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 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 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. 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

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.

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