Nothing is comparable to a perfectly roasted turkey that is moist, tender, flavorful turkey. Discover our ultimate stuffed turkey recipe with a savory bread stuffing recipe with aromatic herbs. Here, we give you the ingredients and method needed to make the most succulent, juiciest turkey ever! The turkey stuffing recipe is included. We use basic white bread stuffing infused with delicious herbs that will fill your whole house with an incredible aroma. Follow our guide for a 20-pound whole turkey, complete with a delicious gravy recipe made from turkey juice and chicken broth. Ideal for Thanksgiving or any special occasion.
How to Make Juicy Roasted Turkey with Stuffing
Ingredients
- Whole Turkey, Defrosted* - One whole Turkey weighing 20 pounds (about 9 kilos)
Butter Herb Mix
- Butter, Unsalted, Room Temperature - 1 cup (or 2 sticks of butter)
- Rosemary, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 2 tablespoons
- Sage, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 2 tablespoons
- Oregano, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 2 tablespoons
- Garlic, Fresh, Minced - 2 teaspoons (optional)
- Salt - 2 teaspoon
- Black Pepper - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Bread Stuffing
- White Sandwich Bread, 1 Day Old, Cut into Squares* - 1 bag, regular size
- Butter, Unsalted - 1 / 2 cup or 1 stick
- Onions, Chopped - 2 cups
- Celery, Chopped - 2 cups
- Rosemary, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 1 tablespoons
- Sage, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 1 tablespoons
- Oregano, Fresh, Finely Chopped - 1 tablespoons
- Chicken Broth - 2-3 cups
- Salt - according to taste
Turkey Juice
- Carrots, Peeled - 5 whole
- Onions, Quartered - 2 whole
- Celery Sticks - 2 stalks
- Water
Gravy
- Butter, Unsalted - 1/2 cup or 1 stick
- Onion, Chopped Finely - 1/2 cup
- Heavy Cooking Cream - 1 tablespoon
- White Flour - 5 tablespoons
- Turkey Juice - 1 cup
- Chicken Broth - 3 cups
- Chopped Herb Mix (Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley) - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Steps
- Step 1
Prepare your Herbed Butter
Take out defrosted turkey from fridge and let it sit in roasting pan at room temperature for at least one hour. Make sure the turkey is elevated at least 1 inch with a rack. If you do not have a rack, you can create a simple base for the turkey with aluminum foil so that is not touching the base of the pan. Turkey should NOT be covered with foil at this point. While your turkey is sitting in roasting pan, start preparing your herbed butter.
- Step 2
Prepare your Herbed Butter
Mix all ingredients listed under Butter Herb Mix together in a medium size bowl till all are well blended. Set Aside while you prepare Bread Stuffing for your stuffed turkey.
- Step 3
Prepare Bread Stuffing
In a large cooking pot, over medium high heat, combine the butter with onions and celery. Cook and stir with wooden spoon for about 15 minutes till onions and celery soften and start to change color. Add your herbs (rosemary, sage, and oregano) and the salt. Stir for a couple of minutes, lower heat to medium and then add bread squares gradually to the onion/ celery mix. Gently mix with wooden spoon. Gradually start adding the chicken broth into the bread and onion mix till the bread is moist. The bread should not be soggy, but it should not remain dry. You may add more chicken broth if needed. Turn heat off and set aside.
- Step 4
Arrange rack at bottom of oven and preheat oven to 325 Degree F.
- Step 5
Prepare Turkey
Using your hands (preferably, wear latex gloves), gently separate the skin of the turkey from the breast starting with the edge above the cavity. Be careful so that you do not tear the skin. Use your fingers to create an opening between skin and breast area. Note, you can use a pastry spatula to assist in creating an opening all the way to the other end of the breast. Rub turkey with 1/2 of the herbed butter mix under the skin, spreading as far as your hands can go.
- Step 6
Rub the rest of the turkey on the outside with the remaining herbed butter mix, ensuring you cover the breast, thighs, and cavity of the turkey.
- Step 7
Stuff the cavity with the prepared bread stuffing. You can even stuff the skin near the thighs with bread stuffing. Once you are done, tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Step 8
Prepare Turkey Juices
Arrange the peeled carrots, celery, and quartered onions around the turkey at the base of the roasting pan. Pour water on the vegetables (not the turkey) so that the water is about 1 inch high (water should not touch the turkey.). Sprinkle additional salt and black pepper on the turkey if you wish.
- Step 9
Roast the Stuffed Turkey
Cut a piece of Aluminum Foil just to loosely cover breast and cavity of turkey. Do not cover the entire turkey. Place roasting pan in the oven rack and roast for about 3 hours. There is no need to open oven or baste turkey during this time. Take foil off the turkey after 3 hours of roasting and leave the turkey to roast for an additional hour. Using a meat thermometer, check to see if your turkey reach 160 degrees F. If the breast and thigh reached 160 degrees, then your turkey is done. Take Turkey out and let in rest at room temperature for 30 minutes completely covered with aluminum foil (resting the turkey after cooking is a very important step if you want to get that juicy flavor.) While your turkey is resting, carefully, lift the turkey with the rack and pour the juices from the pan in a bowl using a strainer. You can throw the carrots, celery, and onions away. Start making your gravy.
- Step 10
Make Your Gravy
In a cooking pot, over medium heat, melt the butter and add onions to it. Cook onions for about 6-8 minutes till they become soft and translucent. Add the flour to the onions and mix with spoon to ensure all the onions are evenly covered with flour. Add all the herbs and turkey juices, stirring with spoon till you get a thickened sauce. Gradually add the chicken broth while stirring at medium low heat till you reach desired thickness of gravy. Add cream at the end. Sprinkle salt and pepper as desired.
- Step 11
Transfer turkey to serving plate. Serve with hot gravy.
Tip
*Make sure your Turkey is properly defrosted and cleaned. Best way to defrost a frozen Turkey is to let it defrost in fridge 2-3 days or by placing it in a cold water bath and changing water every 30 minutes. All giblets, including heart, neck, liver, etc. should be removed. Remove extra loose skin hanging inside cavity of Turkey and wash it with water and salt. Pat Turkey dry with paper towels before you begin this recipe. For your bread, you need to make your bread dry on day (24 hours ahead of time). Simply cut bread into Squares and let it sit at room temperature, uncovered and spread out, for 24 hours so that it dries up.
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About the Author: Riwa Saied
