Best Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe

Beautiful roasted turkey with herb butter and seasoning.

Best Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe

This easy, yet impressive Herb Butter Roasted Turkey recipe is your step-by-step guide to a juicy, flavorful holiday turkey. I've been making this roasted turkey recipe for YEARS and it's still my go-to for Thanksgiving! The herb butter keeps all the aromatic flavors close to the meat while keeping it perfectly moist. No dry meat or overcooking here! This tested and perfected recipe will show you how to make a PERFECT Thanksgiving turkey every single time.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3 25

Total Time 3 55

Servings Servings

Calories 124kcal

Author Christine McMichael

Equipment

Large Roasting Pan

Ingredients

Herb Butter

1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
3 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
3 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Turkey

1 15-pound turkey
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 heads fresh garlic peeled
1 medium onion quartered
2 medium lemons quartered
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 leaves fresh sage
1 bunch fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, placing the interior oven rack in the lowest position.
Mix the room-temperature butter, herbs, and seasonings together.
Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixed butter.
Prepare the turkey by removing the giblets and neck.
Place the turkey in the roasting pan breast side up.
Fill the bottom of the pan with water or broth.
Using your fingertips and starting at the neck area, loosen the skin from the turkey meat little by little being careful not to tear the skin.
Rub the 3/4 cup of the herb butter under turkey skin using your fingers. You can press your fingers on top of the skin to move the butter around to cover all areas of the meat.
Fill the turkey cavity with fresh herb sprigs, garlic, onion quarters, and lemons.
Tie the legs together at the ends of them with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings around the back of the turkey so they stay in place.
Rub the remaining 1/4 cup of herb butter over the entire outside of the turkey.
Add the lid to the roasting pan or tent the whole turkey with foil paper.
Roast the turkey for about 13 minutes per pound, or 3.25 hours for a 15-lb turkey. The internal temperature should reach 170 degrees F.
Remove the turkey from the oven, tent with foil, and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Notes

NOTES:

This recipe is for a 15 pound turkey. However, you can use any size you want! Just remember that the general rule is to cook the turkey for 13 minutes per pound.
Any type of large roasting pan is fine! You don't need a fancy roasting pan. Trust me. This turns out GREAT in just a basic roasting pan, as long as it has high sides and it's big enough to hold the turkey.
Use an electric countertop roaster or roast it in the oven. Either method makes a great turkey. The convenience of an electric roaster is a smaller cooking space that can make for a faster roast, and it frees up your oven to make other things for the meal.
To cover or not to cover? I often prefer to cover my turkeys when I roast them. I love the way it holds in all of the flavorful steam and keeps everything super juicy. However, if you want crispy brown skin, I suggest cooking the turkey uncovered for the last hour or so.
Basting? Basting is really all about the skin of the turkey. Basting helps add flavor and crispiness to the skin as the turkey cooks. It's not necessary though, especially because we're using an herb butter that does all of that work for you! Plus, basting can lead to oven heat loss which can slow down your cooking time.

Store the turkey off the bone, in an airtight container.

- Refrigerate - Store the turkey in the fridge for 3-4 days.

- Freeze - Freeze the leftover turkey for 3-6 months.

- Reheat - Add a little bit of broth to the turkey before you reheat it. Reheat it in the oven at 300 degrees F until hot, or in the microwave in 30-second increments.

Nutrition