It's time. Thanksgiving is upon us. Lemme break it down... we've got 17 days 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. It's perfectly moist and has the crispiest skin... you'll make annually from here on out.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
There's a ton of planning to do before the big day! Good thing I've been working away to create the most epic Thanksgiving spread for you over the past few months. Whoever thinks being a food blogger is glamorous should have seen what it looks like to test a 16 pound Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe in August. It wasn't pretty.
But it's all worth it now because the whole thing is coming to WGC! 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 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
- Turkey thawed if frozen
- Unsalted Butter
- Lemon Zest
- Flat-leaf Parsley
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Sage
- Coarse Salt
- Black Pepper freshly ground
- Lemons cut into halves
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
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 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 cook a turkey:
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 Herb Roasted 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.
How to Freeze Herb Roasted Turkey
You can also freeze cooked turkey in the fridge for a month. Again, with re-heating make sure safe temperature is reached. If the meat becomes too dry, use chicken stock or gravy.
Tips & Tricks
A meat thermometer is helpful so you know exactly when the turkey is done. In fact, for a turkey I love the really cheap ones that you get from the super market that you leave in the bird the entire cooking process and pop out when it's done. Simple!
Turkey holds pretty well so you can time it to be done an hour or so before dinner time. That way you have time to let it rest, carve it and plate it. Trying to save some time - make the compound butter a few days ahead of time and keep it stored in the refrigerator until it's time to use
If you're looking for a show-stopping dish to make for Thanksgiving this year, look no further than this herb roasted turkey recipe. This recipe is simple enough that even the most inexperienced cook can make it, but impressive enough that your guests will be asking for seconds. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and start roasting!
FAQs
Should I use a brine for this turkey recipe?
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 Herb Roasted 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.
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
Herb Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
For the Herb Roasted Turkey
- 1 14-16 pound turkey thawed if frozen
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 handfuls of fresh thyme leaves
- 2 handfuls of fresh sage leaves
- 3 teaspoons coarse salt plus more for seasoning
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper plus more for seasoning
- 2 lemons each cut into halves
For the Homemade Gravy
- 1 recipe Turkey Gravy
Instructions
For the Herb Roasted Turkey
- If you are using a frozen turkey, remove the turkey from the freezer a few days before Thanksgiving and let it thaw out in the refrigerator. (If you are brining the turkey - see the link above on steps)
- When you're ready to roast the bird, remove the turkey from the brine / refrigerator, remove the giblets from inside, and pat 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.
- 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. 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.
- Once the turkey is prepped, place it in a large roasting pan, breast side up on a metal rack.
- 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.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, with rack on lowest level.
- 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.
- After 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue to cook for about 2 more hours, basting turkey with drippings from the bottom and rotating the pan every 30-45 minutes.
- 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.
- If the turkey is done but isn't quite golden brown yet, crank the heat up to 450 degrees and blast it for 15 minutes to crisp up the skin.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes // Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Gaby
You mention garlic in the slathering but it's not included in the ingredients?
I apologize, I sent a question in asking about cooking the turkey in the roaster oven. What I meant to ask was, can I cook the brine turkey in the roaster oven? I'm not sure if it would produce too much moister in the roaster.
if it fits in the toaster oven, I don't see why it wouldnt work!
Can I use a roaster oven?
Will this recipe work using a counter roaster? Amateur and trying to keep over space free for sides! If oven roaster is ok, do you recommend a roaster bag or just on rack? Everything you makes looks incredible
never done it in a counter roasted. I would do it in the oven since it's the biggest item and use the counter top oven for the sides. i dont use a roasting bag ever! no need if you follow this recipe! xx
I’m doing a 20+ pound Turkey and would love to try this! Any recommendations on adjustments?
might want to double the compound butter! and then will just take a bit longer to roast
If I am making this using the linked dry brine, do I keep the amount of salt the same or decrease it at all?
Thank you!
same!
Cooking a 23 and a half pound turkey. Any tips other than just cooking longer? Also what do you say to cooking the turkey at 250 starting at around 2Am? Always way my mom did it and love waking up to the smell of Turkey.
haven't tested it that way so can't say for sure! please report back if you do! xoxo
I am salivating!!!
I can't wait to try your recipe - last year my turkey was moist but not much flavor.
When you use a dry brine, do you put the brine under the skin or over? Also when you put the butter on the turkey, do you put that over or under the skin or both? Thank you so much for your help. We just love all of your recipes. This will be a "What's Gaby Cooking" Thanksgiving!
I'm posting a video on my dry brine this week - stay tuned to instagram! But yes!
"handful" of parsley, thyme and sage....about how much should I use? 1/2 cup?
1/2 cup feels perfect
Gaby, thanks so much for being my bible for Christmas dinner this year! Everything I made was from your Thanksgiving menu, and it all came out great! The turkey was especially moist and flavorful, even the breast, which I was sure would be dry-ish. I've never cooked the whole meal before and it was so fun! I'm so glad I depended on you this year so cheers and happy boxing day!
SO happy to hear this! xx
This is has become my go to thanksgiving turkey recipe. So moist and flavorful! So long dry and full thanksgiving turkey
Hello Gabby, I can't find any fresh herbs for your recipe (went to 3 stores and all sold out) can I use dry herbs and how much dry herbs should I use for the compound butter and inside the bird.
you can use dried herbs - I'd do about 1 tablespoon of each
This was a phenomal bird and got a lot of compliments on how flavorful the turkey was. My turkey was prebrined so I did the dry rub omitting the salt. Used a countertop roaster and it turned out perfect. I also made the mushroom stuffing (awesome!) and the gravy also omitting the salt in those as well. Perfect blend of fall spices. Thanks for the guidance I am a total amateur but served a professional turkey dinner!
The turkey was amazing, so moist and delicious.
I did have a problem with the compound butter not able to massage it into the skin. I did get some under the skin, however., but the majority just lay in clumps on the bird.
I used fresh herbs from the grocery, sold in small bunches, as a previous cook wrote in about.
The butter mixture was at room temp.
Again, it was delicious but looked strange and the clumps seem to just stay throughout the roasting process.
Anyone else have this problem?
Why the 2 lemons?
because the lemons are delicious in the bird!! and infuse flavor