Description
This Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey recipe offers a perfectly moist and flavorful centerpiece for your holiday table. Infused with fresh herbs and garlic butter both under the skin and on the exterior, this roast turkey is tender, juicy, and beautifully golden-brown. A savory bed of aromatic vegetables provides a delicious base while roasting, ensuring rich flavors throughout. Ideal for Thanksgiving or any festive gathering, this step-by-step guide ensures a flawless roast turkey every time.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Turkey:
- 12 to 18 pound turkey, fully thawed
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
For the Herb Butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
For the Vegetables Under the Turkey:
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to ensure the turkey cooks evenly and thoroughly.
- Prepare Turkey Cavity: Remove the giblets from the turkey’s cavity and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the inside with kosher salt and black pepper, then stuff it with the quartered onion, lemon, and fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs to infuse flavor from within.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature unsalted butter with minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and thyme, and season with salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
- Apply Herb Butter Under Skin: Gently separate the skin from the turkey breast by sliding your fingers or a spoon between the skin and meat without tearing. Spread a generous amount of the herb butter beneath the skin over the breast meat to keep it moist and flavorful during cooking.
- Butter the Exterior: Spread the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey. Season the outside generously with additional kosher salt and black pepper to enhance the crust flavor.
- Prepare Roasting Bed: Place the quartered onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan. This vegetable bed will add moisture and a depth of flavor to the turkey drippings.
- Roast the Turkey: Set the turkey on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning early on. Roast in the preheated oven until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160°F. Remove the foil during the final 30 minutes to allow the skin to brown golden and crispy. This typically takes about 3 hours for a 12 to 18 pound bird but varies with size.
- Rest the Turkey: Remove the turkey from the oven and tent it loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. Resting lets the juices redistribute, making the meat moist and tender.
- Carve and Serve: Carve the turkey and serve it alongside your favorite Thanksgiving or holiday side dishes.
Notes
- Plan for 1.5 pounds of turkey per guest; for 8 people, a 12-pound turkey is recommended.
- Be patient and gentle when loosening the skin to apply the compound herb butter to avoid tearing.
- Allow several days for a frozen turkey to thaw fully in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Rest the turkey before carving to ensure juicy meat.
- To store leftovers, cool the meat, carve, and refrigerate in airtight containers for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze leftover turkey meat in airtight containers or bags for up to 6 months.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel to retain moisture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 6 oz cooked turkey)
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
