Description
A straightforward recipe for roasting a whole turkey using an herb butter compound to keep the meat moist and flavorful for your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 whole turkey (12-14 lbs), thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the neck and giblets. Pat the entire turkey, inside and out, completely dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to create the herb butter.
- Gently separate the skin from the breast meat using your fingers. Rub about half of the herb butter directly onto the breast meat under the skin. Rub the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey skin.
- Place the onion quarters, lemon halves, carrots, and celery stalks inside the turkey cavity. Truss the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). Place the turkey on a roasting rack set inside a shallow roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). Basting is not required due to the butter under the skin.
- If the skin begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
- Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. This resting period is essential for a juicy result.
Notes
- For extra crispy skin, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for the last 15 minutes of cooking, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- If you prefer a maple glaze, brush the turkey with a mixture of 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard during the last hour of roasting.
- Always use a reliable meat thermometer to check for doneness; timing is only an estimate.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 3 hr 30 min
- Category: Holiday Main
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz cooked meat
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 150