How to Roast a Turkey Without Losing Your Mind

I’ll be honest—I don’t usually eat turkey. Mostly because, nine times out of ten, it’s overcooked, dried out, and feels like chewing on a piece of cardboard you’re politely trying to get down. When it comes to Thanksgiving, families tend to fall into two camps: classic or experimental. I’ll admit, I’m a hybrid. I’ve got one foot in tradition and the other always reaching for something new to try. That said, my mother’s fail-safe turkey has never let me down. It’s simple, flavorful, and—best of all—never dry.

Camp Classic: Same menu, every year, no substitutions allowed. The green bean casserole stays, no matter how many people say they hate it.

Camp Experimental: The menu’s a living thing—swapping stuffing for wild rice pilaf, adding tamales, or pulling in flavors from wherever life (or in-laws) have taken you.

Mona’s Fail-Safe Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

What you’ll need:

- 1 fresh turkey (any size)

- Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

- Lawry’s Garlic Powder

- Onion Powder

- Butter or margarine (for mashing and spreading)

- Heavy-duty aluminum foil (or regular foil, doubled)

- Plastic wrap

- Stuffing of your choice (we use my mom’s fail-safe stuffing)

- Broth or water for roasting pan

How to make it:

1. Clean the turkey thoroughly, removing the innards (save them for gravy).

2. Pat the turkey completely dry—inside and out—with paper towels.

3. Place the turkey on foil.

4. Generously sprinkle with Lawry’s seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder—inside and out, both sides.

5. Take small pats of butter or margarine, mash them slightly, and spread them all over the turkey. (The drier the turkey, the better everything sticks.)

6. Wrap the turkey tightly in foil, then wrap again in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 24 hours.

7. When ready to roast, unwrap and touch up the seasoning if needed. Stuff both cavities and stitch closed.

8. Place in roasting pan, add about 1–2 cups of broth or water to the bottom.

9. Tent the turkey loosely with foil—don’t seal the edges or it’ll steam. You want air to circulate.

10. Roast at 225°F for about one hour per pound, basting occasionally.

11. Uncover near the end to brown and crisp the skin.

And there you have it—a turkey that’s tender, juicy, and never dry.

For Camp Experimental

A couple of years ago, we went all in on the backyard deep-fried turkey experiment. Dangerous? Possibly. Delicious? Absolutely. The recipe I used—Deep-Fried Turkey Brined with Cayenne and Brown Sugar—comes from Allison Vines-Rushing, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever tried. You can find it here on Food & Wine. The turkey was absolutely delicious with a crispy skin that was out of this world.

If you’re new to the world of deep-frying, read up first and make sure you’ve got someone who knows what they’re doing. There are enough YouTube videos of “Thanksgiving gone wrong” to remind you just how fast a celebration can turn into a fire drill.

So whether you’re Team Tradition, Team Reinvention, or somewhere deliciously in between, here’s to doing turkey your way—and actually enjoying it this year.