Description
This Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey recipe yields a moist, flavorful centerpiece perfect for holiday gatherings. The turkey is seasoned inside with fresh herbs and lemon, then slathered generously with a garlicky herb butter under and over the skin. Roasted on a bed of aromatic vegetables, it develops a beautiful golden brown color and succulent texture. Resting after roasting ensures juicy, tender meat ready to carve and serve.
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 and black pepper, to taste
For the Herb Butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and 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 it’s ready for roasting the turkey evenly.
- Prepare Turkey Cavity: Remove the giblets from the turkey’s cavity and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the inside cavity of the turkey liberally with kosher salt and black pepper. Stuff the cavity with quartered onion, lemon, and fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sprigs to infuse flavor from within during cooking.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature unsalted butter with minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and thyme, plus salt and black pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly until well combined to create a fragrant herb butter.
- Apply Herb Butter Under Skin: Gently separate the skin from the turkey breast by sliding your fingers or a spoon carefully between the skin and meat, taking care not to tear the skin. Spread a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin over the breast meat to keep it moist and flavorful during roasting.
- Coat Turkey Surface: Spread the remaining herb butter evenly all over the outside skin of the turkey. Then season the entire outside of the turkey with additional kosher salt and black pepper to taste for balanced seasoning.
- Prepare Roasting Bed: Arrange the quartered onion, roughly chopped celery, and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan to create a flavorful bed for the turkey to sit on. This adds aroma and prevents direct contact with the pan, encouraging even roasting.
- Roast Turkey: Place the seasoned turkey on top of the vegetable bed in the roasting pan. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning or drying out. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160°F (71°C). This will take approximately 3 hours depending on turkey size.
- Brown the Turkey: During the last 30 minutes of roasting, remove the foil to allow the skin to become golden brown and crisp, enhancing flavor and appearance.
- Rest the Turkey: Once the turkey reaches the target temperature, remove it from the oven and tent it loosely with foil. Allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes so the juices redistribute throughout the meat for juicy, tender results.
- Carve and Serve: After resting, carve the turkey into desired portions and serve with your favorite holiday side dishes for a delicious festive feast.
Notes
- Purchase 1½ pounds of turkey per guest as a guideline; for 8 guests, a 12-pound turkey works well.
- When loosening the skin for the herb butter, proceed slowly and carefully to avoid tearing.
- Thawing a turkey fully in the refrigerator can take multiple days, so plan ahead accordingly.
- Resting the turkey after roasting is essential for juicy meat before carving.
- To store leftovers: cool, carve meat from bones, place in airtight container, refrigerate up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze leftovers: store meat in airtight, freezer-safe containers or bags; keep frozen for up to 6 months.
- To reheat: microwave leftovers covered with a damp paper towel to help retain moisture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 150g) of roasted turkey meat
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
