Turkey in a Roaster Oven

a whole roasted turkey with a bowl of stuffing in the background.

No ratings yet

Roasting a turkey in a roaster oven is an easy way to get juicy, tender meat while freeing up your main oven for all your holiday sides. This simple method works beautifully for a 15 to 20 pound turkey and delivers delicious results with minimal effort.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 834kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

Equipment

Ingredients

15-20 lb. turkey, thawed
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper

Instructions

Thaw turkey completely. Remove bag of giblets, and pat turkey dry with paper towels. For crispy skin, place the turkey in a large roasting pan and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Rub ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper inside the cavity of the turkey. Rub softened butter all over the outside and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.
Place insert pan inside the roaster oven. Preheat the roaster oven to the highest temperature. Mine goes to 450.
Place the turkey breast-side up on the roaster rack and carefully place it into the preheated roaster. Insert the probes of an oven-safe meat thermometer (see notes) into the thickest parts of the breast and thigh.
Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 325 and roast until the breast reaches 160 degrees and the thigh reaches 175 degrees, about 2 ½ hours for an 18-20 lb. turkey. Use lift handles to carefully remove the turkey from the roaster.
The turkey should get lightly browned in the roaster oven. For crispier skin, transfer the turkey to a sheet pan and place it on a low rack under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.
Tent the turkey with foil to keep it warm and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.

Notes

For crispy skin, let the turkey sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Do not open the lid while it cooks. Roaster ovens quickly lose heat when the lid is removed.
If your turkey is too large for the lid to fit, cover the electric turkey roaster with aluminum foil. Use oven mitts and tent the foil so it doesn't touch the turkey.
Remove the turkey when the white meat reaches 160 and the dark meat is 175, as it will continue to cook. USDA recommends 165 and 180, respectively.
Use a wired probe thermometer with multiple probes to check the temperature of various parts of the turkey without opening the lid.
Broil at the end if you want deeper color and crisp skin.

Nutrition