Description
A classic Thanksgiving turkey recipe featuring a flavorful herb butter rub and roasting method to ensure juicy, tender meat with crispy skin. This recipe includes a step-by-step process for seasoning, stuffing, basting, and properly roasting a large bird to perfection for your holiday feast.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Stuffing
- 1 12-20 pound turkey
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 apple (your favorite kind), quartered
- 0.75 ounce container fresh rosemary
- 0.75 ounce container fresh thyme
- 0.75 ounce container fresh sage
Herb Butter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh chopped herbs (from rosemary, thyme, and sage containers)
Instructions
- Thaw the turkey: If frozen, thaw the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey, plus an additional day for safety.
- Bring to room temperature: Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat and prepare oven: Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make herb butter: Combine softened butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon each of fresh chopped rosemary and thyme, and 0.5 tablespoon fresh chopped sage in a bowl. Reserve the remaining fresh herbs for stuffing the turkey cavity.
- Prepare the turkey: Remove the turkey from packaging, discard or save neck and giblets, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season and stuff the cavity: Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the turkey cavity. Stuff with quartered lemon, onion, apple, and leftover fresh herbs.
- Apply herb butter under skin: Loosen and lift the skin over the breast area gently and spread a few tablespoons of herb butter underneath the skin evenly.
- Tuck wings and position turkey: Tuck the wings underneath the bird and place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan.
- Baste the turkey: Microwave the remaining herb butter for 30 seconds until softened; use a basting brush to coat the outside of the turkey, including legs and wings.
- Roast the turkey: Roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 13-15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit when measured at the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
- Protect with foil: Check halfway through roasting. Once the skin is golden brown, tent the top of the turkey with foil to prevent overcooking the breast meat. Alternatively, start with foil tented on and remove during the last hour to brown.
- Rest and carve: After roasting, tent the turkey with foil and let it rest on the counter briefly. Transfer to a large cutting board or sheet pan to catch juices during carving.
Notes
- If cooking for fewer people or preferring mostly white meat, try a turkey breast recipe instead.
- To substitute dried herbs for fresh, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs.
- When covering the turkey with foil, start uncovered. Once golden brown, tent with foil or use the roasting pan lid if available.
- For disposable roasting pans, place chopped celery ribs and carrots at the bottom to elevate the turkey and add flavor to drippings, but avoid eating or using these vegetables in gravy.
- Electric roasting oven directions remain the same as conventional oven instructions.
- Cooking in a convection oven requires earlier temperature checks starting around 2 hours since cooking is faster.
- For alternative preparation, consider spatchcocking the turkey for faster cooking and even results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 576 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
