You don’t have to know what you’re doing with a turkey to make one— or I would never have done it. It’s actually so easy and delicious, and it only takes 10 minutes of work from you. I have now made a turkey for several of our past Thanksgivings, and I can tell you this is the most delicious one yet!
I love how pretty a decorated whole turkey looks gracing the Thanksgiving table, but carving a turkey at the table is a terrible idea! It’s so messy, and it takes a little while to do, even for a skilled knife-wielder. Take my advice and carve it in the kitchen first (though of course, you can plate it and present it to your guests whole, if you like the pomp and circumstance!)



For serving, I like to separate the dark meat into smaller portions off the bone, which saves my guests the awkward experience of deboning a turkey thigh on their plate.
Whatever you do, make sure to serve the juices on the side for a last-minute splash of flavor!
Thanksgiving Turkey
Total time: prep 2 days in advance! + 4 hours in the oven for a 15-lb bird
Serves: 12-16
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Lemon Egg Meals for Families to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.