Looking for the perfect roast turkey recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving? Then you've definitely come to the right place.

Here, we have several great recipes for a simple roast turkey, including a step-by-step guide on how to roast a turkey for first-timers. With these simple instructions and this wonderful recipe, there's no way you can go wrong.

And if you don't know how to make a roast turkey, you can just ask right here at Turkey Central.

If you're looking for some more complex roast turkey recipes, including turkey recipes with brine, deep fried turkey recipes, and more, check out our Holiday Turkey Guide here. You might also want to try our perfect-every-time Dry-Brined Turkey.

Need more recipes for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner? We've got those, too. Now, ready to make an incredible roast turkey? Read on!

If this is your first Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey, you'll probably want to stick with a simple roast turkey recipe like this one. The turkey recipe below provides step by step instructions for roasting a turkey-- simply follow the recipe below, and you can't go wrong. The resulting turkey is moist, and flavorful, and the herb butter rubbed all over the outside makes a great roast turkey seasoning.

Make this recipe with the stuffing of your choice (we have great turkey stuffing and sausage stuffing recipes), and either classic giblet gravy or, to make your life a little easier, make-ahead gravy.

If this is your first holiday roast turkey recipe, you may want to check out our instructions for thawing a turkey and buying turkey supplies. We also have a whole page dedicated to cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner. With some of our tips combined with this simple roast turkey recipe, your meal can't go wrong.

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Ingredients:
1 (14 lb.) turkey, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C. butter, softened
2 tbsp. dry rosemary
2 tbsp. dry rubbed sage
2 tbsp. dry thyme
1 C. liquid of your choice (wine, broth, etc.)
Stuffing recipe of your choice

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Prepare your roasting pan. Place a rack in the bottom of the pan. If using a disposable aluminum roasting pan, be sure to set it on a baking sheet or similar to make transport easier.

3. Unwrap your thawed, whole turkey. Remove the packet of giblets/turkey neck from the inside of the bird (reserve these for making classic turkey giblet gravy, if desired). Rinse bird with cold water inside and out. Pat interior and exterior dry with paper towels.

4. In a small bowl, combine butter, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

5. Sprinkle salt and pepper into interior cavity of turkey, as well as over the turkey skin. At the breast, gently loosen turkey skin with fingers, being careful not to rip it. Rub over and under skin with butter mixture.

6. Right before roasting, stuff the bird with your favorite turkey stuffing recipe. The stuffing shouldn't be packed too tight, and should fill both the body and neck cavity of the turkey.

7. Pull the neck flap against the side of the turkey and secure it with a wooden skewer.

8. With cooking twine, tie the drumsticks together in the back. This helps to bird to cook evenly and makes for a prettier presentation.

9. Place the turkey in your roasting pan, on roasting rack. Transfer turkey to oven.

10. Bake until turkey reaches a temperature of 165-170 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh (be sure not to touch the bone). This should take about 4 hours.

11. Every 20 minutes or so, baste turkey with the liquid of your choice. Apple cider, chicken broth, and white wine work wonderfully. A mixture of white wine and chicken broth makes for a wonderful turkey gravy from the drippings.

12. If the turkey begins to get too brown too early in the cook time, cover it loosely with foil.

13. When internal temperature has reached the necessary level, remove the turkey from the oven.

14. Move turkey to a carving platter, then tent with a large piece of foil. Let turkey sit for about 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat.

15. Meanwhile, prepare gravy from the pan drippings, if desired, and finish the rest of your holiday dinner.

16. Remove the stuffing from the turkey and scoop it into a bowl for serving.

17. Carve turkey and serve.

Note: If not stuffing the bird, overall cook time for this roast turkey recipe will be lower. Check here for turkey cooking times.

In searching for the perfect roast turkey recipe, you've probably come across recipes in which you lay strips of bacon across the top of the bird. Well, this is like those recipes, but better. Instead of whole strips, you make a bacon paste and rub it underneath the skin instead of on top. This is a little extra work, but results in a turkey that is deeply smokey, wonderfully moist, and very flavorful.

You can also use this as a partially make-ahead turkey recipe. Simple assemble up to step 5 the day before, then pop in the refrigerator. The next day, bring the bird up to room temperature and then roast as directed.

Be sure to pick up a somewhat fatty bacon-- you don't want it too lean. The drippings from the bacon, herbs, and vegetables make a wonderful gravy. Make classic giblet gravy, or add some of these drippings to a make ahead gravy to save time.

• Print this Recipe

Ingredients:
1 turkey, 16 to 18 pounds
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1/4 C. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
salt, as needed
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 C. chopped celery
4 large carrots, chopped
2 large onions, chopped

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place bacon, herbs, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms a paste.

3. Sprinkle inside of turkey cavities with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Gently loosen turkey skin with fingers, being careful not to rip it. With your fingers, spread the bacon mixture underneath the skin. Press lightly on outside of skin to seal and evenly distribute bacon paste.

5. Sprinkle turkey skin with salt and pepper to taste. With kitchen twine, tie drumsticks together.

6. Place celery, carrot, and onion in the bottom of a large turkey roasting pan. Place turkey on top of vegetables.

7. Oil two large sheets of foil to keep them from sticking, and tightly cover turkey, sealing as well as possible.

8. Roast turkey for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Remove foil covering from turkey.

9. Return turkey to the oven and roast turkey about an hour more, until golden brown. A meat thermometer should reach 170 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.

10. Move cooked turkey to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest about 30 minutes before carving.

Sometimes even the tastiest turkeys don't get that shining golden color you want from a perfect turkey. Do you know how to roast a turkey that looks perfectly browned and tastes divine? Use a turkey glaze recipe. The glaze on this wonderful roast turkey recipe is sweet, savory, and oh so good. Plus, it makes an incredible presentation.

You can also make this recipe partially ahead of time. Simply make the glaze up to 48 hours in advance, and use it when ready.

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Ingredients:

For turkey:
1 turkey (about 18 pounds)
1 navel orange, halved
Paprika, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 C. butter, softened
2 C. chicken broth

For glaze:
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tbsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 C. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 C. molasses
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. real maple syrup
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. orange zest
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. For the glaze, heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Add orange juice, molasses, tomato paste, maple syrup, honey, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer glaze 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

4. Remove from heat. With an immersion blender, blend sauce slightly to smooth it out. Let cool, then cover and chill until needed.

5. To prepare the turkey, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Rinse turkey inside and out and dry with paper towels. Squeeze the juice of the orange inside the cavity of the turkey, then sprinkle cavity with paprika, salt, and pepper. If desired, stuff turkey with your favorite stuffing recipe. Otherwise, place your used orange halves in the cavity of the turkey.

6. Rub butter all over outside of turkey. Sprinkle outside of turkey with additional paprika, salt, and pepper.

7. Place turkey in a roasting pan (use a rack). Pour chicken broth into the bottom of roasting pan.

8. Oil two sheets of foil to prevent sticking, and cover turkey tightly.

9. Roast turkey 90 minutes. Uncover turkey, return to the oven, and roast turkey another 2 hours and 30 minutes. Baste turkey every 20-30 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan.

10. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast turkey 45 minutes at this temperature.

11. Brush entire turkey with your maple orange glaze. Return to the oven and cook about 30 minutes more. When a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 degrees F., your turkey is done.

12. Transfer turkey to a carving board. Tent with foil and allow to rest about 30 minutes.

13. Remove stuffing to a serving bowl. Carve turkey and serve.

14. If desired, make the gravy of your choice from the pan drippings. THen watch your guests drool at the site of this wonderful glazed roast turkey recipe.

Note: If not stuffing the bird, overall cook time will be lower. Check here for turkey cooking times.