Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit for conventional (no fan) or 325° Fahrenheit for convection. If you have an oven that has a convection roast feature, use that set to 325°.
Remove turkey from the fridge and take it out of the packaging. Remove any giblets and rinse the turkey with a little cold water.Pat the skin dry and the inside of the cavity dry with paper towels.
16-22 pounds turkey
Place turkey on the rack of the roasting pan, tuck the wings (optional) and tie the legs. Set aside. It will sit out about 30 minutes before going in the oven.
Chop 2 garlic cloves and cut the other 3 cloves into quarters.Toss the quarters into the cavity of the turkey.
5 cloves garlic
Hand squeeze the lemon into a small bowl - be sure to hand squeeze, you only need a little juice but want some to remain in the peels.After squeezing the juice, toss both halves into the cavity of the turkey.
1 lemon
Thinly slice 3 tablespoons of butter and carefully push the slices under the skin over the breast meat. Do not remove skin and you should be able to gently lift it just enough to squeeze butter slices in.
In small pan melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.Add in the chopped garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt. Cook for about 1 minute. You don't want anything to brown, just letting the flavors combine into the butter.Remove from heat and pour in the lemon juice. Stir to mix well.
With a basting brush, evenly spread the butter mixture over the top and sides of the turkey. Do not lift the turkey out of the pan to season, the bottom doesn't need to be seasoned. Be sure to use all of the seasoning mixture.Insert a thermometer probe into the thickest part of the thigh now if using one.
Put the oven rack in one of the lower positions so your turkey will sit evenly in the center of the oven. Bake at 350° (conventional) or 325° (convection/convection roast) for 10-15 minutes per pound.
If it is starting to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil and continue to cook.Cook until the thickest part of the thigh is at least 165° and the thickest part of the breast meat is 160°-165°. Legs and thighs have the best taste and texture if cooked to at least 175℉, but they need to be at least 165° to be safe to eat.
Once the turkey is up to temperature, remove from oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving, but no longer then an hour.
Notes
Nutrition facts and estimated total time is based on an 18 pound turkey with 12 servings.For the turkey size - You should allow about 1 and a half pounds per person when choosing the size turkey you need. Be sure your turkey is fully thawed before baking! Check on it a few hours before baking and if it still feels slightly frozen, soak it in cold water in the sink until it is thawed completely. Be sure to check the water often to be sure it is still very cold.For the butter - You can use salted or unsalted.Important - Always check the temperature of your turkey with a thermometer. Do not rely on the pop up timer if it has one. Many times mine has popped up and the turkey was not done yet. You can use it as an indicator of when to check the temperature, but always use a thermometer to check it.