A Thanksgiving turkey is normally the main centerpiece of just about any thanksgiving meal. This article will show you how to make an easy, no fuss, Thanksgiving turkey.

Let’s start with the do’s and the don’ts of making a Thanksgiving turkey:

Make sure you buy enough turkey for each person. Buy at least 1.5 pounds of turkey per person so you will not have to worry about having too much or too little. This way you know you have enough turkey for all of your guests.

Don’t wash your turkey. If you wash your turkey in the sink you’ll only contaminate your sink. Try wiping or drying the turkey down with paper towels, then prepare it for the oven. Any contaminants will be killed in the heat.

Make sure to thaw your turkey. Make sure you give your turkey plenty of time to thaw. Turkeys over 5 pounds should thaw for at least a day, but sometimes an extra day is needed. Make sure the turkey is sitting on a pan inside your fridge so it can catch any dripping the turkey may do as it unthaws.

Don’t brine your turkey. If you buy a high quality turkey (Butterball or Norbest) don’t worry about trying to brine your turkey. It’s an unnecessary step. But if the turkey is wild, try to brine it the night beforehand, so it will still be flavourful.

You don’t have to baste your turkey to get a golden brown color. Basting isn’t necessary if you want a golden brown look. Basting requires you to open and close the oven more than once, causing the oven to lose heat which makes the turkey take longer to cook. This can make the turkey dry. If you want a golden brown color, try smearing an herb and butter mixture of your choice on the top.

Don’t cook stuffing inside your turkey. If you cook stuffing inside the cavity, the turkey will be overcooked by the time your stuffing is safe to eat. Try cooking them separately, then stuff the turkey with the things that you desire to give it more flavour.

Use a thermometer! Be sure to test your turkey with a thermometer. This is the only way to see if your turkey is completely cooked. Make sure it reaches at least 165 degrees. Wrap foil around it afterwards to keep the heat and moisture inside the turkey.

Let the turkey rest. Let your turkey rest for at least 15 minutes if you’re going to use the drippings for gravy. If not, then just leave the turkey alone, and keep it in foil.

You can use any roasting pan, it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can go to Walmart and buy a disposable roasting pan, it doesn’t have to be super fancy unless that is your preference. Make sure you put chopped vegetables in the bottom of your pan before placing your turkey in, this will help give it flavour. Be sure to place the turkey right on top of the veggies.

You can save the drippings of the turkey if you want, they make for some delicious turkey gravy.

How to make your turkey:

First, you remove the turkey from its packaging. Remove the neck, and the bag of giblets. You can save the giblets for turkey gravy, but if you’re not, then simply dispose of them in a safe manner.

Next, season the inside of your turkey. Use salt and pepper to add flavour then you can also add quartered lemon, apple, onion and herbs. You can use whichever you desire to add more flavour. Just make sure you’re not using the stuffing!

Tuck the wings. This helps keep the wings from burning. Make sure your turkey is sitting on a roasting rack (or a bed of chopped veggies).

Use your fingers to pull up the skin some. Pull up the skin a little on the breasts, and push some butter underneath the skin, you can add some herbs to it if you want. Add some butter and herb mixture to the outside too for a golden brown color.

Tie your turkey’s legs together. Use twine to tie the legs together so your turkey can hold more moisture.

And finally, you pop it in the oven. The oven does the rest of it for you. But make sure to check your turkey about halfway through. This will help keep it from over cooking.