Last Updated on October 27, 2026 by Elizabeth Briskin 34 Comments

How to Cook a Turkey in an Electric Roaster

Name: Turkey in an Electric Roaster
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 thawed whole turkey (giblets and neck removed); 1/4 cup melted butter; 1/4 cup cold butter (sliced into pats); 1 tsp browning sauce (optional); Seasoning of your choice (I use poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning); Salt; Pepper; 1 apple (cut into slices); 1/2 onion (cut into slices); 2 stalks of celery (cut into large pieces); 1 can chicken broth

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Learn how to cook a turkey in an electric roaster with butter, simple seasonings, and apple, onion, and celery. Keep your main oven free for the sides, and use a thermometer to check when the turkey is ready.

The holiday season is one full of cookies, eggnog, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, and, of course, roast turkey (and sometimes a maple-glazed ham as well). I always roast several turkeys between November and December and there is one trick I absolutely swear by: my electric turkey roaster oven.

I didn’t know what an electric roaster oven was until I got married and received one as a wedding gift. After trying it once, I’ve never cooked a bird in a traditional oven since!

How to Choose the Best Electric Roaster

An electric roaster oven is basically a smaller version of a regular oven, powered by electricity. I always think of it as a cross between a Crock-Pot and a toaster oven.

Choose an electric roaster large enough for your turkey, with room for the lid to close completely. Check the capacity and operating instructions for your specific model before buying the bird.

I use my turkey roaster a few times a year. You can use it for more than cooking turkeys:

Cooking two whole chickens at once
Making large amounts of baked potatoes, stew, chili, meatballs, ribs, roasts, sauces, hams, casseroles, pies, or pretty much anything for a large group!

I always use my electric roaster for Maple Glazed Ham as well. Some electric roaster models come with removable serving dishes, which I really think are worth buying. They’re great for serving at parties, and you can buy them separately too.

Pros of Buying an Electric Roaster Oven

Frees up oven space for other delicious dishes
Low maintenance – set it and forget it (with a thermometer), no basting

Cons to an Electric Roaster

In a covered electric roaster, the skin may be softer than on a turkey roasted uncovered in a conventional oven. Browning sauce adds color, but does not make the skin crisp. I personally don’t worry too much about the color because I carve the turkey before serving.
The oven is also pretty big and can take up kitchen space. I keep mine in the original cardboard box in the garage when I’m not using it.

Before cooking, check that the turkey fits on the rack with the lid fully closed. Capacity varies by model and by the shape of the bird.

What is the Best Turkey to Buy for Roasting

Here’s what you should keep in mind when you’re selecting a bird at the supermarket:

Make sure you don’t buy a turkey that’s too big for your roaster. I once got ambitious and bought a huge turkey from Costco. I prepared it, only to realize it too was too large for the lid to close!
For planning, allow about 1¼ pounds of whole turkey per person, and check that the bird will fit your roaster.

How to Thaw a Turkey

Thawing a turkey is pretty easy, but there are a few tips to keep in mind:

Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator at 40°F or below, allowing approximately 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds. Keep it on a tray to catch drips.
Start this recipe with a fully thawed turkey. If it is still partly frozen, finish thawing safely rather than assuming it will need only a few extra minutes to cook. For cold-water thawing, keep the turkey in leakproof wrapping, change the water every 30 minutes, and cook immediately after thawing. See USDA’s thawing guidance.

How to Prepare a Turkey for Electric Roasting

This recipe uses ½ cup of butter in total: ¼ cup melted to brush over the turkey and ¼ cup cold butter sliced into pats to tuck under the skin. Apple, onion, celery, seasoning, and chicken broth round out the recipe.

Start by pre-heating the turkey roaster to 400°F. Meanwhile, remove the neck and giblets from the bird and make sure the turkey is thawed. I recommend placing it on the roaster rack for this (something I forgot to do in this picture).

Stuffing is my favorite Thanksgiving side, but I don’t cook my stuffing in the turkey cavity for sanitary reasons. Instead, I stuff my turkey with slices of apple, onion, and celery to add flavor. Then, I discard the fillings after cooking. I make my stuffing in a casserole dish and cook it in the regular oven. After stuffing the cavity, slide a few pats of butter in between the skin and meat on the top of the bird.

How to Use Browning Sauce for Roast Turkey

For the optional browning mixture, stir 1 teaspoon of browning sauce into the ¼ cup melted butter, then brush it over the turkey. Browning sauce is a bottled ingredient, not a seasoning packet. It adds color; you can leave it out and brush the turkey with melted butter alone.

Season the turkey with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning. Carefully lower the turkey and its rack into the removable roasting pan.

How to Make Moist Roast Turkey

Pour the chicken broth into the removable roasting pan, beneath the rack—not into the electrical base. The broth provides liquid for the pan drippings. Insert an oven-safe probe into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding bone, and close the lid. Follow your roaster’s instructions for use.

The apple, onion, and celery flavor the turkey as it cooks. Discard these aromatics after roasting.

How Long to Cook A Turkey in a Roaster

Cook at 400°F for the first hour, then reduce the roaster to 350°F. This is the original recipe’s two-stage method. The remaining cooking time depends on the turkey’s size and your roaster, so use your appliance manual for planning and a food thermometer to confirm doneness. The first hour is not the total cooking time.

The original recipe used a 170°F endpoint. USDA’s safe minimum is 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh and wing. Check all three locations before removing the turkey; you may cook it to a higher temperature if you prefer.

If you choose to finish the turkey uncovered in a conventional oven, use an oven-safe roasting pan. Do not assume the removable electric-roaster insert is oven-safe; check its manual. Continue checking the turkey’s internal temperature rather than relying on a fixed extra half hour.

How to Use a Meat Thermometer for Turkey

Use an oven-safe leave-in probe thermometer to monitor cooking, then verify the breast, thigh, and wing before serving. An instant-read thermometer is useful for these final checks, but should not be left inside the roaster unless its manufacturer specifically allows it.

Keep the thermometer display outside the roaster and route the probe cable according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A probe lets you monitor the temperature without repeatedly lifting the lid. It still needs a final check in the other parts of the bird.

Once the turkey cooks through, remove it from the roaster oven, tent with tin foil and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Turkey in an Electric Roaster

Allison McGee

Butter, simple seasonings, apple, onion, and celery flavor this electric-roaster turkey.

4.09 from 230 votes

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Prep: 10 minutes | Rest: 20 minutes
Cooking time: varies with turkey size and roaster model.

Course Holiday Recipes

Cuisine American

Equipment

Electric roaster with its roasting rack
Oven-safe leave-in probe thermometer
Instant-read thermometer for final checks
Pastry brush
Large tray
Foil

Ingredients

1 thawed whole turkey giblets and neck removed
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cold butter sliced into pats
1 tsp browning sauce optional
Seasoning of your choice I use poultry seasoning or Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1 apple cut into slices
1/2 onion cut into slices
2 stalks of celery cut into large pieces
1 can chicken broth

Instructions

Start with a fully thawed turkey, with the neck and giblets removed. Remove the rack and preheat the electric roaster to 400°F according to its instructions.
Place the rack on a large tray (to catch any liquid) and place the turkey on the rack.
Place the sliced apple, onion, and celery loosely in the turkey cavity. Bake bread stuffing separately.
Separate the skin at the top of the bird from the meat and slide the pats of butter in between the skin and the meat.
Mix the ¼ cup melted butter with the optional 1 teaspoon browning sauce. If omitting the browning sauce, use the melted butter alone.
Using a pastry brush, generously brush the turkey with the browning sauce mixture. (This step can get messy, so be careful!)
Generously season the turkey with salt, pepper, and the seasoning of your choice.
Insert an oven-safe probe into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding bone. Keep the display outside the roaster and follow the thermometer’s cable-routing instructions.
Carefully lower the turkey and rack into the removable roasting pan.
Pour 1 can of chicken broth into the removable roasting pan, beneath the rack—not into the electrical base. Close the lid.
Cook at 400°F for 1 hour.
Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue cooking. Before removing the turkey, check that the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing each reach at least 165°F. The original recipe used 170°F; you may cook to a higher temperature if preferred. Cooking time varies with turkey size and roaster model.
Carefully lift the turkey out using the rack. Tent with foil and rest for 20 minutes before carving. Discard the aromatics from the cavity.

Notes

Cooking time and servings depend on turkey size. The first hour at 400°F is only the first stage, not the total cooking time. Allow 20 minutes for resting.

Keyword electric turkey roaster, how to cook a turkey, turkey roaster oven

Can I cook stuffing inside the turkey?

For this recipe, bake bread stuffing separately in a casserole dish. The apple, onion, and celery used to flavor the turkey aren’t a substitute for bread stuffing. Cooking stuffing separately makes it easier to check that both the turkey and stuffing are done; stuffing should reach 165°F.

Will the skin get crispy?

An electric roaster traps moisture, so the skin may be softer than turkey roasted uncovered in a conventional oven. Browning sauce adds color, but it doesn’t make the skin crisp. If you finish the turkey in a conventional oven, use an oven-safe roasting pan and continue checking its internal temperature.

Storing and reheating leftovers

Refrigerate leftover turkey within two hours, divided into smaller portions in shallow containers. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. When reheating, heat the turkey to 165°F; a little broth and a cover can help keep it moist.

Food-safety reference: USDA’s turkey roasting and storage guide.

More Dishes to Complete Your Holiday Feast

Serve your turkey with a few favorite holiday sides:

Browse more holiday recipes for your table.

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Photos by Allison McGee, Bochkarev Photography/Shutterstock.com, Paul Cowan/Shutterstock.com