Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey
Turkey is slathered in a savory garlic and herb butter, stuffed with aromatics like onion, lemon, and herbs, then roasted until crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 776kcal
Ingredients
Garlic herb butter
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Turkey
- 10 - 12 lb. whole turkey
- 1 white onion peeled and quartered
- 1 lemon quartered
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
Garnishes
- extra fresh herbs
- sliced lemons
- fresh cranberries
Instructions
Make garlic herb butter
- In a small mixing bowl, add all butter ingredients (butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper), and stir well to combine.
- Set aside for now.
Prepare turkey
- Move oven rack to the lower third position, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add a rack to a roasting pan (or you can use a large rimmed baking sheet topped with an oven-safe cooling rack).
- Remove the turkey neck and giblets from inside the turkey, and pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.
- Add turkey to roasting rack. To the turkey cavity, add the quartered onion, quartered lemon, and sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and sage.
- Use kitchen twine to tie the turkey legs together (this helps ensure even cooking), or you can use a piece of turkey skin to hold the legs together.
Combine
- Gently pull the skin away from the meat, loosening it so you can add the butter. Using a paper towel to grip the skin may help if it's slippery.
- Liberally slather the butter under the skin, then over the top as well. I like to use my hands for this so I can really get it everywhere.
Roast
- Carefully add roasting pan with turkey to the preheated oven and roast for approximately 13 minutes per pound, basting with the pan juices occasionally (I like to baste every 20-30 minutes).
- Please know that all ovens cook differently, so use the time as a guide and look for golden brown skin and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F.
- If the turkey skin is getting too dark for your liking, you can tent some aluminum foil over the top as it cooks.
Rest and serve
- Remove turkey from oven and tent some aluminum foil over the top to help seal in the juices.
- Let rest for 15-20 minutes, then discard the onion, lemon, and herbs from inside the turkey cavity. Carve and serve.
Notes
- This makes one 10-12 lb. turkey, which I've estimated will feed 10 people (with about a pound to pound and a quarter per person), but you're free to divide into as many servings as you'd like.
- Use your best judgement with regards to rinsing your turkey after removing the neck and giblets. I personally don't rinse it, but I know that's a decision that will vary from person to person.
- For the best results, I highly recommend using an internal meat thermometer (clickable link) to check the internal temperature of the turkey breast. The cook time given is what it took for me, but all ovens cook a little differently.
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and you're looking for it to read 165°F.
Thawing a whole turkey:
- The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator - do NOT thaw a turkey at room temperature.
- A frozen turkey needs at least 1 day of thawing time per 4-5 lbs. So a 10 lb. turkey would need at least 2 full days in the refrigerator.
How long to cook a turkey:
- An unstuffed turkey (even though this turkey has aromatics inside, it's not considered stuffed as there's no stuffing) should be cooked for 13 minutes per pound.
- So a 10 lb. turkey would need to be cooked for approximately 2 hours 10 minutes.
How much turkey should I have for each person:
- It's recommended to have about 1 - 1 1/2 lbs of turkey per person.
Gravy for turkey:
- I use my Classic Brown Gravy (clickable link) when we serve this turkey, using the pan drippings from the baking dish if you'd like (just substitute them for the beef and chicken broth called for in the gravy recipe). You don't have to use the drippings though, if you'd rather not.
Nutrition
Calories: 776kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 99g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 363mg | Sodium: 744mg | Potassium: 1083mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 811IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 5mg
