Herb Roasted Turkey

Thanksgiving can feel like a big production, but the moment you slide this Herb Roasted Turkey out of the oven, you'll know 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 Turkey Brine. Serve it with The Best Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Turkey Gravy, and my Wild Mushroom Stuffing, and your Thanksgiving table is complete.

Why I Love This Recipe

It's time. Thanksgiving month is upon us. 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 alternative 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 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 guesswork 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 someone's 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 1-2 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. 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.

Step 6: After about 2½ hours of cooking time, start checking the turkey with a meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. For juicy white meat, aim for 160°F in the breast, allowing carryover cooking to bring it to 165°F as it rests. The thighs are safe at 165°F, but I prefer to take them to 175–180°F for more tender, flavorful dark meat. If the breast reaches temperature before the thighs, loosely cover the breast with foil while the legs finish cooking. Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20–30 minutes before carving. Verify that the breast reaches 165°F during resting.

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 Should You Roast 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.

For a 14-pound turkey, plan on approximately 3 hours of roasting time, but always let your meat thermometer be the final judge. I like to aim for 160°F in the thickest part of the breast, with carryover cooking bringing it to 165°F during resting, and 175–180°F in the thigh for tender, juicy dark meat. Check both spots without touching the bone. If the breast is ready before the thighs, loosely shield it with foil while the legs finish cooking. Let the turkey rest for 20–30 minutes before carving, making sure the breast reaches 165°F.

How to Store Leftover Turkey

You can carve the turkey meat off the bone and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Make sure to reheat 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. Trying to save some time? Make the compound butter a few days ahead and keep it refrigerated until you're ready to use it.
• 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. Check the thickest part of the breast and thigh, avoiding the bone. I aim for 160°F in the breast, allowing it to reach 165°F during resting, and 175–180°F in the thighs for perfectly tender dark meat. If the breast is cooking faster, loosely shield it with foil while the thighs catch up.
• 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.
• 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.

Herb Roasted Turkey FAQs

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.

Similar Recipes

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