Long, low-temperature slow-roasting is my favorite way to cook poultry, and it works particularly well for turkeys. Done right, slow roasting yields a marvelously tender bird with meat that literally falls off the bone, making it a cinch to carve.
Why We Slow-Roast Our Turkeys
Slow-Roasting is Perfect for Pasture-Raised Birds
Pasture-raised birds tend toward toughness, both because they have the freedom to exercise their muscles more and because they’re culled at an older age than birds that are raised conventionally. There’s really only one reliable way to produce particularly tender results when it comes to cooking pastured poultry, and that’s with long cooking times and low temperatures. That might mean that you simmer birds in water, for bone broth and soups, or that you braise it, or that you slow roast it.
Those long cooking times and low temperatures give the proteins in the bird’s meat an opportunity to break down, and for the fat to melt into meat which also helps it to become tender; moreover, pasture-raised birds tend to have high amounts of collagen within their skin, joints and bones, and slow-roasting facilitates the breakdown of that collagen which then melts into the meat and leaves it impossibly tender.
Slow-roasting is a Pretty Easy, Hands-Off Approach
I like to begin by preparing and herb butter, and then slipping that softened, flavored butter between the skin and flesh of the breast. As it roasts, the butter melts into the bird’s meat, and not only helps to make it tender, but also infuses it with the vibrant flavor of fresh herbs. Stuffing the bird’s cavity with lemon, onions and herbs also helps to keep it moist while it roasts.
Beyond that, you just need to pop it in the oven, baste it occasionally with pan juices when you check on it. It’s a fabulous way to cook a turkey overnight, in a low and slow oven, while you sleep. We usually serve Thanksgiving dinner around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, which means that we stay up late the night before drinking mulled wine and hot spiced cider, place the bird in the oven to bake, and then baste it when we wake up. When the bird is done, we pull it from the oven and allow it to rest, then carve it where it falls apart into utterly tender pieces.
Get the Nourished Kitchen Guide to Thanksgiving
This recipe for Slow-Roasted Turkey comes from the Nourished Kitchen Guide to Thanksgiving. The guide includes a cookbook with over 40 Thanksgiving recipes, as well as 4 menus complete with shopping lists and a game plan to get dinner on the table on time as well as a mix-and-match Thanksgiving planner to help you create your own menu. And there’s plenty of options for gluten- and dairy-free guests, menus for feeding a crowd as well as preparing a smaller and more intimate gathering.
The guide, recipes and menus are available for download here.
| Slow-roasted Turkey Stuffed with Onions and Herbs | Print |
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons finely ground sea salt
- 1 whole turkey, about 16 to 18 lbs, giblets removed and reserved for another purpose
- 2 large yellow onions, quartered
- 2 large lemons, quartered
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat the butter together with thyme, sage and sea salt until well-combined.
- Rinse the turkey and pat it dry. With a butter knife, loosen the skin of the turkey from the flesh of the breast. Spread the herb butter between the skin and the meat of the turkey breast, and place the seasoned turkey on a rack in your roasting pan.
- Stuff the turkey’s cavity with onions and lemons. Pour wine into the pan.
- Roast the turkey for 45 minutes. Remove the turkey from oven, tent it with foil, and then return it to the oven.
- Turn down the heat to 225 F, and slow roast it approximately twelve hours. Baste with pan juices every 2 to 3 hours.
- Increase the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for twenty minutes or until the skin is a rich brown and the meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 185 F.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes prior to carving.
Where to Find Pasture-Raised Turkey
Almost all turkeys raised and sold in the United States are raised indoors in factory farms without the benefit of exercise, natural movement or the opportunity to forage for natural and nutrient-dense diet. Pasture-raised turkeys, by contrast, are raised outdoors with plenty of access to forage, to move, to run and to experience a positive, healthy environment.
You can preorder pasture-raised turkeys from a local farm, or you can order them online straight from the farmer here.
Real Food Thanksgiving Favorites
It’s a pleasure to cook for Thanksgiving, and everyone has their favorite dishes. Here are some of Nourished Kitchen reader favorites, and you can find even more in The Nourished Kitchen Guide to Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Custard is a wonderfully simple, relatively easy to make dessert for Thanksgiving. It’s like pumpkin pie, but without all the fuss of the crust.
Maple Pecan Pie offers a twist on the classic. Instead of corn syrup, maple syrup offers an incredible flavor and just the right sweetness.
Cranberry Mandarin Relish is another favorite for its light, vibrant and refreshing flavor.
is it just me or is there no video?
Would like to see the video of slow-roast turkey, but it’s not there. How do I find it? thanks
Jenny How come you are cooking a frozen bird?
I have been slow roasting turkey for many years. It sept arts on high, then brings it down. The recipe I follow is the one recommended for the AGA oven. It is just the style of slow roasting that differs. Use a recipe you like and convert the recipe to the turkey size…
Please load the Slow-Roasted Turket Video! Thank you:)
I can’t find the VIDEO on how to slow cook a Turkey either. What am I missing here?
Do you brine the turkey before hand?
I also have a question on bigger birds…ours will be at least 25 lbs. is there a ration (ie 30 minutes a pound) for slow roasting?
So… do you wake at 1am to put the bird in the oven? The recipe sounds lovely, but I’m not sure about the logistics of cooking time.
Yes – I typically wake in the middle of the night or early morning to put the bird in the oven.
Jenny–where is the VIDEO? Thanks!
Most ovens have a pre-set timer to start and stop the oven.
@ Ann T Ver RT – are you suggesting someone just put the bird in the oven while it’s off and letting the timer start it when necessary? You’re forgetting one thing…
Wondering if this would work with a 20lb bird. We posted the recipe on our webpage and had this question and it made me think because I want to try it using our turkey roaster and our bird will be about 20lb too. Any tips or changes for bird that size? We eat about 2pm ourselves so wondering how much earlier I might need to start the bird. thanks!
did you ever get a reply i have a 22lber i want to try this recipe with!?
I also amm wondering about cooking time. We butchered ours this afternoon and it is 32lbs! wOukld that bea full day of cooking?
I wouldn’t worry too much about cooking time on these: bigger birds do better with longer time frames, but when you slow-roast you’re cooking it well beyond official “done” time and temp and it’s that long cooking that makes it super tender (think of pot roast).
Ok great. My biggest worry has been the turkey taking all of the oven time from my other dishes! I think I will put the turkey in around 6:00 pm on wed and depending on what it looks like in the morning, I might up the temp sooner to get cooked all the way.
I have a 23 lb turkey that I am stuffing. Also am brining. PlS just tell me simply – what oven temp and how many hrs to cook. Taking bird out of oven to rest at 5 thanks. Bonnie
Hi Bonnie. Please do not make this recipe if you are stuffing your bird.
Also – the cooking times tend to be about 45 minutes per pound.
I under stand the cooking times for the big birds as I have always cooked large birds. but this year there are fewer people so how long would I need to slow cook a 10-12 lb Turkey?
would you recommend brining the turkey before?
I don’t usually brine it, because I often am working with frozen turkeys and don’t thaw them in time to brine and slow-roast. This year I am brining my turkey – it can only add extra moisture and flavor.
Do you brine with Kosher salt or sea salt? The reason I ask is because if you use sea salt, would you use less than you would for Kosher salt?
can you start with a frozen bird?
This is my first thanksgiving to host, so, this would be my first turkey roast too.
I don’t use any alcohol, even when cooking, is there a substitute that I can use instead of the white wine?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Some places do have non-alcoholic cooking wine, and Bevmo has a whole section of non-alcoholic wines.
orange juice 🙂
WHITE GRAPE JUICE is closer to the taste of wine so it will not change the recipe (only use OJ if the recipe called for orange liquor).
When you raise the temp to 375 do you take the tent off? My first year hosting thanksgiving with an 18lb heritage, I want to get it right!! Thank you for a wonderful recipe. 🙂
I have the same question! It sure seems like you should. (Also, I notice your times in the header are a little off – 13 min.?)
About to embark on this recipe with a 28 lb bird. Just realized that you have slightly altered this recipe from a previous post (Nov. 2011) when the temp was 275, the turkey was 12-14 lbs, and you said to take it out when it reached 165. I am assuming this newer version is the one to follow, but I am really nervous about when to start my turkey cooking for a 4pm finish. I was thinking 1pm, which allows 15 hours, at 275. Sound ok to you? (We don’t plan to eat until 5, and I’m serving lots of people, so I hope not to disappoint!)
Two questions!
Do you wake up every 2-3hrs after midnight to baste!? I’m wondering if the bird is going to dry out while I get some winks?
Mine is 27 lbs, completely range/pastured and I’m putting him in at 11 p.m. for a hopeful 2-3 p.m. removal. Is this realistic with the weight?
So foil or no foil for the last hour in 375? Mine is looking brown after the 12 hour roasting process
Success! after 12 hours it was ready and brown. Gravy w the drips was great.
I woke up an hour late. Can I raise the roasting temperature of my turkey from 325 to 375 degrees. I put it in at 6:20 and need to finish at 11:30 so it can rest and I can make the gravy.
I woke up an hour late. Can I raise the roasting temperature of my turkey from 325 to 375 degrees. I put it in at 6:20 and need to finish at 11:30 so it can rest and I can make the gravy. …Its stuffed and 20 pounds.
Read More at nourishedkitchen.com/slow-roast-turkey/ © Nourished Kitchen
So thankful for this recipe! I put our 13-pound heritage-breed bird into the oven at midnight, with the aluminum foil completely sealed (wasn’t sure if this was “tenting” or not). Husband basted it at 4, then 8. I opened it up at 9 to baste it again … which is when I realized it had all fallen off the bones already. And a lovely brown, without ever having turned up the heat. Removed from the oven. I left it covered, atop the stove. I was concerned it was far too dried out to eat, but everyone assured me it was incredible. I have to agree it was lovely. Next time I will be more fastidious about basting more often, but otherwise we will certainly be following this recipe again next time.
Thank you for this recipe! I tried it for our Thanksgiving turkey yesterday, and it was absolutely delicious! It was so tender that it actually fell apart when my husband tried to take it out of the roasting pan. This is my turkey recipe from now on!
Yes! This came out great for my Thanksgiving dinner! Absolutely tender and juicy! I’m SO relieved I didn’t blow $70 on a tough pasture-raised turkey!
I followed the older recipe for a 28lb bird, put it in at 1am at 275, didn’t baste for the first 6 hours, so I could sleep, and then basted every 2-3, turned up the heat at 3pm, and it was ready at 4:30, as planned. I took the foil off for the browning during that last 1.5 hrs. The gravy was the tastiest we’ve ever had, and the turkey was very tender and juicy, but in the future I would do this lower temp recipe and keep it in even longer, to get the full effect.
Hi, I cooked the recipe for Easter Sunday – can u please advise me on cooking times for a smaller turkey. I cooked an 11 lb bird as the instructions 12 hours & left the foil on for the last one and half hour cooking time. The leg meat was perfect & moist but the breast meat was dry. What did I do wrong? Should I have reduced the first part of the cooking time. I so want this recipe to work as I much prefer slow cooking methods. Finally, would this work for a turkey crown? Many thanks your feedback to my questions will be very much appreciated.
My name is Rachel, and I am cooking my first big thanksgiving dinner. I only have a couple days left to prepare and and still learning. I have a 22 lb turkey from Costco. It is currently defrosting in the fridge. I wanted to try brining it although I have never done so. We are eating at 1:30 so I need to slow cook it over night. I ran across this post and hoped you might be able to help me. What exactly do I need to do in order to get this turkey done by 11 am to allow cooking time for other sides I will be serving that day. Please help!
Rachel, in case you don’t hear back from her in time, this may not be the best time to brine. Your time is awfully short if you haven’t already started it in brine. I brine my 14lb turkey for 14-16 hrs, then you need to let it “dry” in the fridge (on a rack on a tray, no cover) at least 6 hrs, overnight is preferable, so skin will brown nicely, otherwise soggy. I have mine plotted on a different time frame than yours and can’t really switch gears to help you on that part, but I will say, I do the turkey so it’s out only an hour earlier than serving (tent to keep warm) and use that hour for all my oven items. I plan accordingly so an hour is enough. I find it helpful to cook certain things half way or to almost done a day or two before, and then they need very little time in oven. I make my rolls ahead and freeze and just thaw and warm that day (they are moister this way too). In that hour, I can also make the gravy, now that I have the drippings from the finished turkey. Don’t know if this will help, but this is the kind of info I wish I’d known that first thanksgiving! 🙂 Hope it goes well!!
Do you start out with a chilled or room temp bird?
Is the wine poured in the pan? Can I use turkey stock instead?
Never mind, I missed it.
The recipe has listings for minutes at the top. Do you mean hours for the 23?
I keep reading warnings about slow cooking a turkey. If the internal temp is 170 degrees, isn’t that enough to kill bacteria? I am so nervous I am going to give my guests food poisoning!
Jenny,
I am so excited to be making this turkey myself for the first time ever for my husband’s family. I had it at my daughter-in-law’s house a few years ago, and it was the best ever, ever, ever. The meat literally fell off of the bones as it was so tender and juicy. I can’t stand over cooked, dried out turkey breast meat, so when asked to bring the turkey this year, this is the recipe I searched for and found, smile, smile.
So I’m cooking a 21.89 pound turkey, so I am increasing the cook time to adjust for the extra three almost four pounds. I like what you said about larger birds and don’t worry too much about the cook time and think of it as a pot roast. When you said that it put my mind at ease, as I remember how my mother’s pot roast would be so tender and fall off the bones, so I am not going to worry about the extra time beyond the twelve hours that I am going to cook mine. Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I’ll let you know how it turned out. We are celebrating our Thanksgiving this weekend when all the family can be here, so yeah, this post is posted Thanksgiving Eve of 2013 and I haven’t even started cooking it yet, lol. I’m going to get plenty of sleep before I start on the venture too. It will be so worth it, that tender, juicy meat, yeah.
Thank you for this posting because this year we purchased for the first time a heritage turkey and i would have prepared it just like the conventional turkeys from past years. After 12 hours of slow cooking the flesh was starting to loosen I raised the temp. at 13hours and left it browning for another 1 and a half hour. The meat was delicious and moist. My husband said it was the best turkey he ever had as did our guests.
Thank you for sharing.
Wonder how long a 14 lb turkey will take ?
Will cooking breast down help or is it not necessary ? I take it you add no moisture to pan ?
Can you inject breast with in juice at end of cooking ?
Can I add a few strips of bacon under the breast skin ?
Warning! and disappointing…. I just have to be honest. I have a very sensitive stomach and I didn’t realize this recipe has a possibility of being dangerous. I never expected that this recipe could be dangerous at all as I just went directly to the recipe without reading the ‘prequel’. I really wish you had made the point more boldly in the actual recipe, not in the ‘prequel’ .If I had read about any possible dangers, with my intestinal problems, I wouldn’t have taken a chance on a turkey that cost $60. That turkey was meant to last me through a couple months in the freezer as I have a low income and the turkey was a gift.
Though I used an organic turkey, and definitely followed all hygenic measures before cooking the turkey, my intestinal issues got worse…i only ate the turkey, nothing else.
While it may be a coincidence that my intestinal issues got worse,I feel it would be better if you made a bolder statement within the body of the recipe so I could have made a more informed decision, done research, and at least had more knowledge before I used the recipe This recipe came to via my eamil. My guess is that most people, like me, don’t read all the writing surrounding the recipe, and just follow the recipe as I did.
ps…. I have enjoyed your website this year up until this point, and I still thank you for your help and support, though I hope you make some changes to the way you print this recipe.
Most people would read the entire article before I think …i know I do….I intestinal issues and have slow cooked meat for decades with no issues….if you had issues, I dare suggest it was a coincidence just to put your mind at ease. 🙂
I cooked my turkey this way last year with great results. I DID make a few minor changes though. I brined my turkey before hand and I cooked the turkey at 500 degrees for the first 20-40 minutes as per Alton Brown. This year I am going to brine my bird for 3 days, then marinade, the slow roast. I know it’s mean, but I want to but my mothers dry turkey to shame.
Oh also, I stuffed the bird last year. No one was sick out of the 20 people who had some. The leftovers where delicious.
I’m thinking the cooking time should read 13 hours, not minutes. And one of the sentences is the #2 instruction seems to be missing some words. Would love to know what it was supposed to say. Thanks!
Do you thaw the bird beforehand or put it in the oven frozen?
wondering the same thing.
Looking for a little insight from anyone that happens to read this before thanksgiving! Our local farm had quite a few very small (though fully mature) heritage turkeys. So I bought two 6-pounders. Any wisdom for cooking two small birds? I see Jenny mentions 45 min per lb in the comments, but should I also raise the temp to 275 like with chickens? Shall I cook to the size of each bird 45min x 6 lbs = just 4.5 hours. Combined in one pan? Any wisdom from someone that’s done the same using the slow-roast method?
Sounds like the farmer conned you. That was a small chicken. I don’t think there is any such thing as a six pound, fully grown turkey. Especially a heritage turkey.
Please clarify if calculating cooking time using 45 min per lb as a guide includes last 1.5 hr stretch of higher temp?
Is the 1.5 hr at raised temp of 375 the same time and temp for the last stretch for all bird weights. If not, what is the formula to apply to make appropriate adjustment?
Does the bird remain tented during the last 1.5 hrs at higher temp and if so, will this still result in a yummy crispy skin?
Would the following timeline be accurate for a 12 lb turkey ready to serve at 4 pm:
4:30 into the oven at 225 degrees
2:00-3:30 at 375 degrees (covered or uncovered?)
3:30-4:00 rest before carving
Does tenting mean draping foil or parchment loosely over top and sides of bird or should there be a complete sealing of the bird?
One last thing: should I alter temps and/or cooking time for two 12 lb birds being cooked in the same gas oven in two separate pyrex roasting pans (10 x 14″ x 2.5″ sides) placed side by side with the rack positioned so the birds are cooking in the middle of the oven?
It would be so helpful if your recipe included more details which would undoubtedly minimize readers having so many questions about cooking times for different bird weights, etc. Also, I’ve not seen many replies to reader’s questions so I hope you’re are replying privately and just not posting them to the website. Otherwise it will be quite frustrating to not get answers to my inquiries as I will not feel confident enough in winging it on my own and will have to bail and live with the classic dried out bird. Hopefully I hear back in time to cook my bird using this method.
Thank you.
Rosalie
Hi Rosalie, I asked a question just above yours and am fully not expecting to get an answer back (I only posted to see if other readers happen across it with experience). Jenny posted this original recipe in 2011 and is unlikely to still be checking it for replies besides that she cannot possibly reply to everyone’s comments and questions on all recipes – so I understand. I think we all post in the hopes that at least someone might have some good ideas!! I will say to you: don’t worry and be confident! This is a very forgiving method! I say, do what you wrote above. Having two turkeys in the oven may just make it a bit more steamy. Just go for it! Yes, tenting means LOOSLY covered. For my slow-roasted chickens, I leave the lid on my Dutch oven for the final higher-temp roast and they turn out beautifully browned. I would say try to leave it on as it is! If no browning is happening or skin is rubbery, take the tent off. You could always turn the broiler on for a few minutes at the end (watch it closely as the tips might brown quickly) to give it color if all else fails. I am sure that the meat will be fabulous though. Good luck.
I cook all my turkeys overnight at 265-290. 4″ of water in pan, lots of spices and salt on top. People have almost cried before – it’s THAT good! (Sorry to brag). So yummy!
What does “overnight” translate to in hours?
Can you use lard instead of butter?
Yum. Butter has more of its own flavor… but I bet the lard would produce a beautiful skin. ? Clarified butter might be a really good choice if you are trying to stay away from the milk solids in the butter. Or a combination?
Hi Melissa,
I have the same predicament, 2 small turkeys, 6.5 lb and 7.25 lb. Maybe we bought them from the same farmer ;). I’m not experienced at cooking turkey, especially a pastured/heritage bird and am a bit nervous. Not sure how long to cook these little guys. Scared of dry turkey. I was planning on using a roasting pan. Does anyone have a reason as to why not to use a roasting pan?
Success! I cooked my turkey like this this year, and it was amazing! Here’s what I did: I had a 10 pound bird. Rubbed a TON of seasoned butter all over, stuffed it with onions and lemons. Poured the white wine in the bottom along with more Onions and lenons. Then I covered it and cooked it at the temp Jenny said to. Basted every 3 hours. It was fall off the bone ready in 8 hours. Brown and tender and none beautiful. I didn’t even have to uncover it and cook it at the higher temp. It was done and yummy!
Just wondering if I cooked my Turkey from Frozen over night if It would yield the same results ?
Do you think this would work in an electric roaster?
I’m sure an electric roaster would work, i have my frozen 18 lb turkey in the oven cooking for a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. .. will pkst how it turns iut
Where can I buy one of these turkeys? Whole foods???
You should be able to find them at farmers markets or look for local providers here: http://eatwild.com
Wouldn’t time of cooking be determined by the size? We have a 22lb turkey to cook, how long would it be cooked for?
Hi Christal,
When you slow-roast, you’re really cooking it *beyond* the point at which it’s done – so cooking time is a little more flexible in this respect. Keep in mind though, that slow-roasting is not really recommended for birds over 20 pounds.
Just made this slow roast turkey recipe for the third year … thank you for sharing the family secret!
Thanks for this recipe. I followed it for our holiday bird this week. Mine was 12 pounds. I roasted it for 10 1/2 hours at low heat and then blasted the heat for 20 minutes to get a little golden exterior. It was one of the best turkeys I’ve ever eaten. The breast was moist, the brown meat was succulent. Next time I’ll put the onions and herbs on the bottom of the pan to give the gravy more flavor. I think this will be even tastier with a larger bird, like the one you cooked, because more time in the oven will yield a darker fond on the bottom of the pan. Thanks again. We’re looking forward to the leftovers.
Amen. To you. My family is the same. Regulations got us scared….but my great grandmother who raised my family always had a bitch about how they ran things. She was living proof – through the Great Depression none the less- how they could shove it up their you know what. Thank you. <3 keep the knowledge Alive!
When the heat is increased do you remove the foil tent?
Also do you wake every 2 to 3 hours to baste or how do you handle basting if slow roasting overnight? Thanks!
After reading the plethora of food safety recommendations, I frequently wonder how human-kind has survived to this day. Not that I eschew all food safety recommendations, but sometimes it’s overwhelming.
I think I will be trying your method this year for Thanksgiving. First, my bird will probably be in the 12-13 pound range. Second, I intend to wet brine it and let it sit in the fridge uncovered for a few hours before the slow roast. Do you foresee any problems or have any recommendations if I do this?
Thanks!
“Spread the herb butter between the skin and the meat of the turkey breast, and place the seasoned turkey.” What does place the turkey mean?
I am excited to be cooking my first turkey this weekend! I am excited to use your herb butter turkey recipe! I am planning to use a roaster oven for the 12 hours. Do you know if should transfer it to a regular oven that finial hour and half for the browning, or will it brown in a roaster oven?
Hi Karen, I’ve never cooked a turkey in a roaster oven, so wouldn’t be able to provide you with any guidance.
This looks like a wonderful way to get a moist in the licious bird. I wonder if you have any advice on how long to cook at 225° if you were bird does not weigh as much as the one in the recipe. The one I have purchased is 12 or 13 pounds. Did you arrive at the length of time by calculating minutes per pound?
Do you brine your turkey? We are getting pastured this year (for the second year!).
Hi ERica,
I don’t usually brine my turkey, but I recommend trying the apple cider brine in my first cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Nourished-Kitchen-Farm-Table-Traditional/dp/1607744686
I have been preparing Turkey for at least Six (6) Years. I’ve been always a slow cooker. I read on some sites about preparing Turkey. Some say to cook at 325 degrees so it will kill bacterial infection for an hour, then lower the flame. I have always started my oven to the highest level of heat, then when reached at level, I placed my Turkey in oven and lowered the degrees to 280 all through the entire process until Golden Brown, and falling off the Bone. I had great reviews on my cooking. I find like you wrote in your site, slow cooking will be excellent as long as you are cooking over 170 degrees. I would like your reply about my preparing of a Turkey.
Thank you for your immediate assistance in this message. Happy Thanksgiving!
Gayle!
I don’t see a question and don’t understand what you’re trying to ask.
This sounds like a great way to cook a turkey, but I have a question: do you leave it breast side up for the entire cooking time? I remember my mother cooking turkeys and she never put anything under the skin. She just cooked the turkey breast side down (it was stuffed with her stuffing), and then turned it breast side up for the last half hour or so of cooking, to crisp the breast skin. The breast meat was always reasonably moist, but I can remember at least one time when the turkey went flying across the kitchen when she tried to turn it…
Thanks so much for this recipe! We picked up a pastured turkey this year from one of our local farms, and I was wondering how best to cook it. I had originally planned on brining it, but wonder if that’s necessary if we use your recipe? Would love your thoughts!
If you brine it, try the apple cider brine from my first cookbook.
Thanks, I’m so glad I already had your book! Recipe looks great, and I’m commencing the brine now (we’re celebrating on Friday)
I always brine my turkey. Would this replace the brining process? Just wondering which technique would be more tender, and hate to experiment on Thanksgiving Day!
oh good grief – I somehow missed all the comments where people were asking about brining! I’ll go look through them now – sorry!
Will this work for a 25# turkey? How many more hours do we need to roast it? Is there a good formula to follow?
how long would you cook a ten pound bird stuffed?
I recommend following this recipe using the ingredients and method outlined above, note that this slow-roasted turkey is not stuffed and I do not recommend stuffing slow-roasted birds.
I love this idea but I absolutely CANNOT make thanksgiving turkey without the family’s traditional bread stuffing 🙁
Hi Jenny, how would you modify this to cook a 5-6 lb chicken?
Thanks, Tarra
Hi Tarra,
Try this recipe: https://nourishedkitchen.com/easy-roast-chicken/
I know this is a long shot before Thanksgiving, but we received a much larger bird from the Farmer’s Market – 23lbs! Do you know how much cooking time we would need to add?
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Awesome recipe! Do you know how long I would need to roast at 225 degrees if I’m only making a 9 lb turkey? Thanks!
I’d cut the time in half, and make sure it reaches 185 F.
What happens if the wine(liquids) are omitted all together? Can’t do wine or orange juice, or any non-alcoholic wine of any kind. Will the turkey cook in its natural juices and cook fine this way ok?
I made this slow-rosted turkey this year and will never cook turkey any other way again. Yes I had to get up a 4am to put it in the oven, ( My sister got up at 3am to take the turkey out of the ref to bring to room temp and pre heat the oven) and agian at 5 to turn the oven down, but the was just planning. It was everything you said it would be, moist, tender, best turkey ever! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Going to try cooking chicken this way too.
I am SO happy to hear it! It really is a labor of love.
I used the recipe for our 16 lb pastured turkey this year, and it turned out ok, but a bit dry. I brined it for about 8 hours. Next time, I’ll try closer to 24 (ran out of time). When I went to turn the temp down after 45 min at 450F, the liquid had mostly evaporated, and part of the bottom of my pan was quite burned, and the skin was also very dark.
From there, I basted it every 2 hours, and had to add more liquid (I used a mixture of chicken bone broth and Pinot Grigio) for about 12 hours. By that time, the turkey was very brown, almost burned. I tented it and turned up the heat to 375 for another almost 2 1/2 hours before it reached 185F. Next time, I’ll slow cook it for another hour before turning up the temp.
Not sure why the meat was as dry as it was. Maybe I didn’t brine it long enough? But I will say that, once I scraped out the burn bits from the bottom of the pan, that was bar far the most delicious gravy I’ve ever made. And I make some pretty good gravy. In fact, the gravy was the highlight of the meal!
Overall, I think this is a great recipe, and I’m going to keep trying it (with chicken) until I perfect it. We just moved into a new home, and I’m still getting the hang of our oven, which is natural gas, and I think it runs a little hotter than our old electric. It’s definitely worth playing with this to find the low/slow sweet spot! Thanks
What about dry brining the turkey first? Would that change the cooking time? I know brined turkeys cook faster
Hi Christa,
Yes, you can dry brine your turkey, but, no, it would not reduce cook time.
How long to do the slow roast if our turkey is 26 lbs?
What would you suggest the cooking time for an approximately 10lb turkey?
Looking forward to using this recipe for our Thanksgiving turkey this week! Sounds delicious!
Will this work for a “regular “ store bought turkey? How long would a 28lb turkey take?
I don’t recommend slow-roasting birds of that size.
Hi Jenny. I love your site. I have a pastured bird thawing in the fridge and I plan to cook it with your method tomorrow. My bird is only 11 pounds. How many hours would you recommend at the low temperature?? Also, I made your Autumn Fruit Salad to take to a family Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. It was not only gorgeous but also delicious and such a fresh compliment to the meal. I will be making that salad all winter. I did add a big pinch of salt to the dressing.
The recipe says about 12 hours but doesn’t give times for varying weights. Can you add a chart for time according to weight?
I recommend making this recipe with the size turkey listed in the ingredients.