Description
This Easy Roast Turkey recipe delivers a perfectly tender and flavorful bird with crispy skin, thanks to a fragrant herb butter rub and simple roasting technique. Ideal for holiday dinners or special occasions, this straightforward method ensures a juicy turkey every time without the fuss of basting.
Ingredients
Scale
Main 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 warm up for 1 hour. Set it on a baking sheet to catch any drips from packaging. Also, take the butter out of the fridge to soften.
- Make Herb Butter: In a bowl, combine softened butter with chopped sage, thyme, rosemary, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mash together thoroughly with a fork to create an herb butter mixture.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 450°F and move a rack to the bottom third of the oven. Remove other racks to ensure there is enough space for the turkey.
- Prepare Turkey for Roasting: Remove turkey from packaging. Take out giblets and neck from inside the cavity—do this over the sink if frozen to drain excess liquid. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity.
- Stuff and Rub Turkey: Stuff the cavity with halved lemon, fresh herb sprigs, and garlic cloves. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter thoroughly, avoiding the very bottom of the bird. Tuck wings under and tie legs together with kitchen twine for a neat appearance.
- Roast Turkey: Place the turkey breast side up on a roasting pan rack. Insert the pan into the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F and roast for about 3 hours for a 14-pound bird. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Manage Browning: If the skin browns too early (up to an hour before done), loosely cover with non-stick foil to prevent burning while the turkey finishes cooking.
- Rest the Turkey: Once done, carefully tilt the roasting rack to let juices drain into the pan for gravy. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and rest for 20 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring moist meat.
Notes
- Adjust butter and fillings proportionally if your turkey is outside the 14-16 pound range.
- Always use an instant-read thermometer to ensure proper doneness.
- Use sea salt or kosher salt for seasoning; avoid salting a pre-brined turkey or reduce salt in the butter for those turkeys.
- Resting the turkey is crucial to retaining moisture and preventing dryness.
- Basting is not necessary as the herb butter keeps the turkey moist and flavorful.
- Oven temperatures and rack placement are key to achieving crispy skin without burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 5 oz cooked turkey)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
