Thanksgiving can feel like a big production, but the moment you slide this Herb Roasted Turkey out of the oven you’ll feel like you nailed it. This is the easy way to roast a turkey that doesn’t compromise on flavor or wow factor, bonus points if you prepped it with my easy dry brine and you're using this seasoning rub to make life easier. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a delicious Thanksgiving turkey, this herb roasted version is your answer.
Herb Roasted Turkey at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: Approx. 20 minutes prep + 3 to 3½ hours roast time (for a 12–14 lb turkey)
- 👪 Servings: About 10–12 people (depending on turkey size)
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: American / Thanksgiving Classic
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Herb-forward, buttery, and aromatic with rosemary, thyme, sage, and a golden, crisped skin from Gaby’s Everyday compound butter
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains poultry and dairy (butter); gluten-free friendly when served without stuffing
- 📦 Storage Notes:
- Store leftover turkey in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- For longer storage, shred and freeze for up to 3 months.
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and infused with buttery herb flavor from the inside out, the foolproof centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
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Why I Love This Recipe
It's time. Thanksgiving month is upon us. Lemme break it down... we've got less than 3 weeks until Thanksgiving. That means every day from here on out is going to be Thanksgiving related. We're talking main event today - my succulent Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe, obviously hot on the heels of the perfect Turkey brine. It's perfectly moist and has the crispiest skin... you'll make annually from here on out.
I love this Herb Roasted Turkey recipe because it takes all the fuss out of the centerpiece and delivers a turkey with golden, crisp skin and tender, juicy meat every single time. With just a few fresh herbs, butter, and lemons, you can turn a simple bird into a show-stopping main that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, even though you didn’t. It’s approachable, reliable, and flavorful, which makes it perfect for anyone hosting Thanksgiving or cooking their first turkey. I've heard from hundreds of people over the last few years that they wanted an alternate to fresh herbs so we created this seasoning compound butter that yields the same results too! Here's a video you can watch it come together too to make life even easier!
Once you learn how to roast a turkey this way, you’ll never look back. And if you've gotten this far and you're like, I will NOT roast an entire turkey.... I hear you and I raise you these Turkey Meatballs.
As you know WGC turns into Thanksgiving HQ every year. You're getting the ultimate Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe that will give you a perfectly cooked bird, the best mashed potatoes to EVER grace your table, and a wild mushroom stuffing to end all stuffings, Tons of side dishes (crispy lemon brussels sprouts anyone?) that you'll want to devour plus a few fun desserts that no one will be expecting! I've taken all the guess work out of Thanksgiving this year! So whether you're hosting the family, or if you just need a side dish or dessert to bring over to someones house... you're covered! Nothing is super complicated or time consuming - just 100% delicious!
Let's dig in...
Ingredients & Substitutions
How to Make Herb Roasted Turkey
Step 1: When you're ready to roast the bird, remove the turkey from the brine / refrigerator, remove the giblets from inside, and pat VERY dry with paper towels. Let it rest on a baking sheet for 2 hours until it comes to room temperature. If you used my dry brine mixture, remove any excess brine that fell off the bird from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Step 2: In a food processor, combine the butter, lemon zest, 1 handful of parsley, 1 handful of thyme and 1 handful of sage leaves and pulse for 1-2 minutes until everything is evenly incorporated.
Step 3: Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and pulse for a few seconds more. Remove the compound butter from the food processor and set aside.
Step 4: Once the turkey is prepped, place it in a large roasting pan, breast side up on a metal rack.
Step 5: Using your hands, smear the butter all over the turkey. Liberally season the bird with salt and pepper and use your hands to pat everything down onto the skin. Fill the inside of the bird with the remaining handfuls of herbs and the halved lemons, making sure everything is stuffed inside the bird. Tie the legs together with a bit of kitchen twine and place the bird into the oven and roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees F.
Step 6: After 2.5 hours of cooking time, use a meat thermometer and check the thickest part of the turkey so make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees. The turkey should be golden brown at this point. If the turkey is not done, continue to cook it until the thermometer registers at 165 degrees F. It will continue to go up to about 170 after you remove it from the oven and it rests.
How to make an Herb Roasted Turkey for Thanksgiving:
As you'll see in the steps above, I love slathering a turkey with a compound butter. A compound butter is basically room temperature butter that's been mixed with herbs, salt and pepper. That butter then gets slathered on the bird and helps create the most delicious crispy skin. The drippings from the compound butter also help make a SUPER delicious gravy.
You'll need a large roasting pan too. I like one that's fitted with a metal rack so it's easy to place the turkey on/off the rack and access the drippings when the time comes to make gravy!
What temperature to cook a turkey:
For this turkey recipe I like to start my oven at 450 degrees F to crisp up the skin and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees to continue cooking the bird until done.
If you need to crisp up the skin a bit at the end, you can crank up the heat to 450 again for the last 10-15 minutes to get it a bit more crispy.
Turkeys need about 15-18 minutes of cooking time per pound. Once the bird is cooked, thighs should register at 165°F (74°C) and the breasts should register at 160°F (71°C). As soon as the bird hits these temperatures, take it out and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
How to store your Thanksgiving Turkey
You can carve the turkey meat off the bone and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Make sure to re-heat the leftovers in the oven or microwave evenly till the safe temperature is reached.
Tips & Tricks
- Let your turkey hang out on the counter before roasting. Give it about 1 to 2 hours to chill out and take the chill off. Starting closer to room temp = super even cooking and juicy meat.
- Compound butter is non negotiable. We are talking butter + herbs + salt. Massage it under the skin, all over the skin, and anywhere else you can get it. More butter means more golden crispy deliciousness.
- Use a roasting rack. We do not steam turkeys in this house. Lifting the bird up lets air circulate and gives you that perfect all over browning. Plus you get gorgeous drippings for gravy.
- Start hot. Blast it at a high temperature to get that skin going, then lower the heat and let the turkey finish gently. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Heaven.
- A meat thermometer is your best friend. No guessing, no stress. Stick it in the thickest part of the thigh and breast. Pull when it hits 165 degrees.
- Let the turkey rest. I know it is tempting to dig in right away, but let it cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This keeps all those juices right where they belong.
- Brining is magic. It seasons all the way through and keeps the turkey moist. Dry brine, wet brine, Gaby’s Everyday brine... you just cannot go wrong.
- Skip stuffing the turkey if you want the easiest, most consistent results. Cook stuffing separately so your turkey stays juicy and cooks on time.
- Airflow equals crispy skin. No deep covered baking pans that block heat. Shallow pan, rack, and lots of room to breathe. You want that skin to get crunchy and glorious.
- Plan backwards from when you want to eat. Figure out your cook time by weight, add in resting time, and make your compound butter the day before so you are not scrambling on Thanksgiving morning.
FAQs
Do I need to brine my Thanksgiving Turkey?
Yes, 100% absolutely. It really does make a difference in how the bird cooks. Since turkeys are generally a lean type of meat, the brine really ensures that the meat won't dry out which makes for a juicy bird. It also allows some flavors to infuse into the bird before roasting. If you've never brined a bird before, here's everything you'll ever need to know about brining a bird! This is also a helpful process if you're using a frozen turkey!
Also make sure to pull out the giblets and neck before brining so you don't forget them inside the bird before roasting.
Can I brine a frozen turkey?
You sure can! In fact, that's a great way to start thawing a bird. It's about 5 hours of defrosting time per pound of turkey - so plan accordingly.
Should I stuff my Thanksgiving Turkey?
This is just a personal preference. For this turkey recipe I prefer to stuff with citrus and herbs rather than stuffing. I just find that both my mushroom stuffing and cornbread stuffing is better outside the bird, and I like the citrus and herbs inside the bird to lend extra flavor and infuse the bird from the inside out.
Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking Thanksgiving menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!
And if you need more Thanksgiving Ideas check out this roundup of 80+ Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Herb Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
For the Herb Roasted Turkey
- 14 pound turkey thawed if frozen
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 handfuls fresh thyme leaves
- 2 handfuls fresh sage leaves
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper plus more for seasoning
- 2 lemons each cut into halves
For the Homemade Gravy
Instructions
- If the turkey is frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator several days before roasting. This is the best time to brine too!
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and take out the giblets. Pat it dry with paper towels and let it rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. If you used a dry brine, remove it completely along with anything that collected in the roasting pan, then discard the brine. Pat the turkey very dry. Let it sit on the counter for 1 to 2 hours before slathering it with the compound butter.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and position the rack on the lowest level.
- In a food processor, combine the butter, lemon zest, 1 handful of each herb, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth and evenly mixed.
- Place the turkey breast side up on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Rub the herb butter under the skin and all over the outside. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with the remaining herbs and lemon halves. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Roast for 30 minutes at 450°F. Then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue roasting for about 2 to 2½ hours, basting every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Begin checking the internal temperature after 2½ hours. The turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- If the skin needs more color, increase the heat to 450°F for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes // Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Have made this recipe do several years and makes a delicious moist (yes gross word) but crispy skinturkey!
Should the butter be room temp when you make the compound butter?
yes!
Hi, Gaby!
Quick question. I am cooking a 22 pound turkey, and already know it'll be in the oven for about 4.5 to 5 hours. My question is, at any point during the cooking process should I cover the turkey with foil?
if it gets too brown, yes! cover
Do you have an updated recipe using your what’s gaby cooking everyday blend?
that one is on dalkin&co website!!
Hi Gaby! For years I’ve wet brined & stuffed my turkey, basting periodically throughout the roasting. I’m excited to mix it up and try your dry brine and compound butter recipe this year! Can I still stuff the bird and do I baste? Thank you!
yes and YES!
I’ve followed numerous Roast Turkey recipes over the last 30 years and this is the best of them all. I went with the dry brine, which I’d never done before and the resulting roast Turkey was juicy and delicious! The gravy was also fabulous. All of my guests enjoyed it immensely. This recipe is a keeper!
Following the dry brine, I used this recipe and have never made a better turkey. I even had to sub in dried parsley and thyme and it was still absolutely excellent. Amazing recipe!
I am trying to back into my cooking schedule for Thanksgiving. 15 lb bird at 15 mins per pound I calc 3.75 hours of cooking then add two hours for coming to room temp and 1/2 hour to rest after cooking so need to start approx 6.25 hours before serving. Is my math right? It seems longer than the recipe above. If I do the dry brine can I let that sit in fridge longer than 4 hours after I brush off dry brine, say the night before? Hope to get more than 4 hours sleep.
Have you ever roasted a turkey breast side down on a V shaped rack? I've done it that way for years and the breast comes out juicy and moisit every time! I use an olive oil based dry brine,
PS my daughter loves your recipes.
Can’t wait to make this turkey!
I have to make the turkey at home and then travel with it to my in-laws. Any recommendations on reheating?