual gradual cooker within the oven. The excellent news is, you don’t must ever peek, check the temperature, or something. No roasting pan, no brine…you actually pop it within the oven and don’t give it some thought for hours. You may be busy making different issues with out ever basting, turning, and even touching the turkey!
Right here’s a primary rundown of tips on how to make a turkey in a bowl:
- Roast: Preheat oven to 400 levels F. Roast a whole bulb of garlic till softened, then squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb.
- Combine: Mix the garlic gloves with softened butter, herbs, spices, and lemon zest in a small bowl and blend with a fork to mix.
- Prep: Take away the neck and giblets and pat the turkey dry each in and out with paper towels.
- Rub: Scoop among the butter combination up in your hand and rub the turkey throughout with the butter combination outdoors and beneath the pores and skin.
- NOTE: In case your turkey is basically giant, you might must double the herb butter combination.
- Prep: Scale back the warmth of the oven to 250 levels F. You made want to maneuver the racks round for the bowl to suit. Place turkey into the bowl breast aspect down and canopy the bowl tightly with foil.
- Cook dinner: Place the bowl into the oven and roast for 1 hour for each pound of turkey (as much as 15 hours).
- Relaxation: Fastidiously take away the bowl from the oven. Will probably be fairly heavy so watch out! Take away the foil being cautious to not be burned by the steam as you accomplish that.
- Take away: Utilizing lengthy tongs, take away the turkey the bowl and place it on a platter and let it relaxation.
- Pour: Pour the leftover turkey drippings within the bowl right into a saucepan or giant glass measuring cup. Then switch it to a gravy fats separator.
- Make Gravy: Pour the dripping again right into a medium saucepan and produce to a gentle boil over medium excessive warmth. Whisk within the cornstarch slurry and whisk every little thing collectively till thickened.
- Slice: Separate the turkey from the bones and place on a serving platter, slicing bigger items if mandatory. I’ve truly by no means needed to carve a turkey in a bowl as a result of it actually simply falls aside it’s so tender.
All of those directions may be discovered within the recipe card discovered down on the finish of the put up.

How A lot Turkey Do I Want Per Particular person?
Determining what dimension turkey you should purchase may be difficult. As a basic rule of thumb, you need to rely on every particular person consuming roughly 1 pound of turkey. You’ll possible wind up with leftovers this fashion, which is okay in my guide! You can also make turkey tetrazzini, turkey club sandwich, or turkey soup.
For reference, an 18-pound turkey will feed about 25 folks with leftovers. And to serve over 50 visitors, attempt utilizing two 20 to 22-pound turkeys.
How Lengthy to Cook dinner a Turkey
The final rule for cooking a complete turkey utilizing this cooking technique is about an hour a pound at 250 levels Fahrenheit.
We use an 18-pound turkey, however by 15 hours it’s completely performed and falling aside. When you’ve got a turkey greater than 15 kilos, you’ll probably discover the very same factor, however when you open the bowl and it’s not performed, simply give it one other hour or two. Word that I’ve by no means had so as to add further time.

Recommendations on How one can Cook dinner a Turkey
At all times place the turkey breast aspect down when cooking a turkey in a bowl. Even conventional roasting ought to begin out breast aspect down after which be flipped within the cooking course of.
As you take away (or try and take away) the turkey, every little thing might be falling aside again into the bowl. You actually can not elevate the turkey out. Due to this, we desire to empty out the juice and make the gravy and then take away the turkey.
And if you wish to make this turkey recipe just a little more healthy, be happy to ditch the butter and solely use seasonings and herbs to taste the turkey in a bowl. Simply be sure that to spray the bowl with nonstick cooking spray earlier than including the turkey so nothing sticks.
What to Eat with Turkey in a Bowl
This tender, flavorful and completely juicy Thanksgiving turkey is nice with all of your favourite Thanksgiving aspect dishes. A few of our will need to have are:

Variations for Turkey
You can also make this turkey in a bowl into no matter you need. There are countless choices for flavoring your turkey.
Herb Turkey — We love recent herbs, so attempt mincing up poultry herbs akin to rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley. And don’t overlook salt as that’s the place nearly all of taste will come from. Rub these chopped herbs throughout and underneath the pores and skin alone or with softened butter for an extremely flavorful, moist turkey.
Smoky Turkey — Similar to our Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe, you may actually carry house these heat flavors by mixing collectively cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and floor mustard. This mixture of spices makes for a novel selfmade turkey your family and friends gained’t quickly overlook!
Citrus Turkey — Attempt including orange or lemon zest to butter together with recent herbs for a shiny complete turkey.

How one can Reheat Turkey
When you’ve got leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, I like to recommend reheating it within the oven at 350 levels Fahrenheit. You’ll wish to reheat the turkey in a baking dish and add a splash of turkey broth or leftover pan drippings to maintain the turkey moist. Then, wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil to seal within the moisture and cook dinner the turkey till heated by way of (about 20 to half-hour).
Can You Freeze Turkey?
Completely! Turkey may be frozen for as much as 4 months. I like utilizing frozen turkey in casseroles, soups, stews, and on sandwiches. You all know I like utilizing my meals saver to freeze turkey, however sealing it in a freezer bag will work too!

Uncover a novel and straightforward solution to cook dinner a scrumptious turkey in a bowl with easy substances. Watch our step-by-step video tutorial for a good vacation meal.
Extra Turkey Recipes:
Description
Harassed on the considered cooking a turkey? Don’t be! We’ve made dozens of turkeys over time and we’ve discovered tips on how to cook dinner a turkey completely each time. Spoiler: one of the best ways to cook dinner a turkey is in a bowl!
Turkey Fundamentals
-
A frozen turkey will want thaw 24 hours per each 5 kilos.
-
Turkey might want to cook dinner for 1 hour per pound.
-
Secure inner temperature for a turkey is 175 levels F the thigh and 165 levels F within the breast.
Turkey in a Bowl
-
Warmth an oven to 400 levels F.
-
Place the garlic bulb on a chopping board and slice off the very high to show the garlic.
1 Bulb Garlic
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Drizzle with olive oil.
Olive Oil
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Wrap the bulb in foil and place within the oven for half-hour.
-
Take away the garlic from the oven and squeeze out the gentle garlic cloves right into a bowl.
-
Add the softened butter, herbs and spices.
3 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Lemons, 1 Tablespoon Thyme, 1 Tablespoon Sage, 2 teaspoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
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Stir to mix.
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Rub the turkey with the butter combination underneath the pores and skin and over it.
18 Pound Turkey
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In case your turkey is further giant you might must double the butter.
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Place the turkey breast aspect down in a 20 QT stainless steel bowl.
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Cowl tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour a pound at 250 levels, as much as 15 hours.
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Fastidiously take away from the oven and take away the liquid to a gravy fat separator.
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Pour the drippings right into a pan over medium excessive warmth.
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Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons Water
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As soon as the drippings are simmering, whisk within the cornstarch combination till clean and thick. Should you don’t want the entire slurry don’t use it, or make extra when you ended up with a whole lot of drippings.
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Take away the turkey from the bowl to a platter, no want to chop because it’s all shredded.
Leftovers may be frozen for as much as 3 months. Take away the meat from the bones earlier than freezing.
Energy: 640kcal
Advisable Merchandise
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