Herb-Butter Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
A classic whole roasted turkey seasoned with garlic-herb butter and filled with fresh aromatics. The preparation is straightforward: season the bird, add the aromatics, coat it with herb butter, and roast until properly cooked and golden.
Print Pin Servings: 16
Ingredients
Turkey
- 1 12-20 pound turkey
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 apple, (your favorite kind), quartered
- 75 ounces container fresh rosemary
- 75 ounces container fresh thyme
- 75 ounces container fresh sage
Herb Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- fresh chopped herbs
Instructions
- Thaw the turkey if frozen. Allow 24 hours of refrigerator thawing time for every 5 pounds of Turkey. For extra assurance that it is completely thawed, allow 1 additional day.
- Bring the turkey out of the refrigerator. One hour before roasting, remove the thawed turkey from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Prepare the oven. Position the oven rack so the turkey will be centered in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Prepare the herb butter. Mix the room temperature butter with the minced garlic, salt, pepper, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, and half a tablespoon of fresh chopped sage. Keep the remaining fresh herbs aside; they will go inside the turkey cavity.
- Prepare the turkey. Take the turkey out of its packaging and remove the neck and giblets from the cavities. Save them for gravy if desired, or discard them. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry using paper towels.
- Fill the cavity. Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Add the quartered lemon, onion and apple along with the leftover herbs.
- Butter beneath the skin. Carefully loosen and raise the skin covering the breasts with your fingers. Spread a few tablespoons of the prepared herb butter underneath the skin.
- Position the turkey. Fold the wings underneath the turkey, then place the bird on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan.*
- Coat the exterior. Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 30 seconds. It does not have to melt completely; it only needs to become very soft. Using a basting brush, coat the outside of the turkey, including the legs and wings, with the remaining herb butter.
- Roast. Cook at 325 degrees F for about 13-15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature, measured in the middle of the thigh and breast, reaches about 165 degrees. Tent the turkey with foil and allow it to rest on the counter, then transfer it to a large cutting board positioned inside a sheet pan so any additional turkey juices are caught during carving.
- Watch the browning. Check the turkey approximately halfway through its cooking time. When the skin has become golden brown, cover the top of the turkey with tinfoil so the breast meat does not overcook. Alternatively, begin roasting the turkey under a foil tent and remove the foil during approximately the final hour of cooking so the exterior can brown.
- Rest before carving. Leave the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
- Save the pan juices. Keep the drippings and juices remaining in the roasting pan if you plan to make turkey gravy.
