Description
This easy roast turkey recipe delivers a perfectly tender and flavorful bird with a simple herb butter rub and classic seasoning. Featuring fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon inside the cavity, this straightforward method ensures juicy meat and crisp skin, ideal for holiday dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey
- 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: Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour. Place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Also take softened butter out of the fridge to soften further if needed.
- Make Herb Butter: In a bowl, combine the softened butter with chopped sage, thyme, rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mash together thoroughly with a fork until well blended.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F and position the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Remove additional racks to ensure enough space for the turkey.
- Prep Turkey: Remove the turkey from packaging; discard giblets and neck if included. Drain excess liquid from the cavity near the sink. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity.
- Stuff and Butter Turkey: Stuff the cavity with halved lemon, fresh herb sprigs, and cloves of garlic. Rub the turkey all over with the herb butter, avoiding the very bottom. Tuck wings under the bird and tie legs together with kitchen twine for a neat presentation.
- Place Turkey for Roasting: Position the turkey breast side up on a rack inside a roasting pan.
- Start Roasting: Place the roasting pan in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350°F.
- Roast Slowly: Roast the turkey for about 3 hours (for a 14 pound turkey), checking internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest thigh. The ideal final temperature is 165°F. Begin checking at 2.5 hours to avoid overcooking.
- Manage Browning: If the skin browns too quickly (up to an hour before done), loosely cover the bird with non-stick foil to prevent burning while it finishes cooking.
- Rest Turkey: Once done, carefully tilt the roasting rack to drain juices into the pan which can be reserved for gravy. Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
Notes
- Adjust butter and cavity fillings proportionally for turkeys outside the 14-16 pound range.
- Use an instant read thermometer for accurate doneness; do not rely solely on timing.
- If using a brined turkey, reduce or omit salt in the herb butter and avoid additional salting.
- Sea salt or kosher salt enhances flavor better than table salt.
- Letting the turkey rest is crucial to keep the meat juicy and tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
