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Stressed at the thought of cooking a turkey? Don’t be! We’ve made dozens of turkeys over the years and we’ve figured out how to cook a turkey perfectly every time. Spoiler: the best way to cook a turkey is in a bowl!
I know, this isn’t your typical roast turkey recipe, but look how brown it got and can you see how it’s falling apart?!
Table of Contents
- The BEST Turkey Recipe
- Turkey Basics
- Turkey in a Bowl Ingredients
- Supplies Needed for This Easy Turkey Recipe
- How to Cook a Turkey in a Bowl
- How Much Turkey Do I Need Per Person?
- How Long to Cook a Turkey
- Tips on How to Cook a Turkey
- What to Eat with Turkey in a Bowl
- Variations for Turkey
- How to Reheat Turkey
- Can You Freeze Turkey?
- More Turkey Recipes:
- Watch How to Make the Juiciest Turkey in a Bowl
- Turkey in a Bowl Recipe
The BEST Turkey Recipe
My friend Brittany was chatting with me over Thanksgiving dinner last year all about turkeys. You see, Brittany doesn’t cook a turkey in the traditional way. In fact, she totally blew my mind when she told me, the best way to cook a turkey — this turkey in a bowl recipe — is life changing.
Yes, it’s a turkey that is literally cooked in a big bowl in the oven.
You’re going to want to buy a big bowl and try this one out for yourself. It’s the simplest and quickest way to prepare turkey that I’ve ever seen, but the results are fall apart moist and tender.
Turkey Basics
Before we get too far into this, I want to cover a few of the basics so you know if is the right fit for your eating schedule:
- A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
- Turkey will need to cook for 1 hour per pound.
- Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.
So let’s assume you are going to roast a 18 pound turkey that is frozen when you purchase it and you want to have your meal on Thursday afternoon. Here is your brief timeline:
- Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 4 days ahead of time (Sunday afternoon – Wednesday afternoon)
- Turkey roasts in the oven: 15 hours
- Turkey rests: 30 minutes
The turkey will be falling off the bones and probably won’t even really need to be carved! Now here are those same steps in a little more detail…
Turkey in a Bowl Ingredients
To make the best turkey recipe possible, here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Whole Turkey
- Butter
- Lemon Zest
- Fresh Sage
- Fresh Thyme
- Paprika
- Kosher Salt
Really, that’s it! Cooking a turkey requires far less ingredients than you’d think. If you’d like to make turkey gravy from the drippings (which you should definitely do!), you’ll also need some water and cornstarch when making this whole turkey recipe.
Supplies Needed for This Easy Turkey Recipe
In addition to the ingredients listed above, you’ll also need to buy a big oven-safe bowl. Because I’ve got lazy bones, I generally order this 20 QT bowl from Amazon, but you could totally check out kitchen stores in your area as well.
It’s actually totally worth the investment too as we use this bowl to mix up big snack mixes like our 5-Minute Reese’s Snack Mix and 5-Minute Halloween Snack mix, plus we make bread in it, and so on.
How to Cook a Turkey in a Bowl
For this easy turkey recipe, you’ll basically be creating your own slow cooker in the oven. The good news is, you don’t have to ever peek, test the temperature, or anything. No roasting pan, no brine…you literally pop it in the oven and don’t think about it for hours. You can be busy making other things without ever basting, turning, or even touching the turkey!
Here’s a basic rundown of how to make a turkey in a bowl:
- Roast: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roast an entire bulb of garlic until softened, then squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb.
- Mix: Combine the garlic gloves with softened butter, herbs, spices, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix with a fork to combine.
- Prep: Remove the neck and giblets and pat the turkey dry both inside and out with paper towels.
- Rub: Scoop some of the butter mixture up in your hand and rub the turkey all over with the butter mixture outside and underneath the skin.
- NOTE: If your turkey is really large, you may need to double the herb butter mixture.
- Prep: Reduce the heat of the oven to 250 degrees F. You made need to move the racks around for the bowl to fit. Place turkey into the bowl breast side down and cover the bowl tightly with foil.
- Cook: Place the bowl into the oven and roast for 1 hour for every pound of turkey (up to 15 hours).
- Rest: Carefully remove the bowl from the oven. It will be quite heavy so be careful! Remove the foil being careful to not be burned by the steam as you do so.
- Remove: Using long tongs, remove the turkey the bowl and place it on a platter and let it rest.
- Pour: Pour the leftover turkey drippings in the bowl into a saucepan or large glass measuring cup. Then transfer it to a gravy fat separator.
- Make Gravy: Pour the dripping back into a medium saucepan and bring to a soft boil over medium high heat. Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and whisk everything together until thickened.
- Slice: Separate the turkey from the bones and place on a serving platter, slicing larger pieces if necessary. I’ve actually never had to carve a turkey in a bowl because it literally just falls apart it’s so tender.
All of these instructions can be found in the recipe card found down at the end of the post.
How Much Turkey Do I Need Per Person?
Figuring out what size turkey you need to buy can be challenging. As a general rule of thumb, you should count on each person eating roughly 1 pound of turkey. You’ll likely wind up with leftovers this way, which is fine in my book! You can make turkey tetrazzini, turkey club sandwich, or turkey soup.
For reference, an 18-pound turkey will feed about 25 people with leftovers. And to serve over 50 guests, try using two 20 to 22-pound turkeys.
How Long to Cook a Turkey
The general rule for cooking a whole turkey using this cooking method is about an hour a pound at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
We use an 18-pound turkey, but by 15 hours it’s totally done and falling apart. If you have a turkey bigger than 15 pounds, you will most likely find the exact same thing, but if you open the bowl and it’s not done, just give it another hour or two. Note that I’ve never had to add extra time.
Tips on How to Cook a Turkey
Always place the turkey breast side down when cooking a turkey in a bowl. Even traditional roasting should start out breast side down and then be flipped in the cooking process.
As you remove (or attempt to remove) the turkey, everything will be falling apart back into the bowl. You literally cannot lift the turkey out. Because of this, we prefer to drain out the juice and make the gravy and then remove the turkey.
And if you want to make this turkey recipe a little healthier, feel free to ditch the butter and only use seasonings and herbs to flavor the turkey in a bowl. Just make sure to spray the bowl with nonstick cooking spray before adding the turkey so nothing sticks.
What to Eat with Turkey in a Bowl
This tender, flavorful and totally juicy Thanksgiving turkey is great with all your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Some of our must have are:
- No Fuss Make Ahead Stuffing
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Garlic Roasted Carrots
- Loaded Sweet Potatoes
- Best Potato Rolls
- Green Bean Casserole
- Best Mashed Potatoes
Variations for Turkey
You can make this turkey in a bowl into whatever you want. There are endless options for flavoring your turkey.
Herb Turkey — We love fresh herbs, so try mincing up poultry herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley. And don’t forget salt as that’s where the majority of flavor will come from. Rub these chopped herbs all over and under the skin alone or with softened butter for an ultra flavorful, moist turkey.
Smoky Turkey — Just like our Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe, you can really bring home those warm flavors by mixing together cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard. This combination of spices makes for a unique homemade turkey your friends and family won’t soon forget!
Citrus Turkey — Try adding orange or lemon zest to butter along with fresh herbs for a bright whole turkey.
How to Reheat Turkey
If you have leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, I recommend reheating it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll want to reheat the turkey in a baking dish and add a splash of turkey broth or leftover pan drippings to keep the turkey moist. Then, wrap the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture and cook the turkey until heated through (about 20 to 30 minutes).
Can You Freeze Turkey?
Absolutely! Turkey can be frozen for up to 4 months. I love using frozen turkey in casseroles, soups, stews, and on sandwiches. You all know I love using my food saver to freeze turkey, but sealing it in a freezer bag will work too!
Discover a unique and easy way to cook a delicious turkey in a bowl with simple ingredients. Watch our step-by-step video tutorial for a perfect holiday meal.
More Turkey Recipes:
- Oven Roasted Turkey
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Turkey Pot Pie Soup
- The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Club
- Award Winning Instant Pot Turkey
- Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Tetrazzini
- Apple Pecan Smoked Turkey Breast
Watch How to Make the Juiciest Turkey in a Bowl
Turkey in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Bulb Garlic
- Olive Oil
- 18 Pound Turkey, whole
- 3 Tablespoons Butter, softened
- 2 Lemons, zested
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme, minced (or 2 ½ teaspoons dried)
- 1 Tablespoon Sage, minced (or 2 ½ teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
For the Gravy
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Instructions
Turkey Basics
- A frozen turkey will need thaw 24 hours per every 5 pounds.
- Turkey will need to cook for 1 hour per pound.
- Safe internal temperature for a turkey is 175 degrees F the thigh and 165 degrees F in the breast.
Turkey Timeline
- Remove turkey from freezer to thaw in the fridge: 4 days ahead of time
- Turkey roasts in the oven: 15 hours
- Turkey rests: 30 minutes
Turkey in a Bowl
- Heat an oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the garlic bulb on a cutting board and slice off the very top to expose the garlic.1 Bulb Garlic
- Drizzle with olive oil.Olive Oil
- Wrap the bulb in foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from the oven and squeeze out the soft garlic cloves into a bowl.
- Add the softened butter, herbs and spices.3 Tablespoons Butter, 2 Lemons, 1 Tablespoon Thyme, 1 Tablespoon Sage, 2 teaspoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
- Stir to combine.
- Rub the turkey with the butter mixture under the skin and over it.18 Pound Turkey
- If your turkey is extra large you may need to double the butter.
- Place the turkey breast side down in a 20 QT stainless steel bowl.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour a pound at 250 degrees, up to 15 hours.
- Carefully remove from the oven and remove the liquid to a gravy fat separator.
- Pour the drippings into a pan over medium high heat.
- Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.2 Tablespoons Cornstarch, 2 Tablespoons Water
- Once the drippings are simmering, whisk in the cornstarch mixture until smooth and thick. If you don’t need all of the slurry don’t use it, or make more if you ended up with a lot of drippings.
- Remove the turkey from the bowl to a platter, no need to cut as it’s all shredded.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can this be done in a stainless steel roasting pan – the 20 quart bowl is too big for my oven
Answered below!
I am going to make this turkey in a bowl next week – I ordered the 20 quart bowl – only one problem – it does not fit in my oven. Could I use a roasting pan and the same technique to make this turkey?
Hi Beverley! Oh no! Those bowls are huge! It won’t work the same in a roasting pan. The whole thing needs to be stainless steel to get the same effect. There is just something magical that happens.
Will the pot from an instant pot work in place of the bowl as long as the turkey fits?
That is a great question and I honestly have no idea! I want to say yes that it would work, but I wouldn’t want you to ruin your Instant Pot pot. I wouldn’t recommend it since we haven’t tested it.
Tried this recipe for Thanksgiving, and so did my neighbor. I had a 14 lb. turkey and it was done in 7 hours . So thankful I checked on it or it would have been burnt if I left in the oven for the whole time the recipe calls for. When I checked on it I called my neighbor and told her to check on hers whichwas also done. Turkey was very delicious and moist but someone needs to adjust cooking time
That’s interesting! It wouldn’t have burned with all of that liquid, but ours takes more time so I guess it depends on the oven.
Could you use this method with a turkey breast? Smaller bowl perhaps? Thanks!
Yes, go with bone in for best results and keep the same rule for time we mention in the post. Happy turkey-ing!!
Is a roaster pan different than the bowl? I’m just wondering if I could cover my roaster pan with tin foil and if it would end up the same.
It wouldn’t work the same. The whole thing needs to be stainless steel. There’s just something magical that happens!
My mother in law wants to know if this would work with 2- 5lb turkey breasts only, not any other part of the turkey- just the breasts?
Yes, but bake time will follow the baking rule versus the time for a whole bird. Enjoy!!
Every time I come up with what I think is a crazy idea I always check the internet to see if anyone else has tried it. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this post. I no longer want to use unhealthy aluminium pans for cooking, but I live in a small space right now and did not want to buy a huge roasting pan. I just happened to have a large stainless steel bowl.
This I believe would have worked had I just used “common sense” and checked to see how it was progressing. I took your word and left it alone (1 hour per pound. ) I awoke 10 hours later to a 15 lb blackened bird. My estimation is that the timing should be closer to 30 minutes per pound -if that long.
True it could depend on the stove but you figure 250 is 250. At any rate I am a long time cook I should have checked as usual, I thought the burnt smell was something spilled in the oven.
I’m planning to try again for Christmas. I was Able at least to salvage a little of the white meat it was rather stringy so I added barbeque sauce and called it ” pulled turkey” -not bad !
Oh no!!!! Was it a whole turkey? We have made this several times now and have never had a problem with it burning.
Hi, so I requested a no more than 20lb bird from the farmer and got a 25lb bird.
It fits in the bowl you recommended on amazon tightly on the sides and a little bit higher than the bowl.
Will this still work?
if so, do I still cook it 15 hours?
Yes, it will still work. Just keep an eye on the juice as they might overflow. 15 hours should still do it, but maybe keep 16-17 hrs in mind just in case!
Question, could you do this with a bone in turkey breast instead of a whole turkey? I’m so excited to try this recipe!
Yes definitely! It will just need less time to cook.
How big of a turkey will the bowl that is linked on Amazon hold?
Up to a 20lb bird!