Go Back
Roast turkey filled with stuffing being carved.

Roast Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: roast turkey, roast turkey with stuffing, turkey dinner
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 892kcal
Author: Laureen King
Traditional roast turkey with bread stuffing and homemade gravy made from pan drippings. A classic recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 10-12 lb turkey thawed
  • 1/3 cup butter

Turkey Stuffing

  • 8-10 cups bread cubes lightly toasted I use day old French bread, but any white bread will work.
  • 1 box Stove Top Stuffing optional, dry mix (not prepared)
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth

Turkey Gravy

  • pan drippings roasted turkey
  • 2-4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

Prepare the turkey

  • Start with a completely thawed turkey. A partially frozen turkey will not cook evenly, and it will be hard to get an accurate temperature reading. 
  • Remove the giblets and neck from the thawed turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
  • Generously season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper.

Prepare the Roast Turkey Stuffing

  • Cube day old bread and place on a cookie sheet. Toast until lightly browned then transfer to a large bowl.
  • In a skillet add a couple of tablespoons of butter and sauté the onions and celery until softened.
  • Add the sautéed onion and celery to the bread cubes.
  • Add the DRY Stove Top Stuffing mix, toss to combine.
  • Season with poultry seasoning, ground sage, salt, and pepper. I like to sprinkle a bit of the seasonings, then toss, so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
  • Gradually add the chicken broth, tossing the mixture as you go. You want the stuffing moist enough to hold together, but not wet or soggy. The amount of broth you need can vary depending on how dry your bread is.
  • Spoon the prepared stuffing loosely into the main cavity of the turkey as well as the upper breast area (under the skin). Pull the skin over the stuffed cavities and secure with skewers. Tie the legs together with kitchen string or skewers. Secure the wings to the side of the turkey.

Roasting the Turkey

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. (175ºC)
  • Place the stuffed turkey breast-side up on the rack of a large roasting pan. Rub the outside with butter and generously season with salt and pepper.
  • Place the neck and giblets in the bottom of the pan. This will add extra flavor to the drippings.
  • Pour some chicken stock into the bottom of the pan. (Enough to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
  • Loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F (175ºC) oven.
  • Immediately place the stuffed turkey in the preheated oven to start roasting. Food-safety guidance recommends that stuffed poultry be cooked immediately.
  • After the turkey has been cooking for an hour start basting the turkey with the pan drippings about every 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes to allow the skin to brown. If the legs begin to brown too quickly, loosely cover them with foil.
  • A 10–12-pound stuffed turkey generally takes about 3½ to 4 hours to roast, but cooking time can vary depending on the turkey, oven and how much stuffing is inside. Cooking time is an estimate. Use a meat thermometer to determine when the turkey reaches internal of 180ºF (82ºC) and stuffing has reached at least 165°F (74°C).

Preparing the Gravy

  • Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and let it rest while you prepare the gravy.
  • Transfer the pan drippings to a gravy fat separator to remove the excess fat. You can also skim off the extra fat with a large spoon.
  • Return the roasting pan to the stovetop and add chicken broth. The amount of broth you need will depend on how much liquid is left in the roasting pan. You want a total of about 5-6 cups of dripping.
  • In a small jar combine ⅓ cup flour with ½ cup of chicken broth. Shake vigorously until smooth to ensure there are no lumps.
  • Heat the drippings and broth, gradually whisking in the flour mixture. Bring the gravy to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
  • Season with ground sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
  • Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the gravy thickens.

Notes

There is a notable difference between U.S. and Canadian guidance for a whole stuffed turkey:
Where to check - Breast, innermost thigh (without touching the bone) as well as center of stuffing.
Internal Temperature (Doneness):
  • The USDA specifically says a stuffed turkey is safe when both the turkey and center of the stuffing reach 165°F (74°C
  • Health Canada, however, lists 180°F (82ºC) for whole poultry, while specifying 165°F (74ºC) for stuffing cooked inside poultry.

Nutrition

Calories: 892kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 136g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 402mg | Sodium: 1480mg | Potassium: 1500mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 478IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 7mg