Simple Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

I’ve been making my own turkey for Thanksgiving and Easter holidays for over 10 years now. Initially cooking an entire turkey sounded intimidating, but with a little advice from my mom and co-workers, I was surprised at how simple it was to make.

I’ve now posted the staples I serve during our annual Thanksgiving dinner (all being gluten-free and dairy-free). Serve this Thanksgiving turkey recipe along with mashed potatoes, stuffing, hot kale, and gravy for a delicious feast!

Using an oven bag not only simplifies the cooking process, it also cooks the turkey much faster. The grapefruit that I put inside the turkey keeps the meat extremely moist (a tip form a co-worker who went to culinary school).

The instructions in the Reynolds Kitchen™ oven bag box are easy to follow. Below are images of both the cooking times based on the turkey size and the cooking instructions for reference. This recipe is for a whole turkey, unstuffed. I also listed out more detailed instructions below.

Shopping List

• 15-20lb. turkey (I buy mine frozen and thaw, but you can also buy a fresh one)
• 1 grapefruit
• 1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 Reynolds Kitchen™ oven bag

Instructions

• Put the turkey in the refrigerator until thawed completely (This can take a few days depending on the size of the turkey. To thaw quicker you can also fill the sink with cold water and place the turkey in it overnight, make sure the turkey is completely covered in the water. I always clean my sink first too.)
• Remove the turkey from packaging and clean properly (a great link on the basics of cleaning a turkey if you never have before)
• When cleaning the turkey, remember to remove the bag of giblets, the gizzard, and the plastic or metal bracket holding the legs together
• Place the cleaned turkey on a large plate and pat dry with paper towels
• Put the grapefruit inside the cavity of the turkey (this will keep the bird extra moist while cooking)
• In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and poultry seasoning together
• Using a basting brush or your clean hands, rub the oil and seasoning mixture all over the turkey’s outside
• Add the 1 tablespoon of flour to the oven bag and shake, add the turkey so it sits completely inside the bag and close with tie provided with the bag
• Place turkey in a roasting pan (I usually buy a disposable pan so clean-up is easy) and tuck the ends of the oven bag in the pan (so nothing is hanging over)
• Cut six (6) 1/2 inch slits in the bag with scissors or a knife (to allow steam to escape) and cook until temperature reaches 180° (most turkeys also come with their own popper so you’ll also know when it is done when it pops)
• Once the turkey is cooled, you can use the drippings to make this gravy

Tip for cutting the turkey: use an electric knife. It makes it easier to cut and speeds up the amount of time it takes!