Roaster Oven Turkey
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. That’s the Rule With the Turkey.
This roaster oven turkey is how I cook the holiday turkey for a crowd. The turkey gets a generous coat of herb butter — parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme — and roasts in an electric roaster at 325°F, so both of my ovens stay free for everything else. If you don’t have two ovens, a turkey roaster is what makes a holiday dinner for a crowd fit in one afternoon.
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Watch me make roaster oven turkey with turkey breasts — it was too early in the season for big whole turkeys — or scroll down for the full printable whole-turkey recipe card.
Featured Tools & Ingredients
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• Mine is a 20-quart Rival that has lived in the pantry room for years, and Rival does not make them anymore — this is the closest match I could find, same size, same shape. I pull it out for the turkey at the holidays so that both of my ovens stay free for everything else, and that one move is the whole reason a holiday dinner for a crowd fits in one afternoon. It also holds food warm once it is done.
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Roaster Oven Turkey
Start CookingIngredients
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried sage rubbed
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 whole turkey 18 to 22 lb, fully thawed
- 1 onion cut in quarters
- 2 stalks celery 2 to 3 stalks, cut in pieces
- 1 Granny Smith apples cut in quarters
Don’t Want to Plan? I Got You.Every Saturday I share a full week of dinners, sides, and a dessert — with the grocery list already done. Come grab this week’s Weekly Meal Plans!Equipment
Method Start Cooking
- Mix all the seasoned butter ingredients together.
- Take the neck and giblets out of the turkey and pat it dry.
- Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers and spread some of the seasoned butter underneath it. Rub most of the rest all over the outside, and put what’s left inside, with the onion, celery, and apple.
- Preheat the roaster to 325°F and roast according to your roaster’s directions for the weight of your turkey. Five hours is my maximum, for a 25 lb bird; a smaller turkey needs less. Start checking well before you expect it to be done.
- It’s done at 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing.
- Lift it out, set it on the counter, and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest at least 30 minutes before you carve, so the juices stay in the meat. Save the drippings for the gravy.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Four Weeks of Family-Friendly FoodWhen people gather, I cook. Four weeks of the dinners my crowd asks for — planned, tested, and shopped for. Come see what’s in the cookbook →Why This Roaster Oven Turkey Works
Onion, celery, and apple go inside the turkey. We’re not going to eat those. They’re just there to flavor the turkey and give you good drippings for the gravy.
Then comes the butter, and I mean everywhere: under the skin, all over the outside, inside the cavity. Mix the butter with the herbs first, and the seasoning goes everywhere the butter does. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme — you remember the song. I love rosemary ; it makes the gravy taste like fall to me. I’m not a heavy sage person, but you’ve got to have a little. And thyme is my favorite.
It roasts at 325°F in the roaster. Five hours is my maximum, for a 25-pound bird, and a smaller turkey needs less, so start checking well before you expect it to be done. It’s done at 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing. Then it rests at least 30 minutes, lightly tented with foil, while the oven finishes the sides.
A Few Things That Make Roaster Oven Turkey Even Easier
- Buy it two weeks out. That way you’re sure to get a big one.
- Thaw it in the fridge. Plan about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. For an 18 to 22 pound turkey, move it to the fridge the Friday or Saturday before Thanksgiving.
- Crush the dried herbs as you add them. I rub the rosemary and thyme between my fingers. I feel like it releases the flavor.
- Save the drippings. They make the gravy.
- Need more turkey? For 25 people I add a fully cooked turkey breast from Costco. It only needs warming, and it gives you plenty of leftovers.
Roaster Oven Turkey FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
How long does a turkey take in a roaster oven?
Roast it at 325°F and follow your roaster’s directions for the weight of your turkey. Five hours is my maximum, for a 25-pound bird. Start checking early, and it’s done at 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing.
Can I make turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey?
Yes. In the video I used three boneless turkey breasts, about 5 pounds each. Same butter and herbs, 325°F for about 3 hours, until they reach 165°F. Bone-in breasts take longer.
Do I put anything in the bottom of the roaster?
The onion, celery, and apple go inside a whole turkey. With turkey breasts, I put them in the bottom of the roaster and lay the breasts on top. Either way, they’re for flavor and drippings, not for eating.
What if I don’t have a roaster?
Roast it in the oven at 325°F. An unstuffed 18 to 20 pound turkey takes about 4 to 4¼ hours, and a 20 to 24 pound turkey about 4½ to 5 hours. Start checking 30 to 45 minutes early.
How much turkey do I need per person?
Plan on about 1 pound of bone-in turkey per person. For 25 people, I roast an 18 to 22 pound turkey and add a fully cooked turkey breast for extra.
How long do leftovers keep?
Get the leftovers covered and into the fridge, and use them within 3 to 4 days — that is the USDA guideline for leftovers. My favorite way to use them up is turkey cranberry sliders the next day.
🛒 Complete Shopping List
Everything you need to make this Roaster Oven Turkey — click any item to shop on Amazon.
Ingredients
Equipment
🦃 Hosting the whole holiday dinner?
This roaster oven turkey is part of The Holiday Table for 25 — my whole holiday dinner for 25: the menu, the one-oven schedule, the day-of timeline, and every recipe, so you get to sit down and eat with everybody else.
And here’s everything I use to host — the roaster, serving pieces, paper goods, and decor.
More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love
- Easiest Ham Recipe for a Crowd — the other main dish, for the folks who don’t like turkey.
- Doctored-Up Stove Top Stuffing — two flavors of Stove Top, sautéed celery and onion, and crispy fried onions on top.
- Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes — the make-ahead side that goes straight from the fridge to the oven.
- Crockpot Creamed Corn — butter and cream cheese melted into the corn, and it never needs a spot in the oven.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon — tossed the night before and roasted on a sheet pan.
- Turkey Cranberry Sliders — what I make with the leftover turkey the next day, with a layer of stuffing inside.
- Holiday Hosting Essentials — everything I use to feed 25, from the roaster to the paper plates.
📬 Come to the table on Saturday
Every Saturday morning I send a printable meal plan and full grocery list — the whole week, formatted for the fridge and the grocery run — plus new recipes and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Drop your email below and I’ll save you a seat.
Roaster Oven Turkey — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.