Description
A simple and straightforward recipe for roasting a whole turkey with herb butter, perfect for a flavorful and tender main course that requires no basting and has easy prep steps.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (14-16 pound) whole turkey
- Salt & pepper to taste
Herb Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
Inside the Turkey
- 1 lemon halved
- A few sprigs each fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary
- 1 head garlic broken into cloves and peeled
Instructions
- Prepare Turkey and Butter: Take the turkey out of the fridge to warm up for one hour. Set it on a baking sheet to catch any liquid from opening the packaging. Also, remove butter from fridge to soften.
- Make Herb Butter: Combine softened butter with finely chopped sage, thyme, rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mash together thoroughly with a fork.
- Preheat Oven and Arrange Rack: Preheat your oven to 450F and position a rack on the bottom third of the oven, removing other racks for sufficient space.
- Prep Turkey Cavity: Remove turkey from packaging, take out giblets and neck from cavity, drain liquid thoroughly, and place turkey back on baking sheet. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
- Season and Stuff Turkey: Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity. Stuff cavity with lemon halves, fresh herb sprigs, and garlic cloves. Rub herb butter all over the turkey except the very bottom. Tuck wings under and tie legs together with kitchen twine for neatness.
- Roast Turkey: Place turkey breast side up on the rack in a roasting pan. Insert pan into the oven, reduce temperature to 350F, and roast for about 3 hours for a 14-pound turkey. Check doneness starting 30 minutes before the expected finish by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh until it reads 165F.
- Cover to Prevent Over-Browning: Since skin will brown earlier than done, cover turkey loosely with non-stick foil once browned to prevent burning during the remaining roast time.
- Rest and Carve: Remove turkey from oven, drain juices by tilting rack, transfer turkey to cutting board, and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. Use drippings for gravy if desired.
Notes
- Adjust amount of butter and herb filling if using a turkey smaller or larger than 14-16 pounds.
- Roast time follows 13 minutes per pound at 350F; use an instant-read thermometer for best results.
- Use sea salt or kosher salt; omit or reduce salt if cooking a brined turkey.
- Resting the turkey after roasting is essential to allow juices to redistribute for tender meat.
- No basting is required in this recipe, simplifying the cooking process.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
