Herb Butter Roasted Turkey
The bird that earns a standing ovation
Golden, herb-crusted, and juicy all the way through. This is the one they'll ask you to make every year.
YIELD: 12 servings | PREP TIME: 30 min | COOK TIME: 2 ½ hrs | REST TIME: 30 min | TOTAL TIME: ~3 hr 30 min
INGREDIENTS:
1 – 12 lb Whole turkey, thawed
½ c Unsalted butter, softened
3 T Fresh parsley, chopped
1 T Fresh sage, chopped
1 T Fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T Fresh thyme, chopped
1 t Kosher salt, divided
½ t Black pepper, divided
1 Lemon, quartered
1 small Orange, quartered
1 small Onion, quartered
Kitchen string for trussing (as needed)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity. Discard or save for gravy stock. Pat the turkey thoroughly dry inside and out with paper towels. The drier the skin, the crispier it will get.
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and ¼ t of the kosher salt. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
Sprinkle ½ t kosher salt and ¼ t black pepper inside the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the lemon, orange, and onion wedges. These aromatics perfume the bird from the inside as it roasts. Tie the legs together snugly with kitchen string.
Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Season the outside with the remaining ¼ t salt and ¼ t black pepper. Using your hands or a spatula, spread the herb butter generously and evenly all over the turkey, including under the breast skin if you can. This is where the flavor really gets in!
Roast for 2 ½ hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) reads 165°F. If the skin starts browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Do not skip this step! Resting allows the juices to redistribute through the meat. Cover loosely with foil while it rests.
NOTES:
Thaw first: A 12 lb frozen turkey needs 3 days in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Plan ahead! Putting a frozen turkey in the oven is a food safety risk.
Butter under the skin: Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers and push some herb butter directly onto the meat underneath. It bastes the breast from the inside and makes a huge difference.
Roasting rack: If you don't have one, a bed of roughly chopped carrots, celery, and onion lifts the turkey off the pan and adds flavor to the drippings for gravy.
Drippings: Don't discard the pan drippings! They're liquid gold for gravy. Pour them into a fat separator or skim the fat off the top and use the rest as your gravy base.
Bigger bird: For a larger turkey, add about 15 minutes per pound beyond 12 lbs. Always go by internal temperature, not time alone.
