• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nourished Kitchen

  • Get Started
  • Nourishing Recipes
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Getting Started
  • Nourishing Recipes
  • Vibrant Botanicals
  • Cookbooks
  • Easy Swaps!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Nourished Kitchen » Pasture-Raised Chicken and Turkey Recipes » Slow-Roasted Turkey

    Posted: Nov 15, 2019 · Updated: Oct 18, 2020 by Jenny McGruther · This post contains affiliate links.

    Slow-Roasted Turkey

    Slow-roasted turkey is marvelously tender, with meat that literally falls off the bone and golden, rich golden-brown skin. It's an easy, hands-off way to prepare turkey, and yields consistently excellent results.

    Jump to Recipe | Why Cook a Turkey Overnight? | Timing | Safety | Tips | Variations

    Slow-Roasted Turkey on a platter decorated with rosemary, sage, and pomegranates

    Why roast a turkey overnight?

    To slow roast a turkey, you'll bake in a very slow oven over a period of several hours - typically 8 to 12, depending on the size of the bird. And this long, slow process results in impossibly tender meat that literally falls off the bone, and a golden, deep flavor, and crisp brown skin.

    Even better, it's a fairly hands-off approach and that means you have more time to spend with friends and family. And you'll have plenty of time to whip up sides, put the final touches on dessert and set the table.

    Timing Your Turkey

    Slow-roasting is a simple, easy process that requires little active time in the kitchen. However, because it takes so long for the turkey to cook through, you'll need to carefully plan when you first put it in the oven.

    Allow about 12 hours total. That means if you plan to serve your meal at lunch time, you'll want to toss it in the oven around midnight. Or, if you plan to serve it in the evening, you'll need to wake early to get the bird in the oven.

    Safety

    Slow roasting poultry was once common practice. And it was a popular way to cook turkey until recently. Many earlier generations grew up roasting their turkeys overnight in the oven.

    Most bacteria on your bird will rest on its surface areas, not deep in the meat. Remember the "danger zone" for food borne illness is 41 to 130 F. So make sure that your turkey comes to 135 F within about 4 hours and 165 F before you serve. And your turkey should be safe to eat.

    To ensure your bird stays safely within those temperature windows, choosing small to medium birds works best. I recommend using a higher temperature and different technique for very large birds. This maple-brined turkey recipe works well.

    Tips for a perfect bird

    • Choose small to medium birds (12 - 16 pounds) as larger birds run the risk of taking too long to come to safe temperatures.
    • Stuff your turkey with herbs, lemons, and onions. Herbs, lemons, and onions give your turkey flavor and keep it moist.
    • Bake your stuffing on the side instead of in the bird.
    • Mind the internal temperature. The internal temperature of your bird should reach 165 F when taken from the thigh for safety.
    • It's okay to cook the bird over temperature. The meat will seize and then yield and become even more tender as it cooks, so I typically cook my bird to 180 F.
    • Tent the bird with foil if you notice it browning too quickly.
    • Allow it to rest before serving. Your turkey will need to rest about 40 minutes to stay moist. That's just enough time to warm up your sides in the oven.
    • Serve the turkey with plenty of sides like sourdough stuffing, cranberry mandarin relish, maple-glazed root vegetables and a nice autumn fruit salad.
    • Use your leftovers for turkey bone broth and turkey and wild rice soup.
    Rate this Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Slow-roasted Turkey Recipe

    Slathered with butter, dressed with thyme and stuffed with onions and lemons, this slow-roasted turkey is rich with flavor, succulent and wonderfully easy to make. Slow roasting is a long process with a rewarding result, make sure to plan in advance.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time10 hrs
    Total Time10 hrs 10 mins
    Servings: 12 servings
    Print Save Recipe Saved!

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup butter (softened)
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
    • 2 teaspoons finely ground real salt
    • 14 pound turkey (giblets removed)
    • 2 large yellow onions (quartered)
    • 2 large lemons (quartered)
    • 1 ½ cups white wine

    Equipment

    • Roasting Pan

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 250 F.
    • 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. And then tuck it into the oven, basting with the pan juices every 2 to 3 hours until cooked through and evenly brown all over (about 10 hours).
    • Increase the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 30 minutes or until the skin is a rich brown and the meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 F.
    • Allow the turkey to rest about 30 minutes before carving.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @nourishedkitchen or tag #nourishedkitchen!

    Variations

    Once you've made the basic recipe, you can vary some of the ingredients and flavors. As long as you keep to the basic method and technique, you'll have a delicious bird.

    Try a spice rub instead of herb butter. While the herb butter in this recipe's delicious, you can whisk spices together with olive oil and brush use that instead.

    Try stuffing the turkey with oranges and spices instead of lemons and onions. Citrus and onions keep the bird moist as it cooks, and orange make a great swap for lemons.


    More Thanksgiving recipes

    • Turkey Bone Broth
    • Sourdough Stuffing
    • Wassail
    • Mulled Cranberry Cider

    Previous Post: « What supplements should I take?
    Next Post: Maple Pecan Pie »

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jenny! I'm a nutritional therapist, herbalist and the author of three natural foods cookbooks. You'll find nourishing bone broths, simple herbal remedies and loads of fermented goodness on this site.

    More about me →

    Popular Posts

    • The Ultimate Guide to Bone Broth
    • Sour Pickles
    • Homemade Sauerkraut
    • How to Make CBD Oil
    • Water Kefir
    • Ginger Bug

    Recent Posts

    • Cannabis Honey
    • Strawberry Tart
    • Fermented Jalapeños
    • Carrot Leek Soup
    • Fermented Carrots
    • Bergamot Orange Syrup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Explore

    • Nourishing Recipes
    • Broth
    • Fermented Vegetables
    • Fermented Drinks
    • Herbal Remedies
    • Sourdough

    Seasonal Cooking

    • Spring Vegetables
    • Spring Fruits

    Connect

    • Start Here
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Privacy Policy + Affiliate Disclosure + Copyright Notice + Accessibility

    Copyright © 2021 Nourished Media LLC. All rights reserved.