Herb Butter Turkey

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Simple ingredients and minimal prep, this roasted Herb Butter Turkey comes out moist and juicy every time and makes the best gravy too.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two biggest roast turkey days of the year, but our flavorful turkey, just like our Skillet Honey Mustard Glazed Ham is wonderful all year long. Serve our honey glazed carrots, sausage stuffing, and cranberry cashew broccoli with your turkey.

The whole turkey carved and plated on a white platter garnished with fresh herbs, cranberries, and orange slices.

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Recipe ingredients
How to make a roasted Herb Butter Turkey
Recipe FAQs
Other Related Thanksgiving Recipes
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I am not sure what aroma can be more intoxicating than that of a roasting Thanksgiving Turkey. Who doesn't love the smell of the kitchen on Thanksgiving?

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients for the recipe: celery, turkey, parsley, butter, rosemary, sage, apple, thyme, carrot, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and onion.

Turkey —we used a 15 pound turkey. We do not recommend exceeding a 16 pound turkey.
Produce —Celery, carrot, onion, lemon, and an apple. These will be roughly chopped and place in the neck and body cavities.
Butter — We used salted butter. It needs to be at room temperature or softened in the microwave. If sodium content is an issue for you, use unsalted butter.
Seasonings — Garlic, salt and pepper.
Fresh Herbs — Fresh is best. Fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley.

How to make a roasted Herb Butter Turkey

Produce for the turkey has been cut and added to a bowl with the herbs, seasonings and knife outside the bowl on a cutting board. — Step 1

Herb butter being made: softened butter seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh herbs ready to be mixed together. — Step 1

Step 1 — Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Roughly chop the apple, onion, celery, carrot, and lemon. Pull out several sprigs of the fresh herbs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chopped produce.
Step 2 — Make herb butter by placing the softened butter in a small bowl and smash it with a fork. Add fresh thyme, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix to blend.

Produce and herbs being inserted into the neck cavity. — Step 3

Chopped fruit and vegetables being inserted into the cavity of the turkey — Step 3

Step 3 — Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey. Pat dry the whole turkey using paper towels. Place the turkey in the skillet or large roasting pan. Stuff pieces of the chopped fresh produce and some herbs into the neck cavity until full.
Step 4 — Add a dollop or two of the herb butter into the turkey cavity then stuff it with the fresh produce and herbs. Place any remaining fruits, vegetables, and herbs around the turkey in the skillet or roasting pan.

The skin around the breast is being pulled back and away from the flesh. — Step 5

The herb butter is being applied on the flesh under the breast skin. — Step 5

Should I put butter under the skin of my turkey?

Step 5 — Loosen skin around the turkey breast, working it free. This can be done with your fingers, a table knife, or even a chopstick.
Step 6 — Work the herb butter under the skin onto the breast meat. Then replace the skin.

Herb butter has been applied all over the surface of the turkey. — Step 7

The turkey in the cast iron skillet resting after cooking. — Step 7

Step 7 — Generously slather the rest of the herb butter all over the entire turkey like I do for my pale skin with SPF One Billion at a water park. If you should have any butter left, drop it into the skillet around the turkey; it will just enhance the flavor of the gravy. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the bird.
Step 8 — Cover LIGHTLY with foil and place in the oven. Bake the turkey 15 minutes per pound, so 4 hours for our 15 pound turkey. Baste periodically as desired. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve up with all your favorite sides like these Dutch oven cheesy potatoes!

How long should a turkey rest?

Once your roasted turkey is done, remove it from the oven and transfer turkey to a cutting board and let it rest, one that will catch any released juices.

The turkey rest time should be at least 30 minutes for smaller birds and up to 45 minutes up to 1 hour for larger ones, like a 16 pound turkey or more. Once rested, carve and place the turkey on a platter and serve.

The turkey on a platter with cranberries, oranges, and fresh herbs as garnish.

Recipe FAQs

Do I need to chicken broth when I roast my turkey?

If you have a smaller bird and want a lot of gravy, adding broth to the roasting pan or skillet is a good idea. Depending on how much gravy you want to make, add up to 4 cups.

Why isn't my turkey golden brown?

The biggest cause of this is having the foil on too tight. When it's on too tight, the turkey will steam more than it will roast.

What herbs go best with turkey?

We used parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, but you could also use tarragon, marjoram, or oregano.

If you tried this Herb Butter Turkey or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

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5 from 20 votes