This easy Roasted Turkey recipe creates the most moist turkey thanks to a simple homemade herb spread with mayonnaise! Spatchcock your turkey to help reduce cooking time and you’ll have the best Thanksgiving turkey!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hellmann’s. The opinions and text are all mine.
I’m thrilled to be working with Hellmann’s again! You may remember my Garden Vegetable Potato Salad and Veggie Burgers from this past summer. Today I have a great new simple Roasted Turkey recipe for you. You may never have thought of putting Hellmann’s Mayonnaise on your Thanksgiving turkey, but I’m telling you, once you do, you may never go without again! Give it a try!
Many people put butter or oil on their turkey before roasting, so why not mayonnaise? Thanks to Hellmann’s mayonnaise, your turkey will stay moist and full of flavor!
Hellmann’s mayonnaise is irresistibly rich and creamy and perfect for your Thanksgiving turkey and side dishes. Hellmann’s is made with real, simple ingredients to bring out the best in all your meals including holiday parties and Thanksgiving dinner.
To help reduce the cooking time and keep the turkey extra moist, I chose to spatchcock my turkey. You don’t have to though, the herb spread will keep the turkey moist however you choose to roast your turkey.
This simple Roasted Turkey recipe doesn’t really require any special equipment, but here are a few things that are nice to have around to help…
Equipment You May Need
- Cooling Rack – A large cooling rack to cook your turkey on helps roast the turkey evenly.
- Baking Sheet – Depending on the size of your turkey you may need a large baking sheet if you spatchcock your turkey.
- Cutting Board – A large strong cutting board with a juice groove will come in handy for carving.
- Thermometer – Be sure to use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of your turkey.
- Kitchen Shears – If you choose to spatchcock your turkey you’ll need some strong kitchen shears or a sharp knife to remove the backbone.
(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)
Roasted Turkey Ingredients
- Hellmann’s Mayonnaise – The mayonnaise is the base for the herb spread and helps keep the turkey moist while roasting.
- Salt – You can adjust the salt to your personal preference. Seasoned salt would also work.
- Orange Zest – I love adding some fresh orange zest to my turkeys! If you don’t like orange, you could also use fresh lemon zest.
- Thyme – I used dried thyme but you could also use fresh.
- Rosemary – I love using crushed dried rosemary. You get the rosemary flavor without large pieces of rosemary.
- Onion Powder – Onion powder is quick and easy, but you could also use minced onion or shallots.
- Garlic Powder – Garlic powder is also quick and easy, but you could use minced fresh garlic cloves.
- Sage – I used dried sage, but fresh would also be good.
- Black Pepper – Just a little for the herb spread.
- Turkey – I used a 13-pound defrosted frozen turkey. You can use any size as well as fresh or frozen. Be sure to change the quantity of the herb spread if you use a bigger or smaller turkey.
How to Make a Spatchcock Roasted Turkey
Step One: Preheat oven. Line baking sheet with foil and top with cooling rack. Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
Step Two: Spatchcock turkey by removing backbone and flattening turkey.
Step Three: Make herb spread by mixing together Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and herbs and spices.
Step Four: Loosen turkey skin and rub herb spread under and over the turkey skin.
Step Five: Cook turkey for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown then loosely cover with foil and continue cooking until cooked through, about 60-90 minutes.
Step Six: Remove turkey from oven and let rest for about 20 minutes.
(Full printable recipe card with full details is at bottom of post.)
Serving Suggestions
- Let the turkey sit for about 20 minutes after it’s done cooking to let the juices settle. Lightly tent with aluminum foil during that time.
- Serve with your favorite side dishes and gravy for a delicious holiday or Thanksgiving meal!
- Place the carved turkey on a large serving dish and garnish as desired. I like to add orange slices and fresh cranberries.
Quick Tips for Best Results
- Check on the turkey the first half hour to make sure it’s not browning too quickly. Cover lightly with aluminum foil once it starts browning to finish roasting.
- Let the turkey rest after removing it from the oven so that the juices can settle before carving. Cover lightly with foil while it’s resting.
- I like to place the raw turkey on a cooling rack on a foil-covered baking sheet, but you can put the turkey directly on the foil if you prefer. Gently spray the foil with a nonstick spray before so that the turkey does not stick.
Roasted Turkey FAQ
How should I store the leftover turkey?
Store the leftover turkey covered in the refrigerator.
How long will the turkey last?
The leftover turkey will last a few days if well covered in the refrigerator, or wrap well and freeze for a few months in the freezer.
Substitutions?
Instead of orange zest, you could use lemon zest. Instead of the herbs and spices listed you can use your favorite combination. You could also use fresh herbs instead of dried but will need to adjust the quantities.
What else can I add to this recipe?
You could also add other herbs and spices to your personal preference.
Can I make this vegan/vegetarian/low carb/gluten-free?
Here are some suggestions, but I can’t guarantee results. Be sure as always to check particular brands and ingredients if you’re following a specific diet or have diet restrictions or allergies.
Vegan – This recipe is not vegan.
Vegetarian – This recipe is not vegetarian.
Low-Carb – This recipe is low-carb as-is.
Gluten-Free – This recipe is gluten-free but check any particular products/brands you use.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes From Hellmann’s You May Enjoy
Hope you enjoy this Roasted Turkey recipe! Tell me in the comments what you thought of it!
Be sure to check out Hellmann’s for other delicious recipes!
Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 13 pound whole turkey or frozen turkey (thawed) with neck, gizzards, and anything else in cavities removed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a cooling rack. Lightly spray the cooling rack with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Spatchcock the turkey by cutting out the backbone and pressing firmly down on turkey to flatten (see notes). Place turkey on prepared baking sheet, breast side up.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, salt, orange zest, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, and black pepper.
- Gently loosen the skin of the turkey and evenly spread about half of the herb mayonnaise under the skin. Rub remaining herb mayonniase over the outside of the turkey.
- Roast the turkey in the oven at 450 degrees F in the middle of the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake another 60 to 90 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove turkey from oven and let stand covered loosely with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- If you do not know how to spatchcock a turkey there are a lot of great videos on YouTube to help you get started.
- I place my turkey on a cooling rack on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet but you can omit the rack if you’d like. Just spray the aluminum foil with nonstick spray. If the foil starts to burn a little while roasting, you can add a little water or broth.
- You can use any size turkey you’d like. Be sure to adjust the cooking time and ingredients as needed.
- Instead of orange zest you can use lemon zest if you prefer.
- You can add more or less spices to your personal preference. Or use fresh herbs instead of dried. If you use fresh herbs, adjust the quantities.
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
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