Herb-Roasted Turkey: A Thanksgiving Delight

This herb-roasted turkey recipe is a surefire way to impress your guests this holiday season. It’s packed with flavor, thanks to a simple herb and garlic butter, and it’s so easy to make that even a beginner cook can pull it off.

Whether you’re cooking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another special occasion, this turkey will be the star of the show.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Flavorful: The herb and garlic butter infuses the turkey with incredible flavor.
• Easy to make: This recipe is simple to follow, even for novice cooks.
• Impressive: This turkey will look and taste like it came from a professional kitchen.
• Versatile: This recipe can be easily adapted to your liking.

Ingredients

• 1 (10- to 12-pound) turkey
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and/or marjoram, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Aromatics (onion, apple, lemon, and/or orange), cut into 2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cups water, plus more as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavities and reserve for making gravy. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan; pat dry with paper towels.
3. Mix minced herbs, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture all over the turkey, under the skin, and onto the breast meat. Place aromatics and 10 of the herb sprigs in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
4. Add 3 cups water and the remaining 10 herb sprigs to the pan.
5. Roast the turkey until the skin is golden brown, 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Cover the breast with a double layer of foil, cutting as necessary to conform to the breast.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours more. If the pan dries out, tilt the turkey to let juices run out of the cavity and into the pan and add 1 cup water.
7. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and cover with foil. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes. Remove string and carve.

Tips

• For an extra-flavorful turkey, brine it in a salt-water solution for 12-24 hours before roasting.
• If you’re worried about the turkey drying out, you can tent it with foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Be sure to let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this herb-roasted turkey with your favorite Thanksgiving or Christmas sides, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole.

This herb-roasted turkey is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday feast. It’s easy to make, incredibly flavorful and sure to impress your guests. Give it a try this holiday season, and you won’t be disappointed!

Frequently Asked Questions

What herbs go best with turkey?

We recommend using a variety of fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and marjoram.

What is the best way to cook a turkey without drying it out?

To help keep the meat moist and prevent the pan drippings from burning, we fill the bottom of the roasting rack with 3 cups of water. After roasting at 475°F for 45 minutes, we cover the breast with a double layer of foil. The breast meat is the most exposed in the oven, so this step helps slow the cooking process so the breast is finished with the rest of the meat without overcooking. We turn the oven temperature down to 350°F for the remainder of the cook. Lower temperatures are better for finishing the bird, as it cooks the meat more evenly.

Should I stuff my herb-roasted turkey?

We know plenty of people do but we don’t recommend it. Stuffing the cavity full of anything increases the cooking time. If you’re waiting for the center of the stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F you risk overcooking the meat. It’s best to fill the cavity loosely with aromatics, as we do here, and enjoy the stuffing cooked on the side or in a slow cooker.

What is the best way to thaw a turkey?

If your turkey is frozen, you will want to make sure that it is completely thawed before it hits the oven. Most turkeys will have the neck and giblets stuffed into the cavity. You will want to remove them before you roast. You can discard the neck and giblets or save them to make turkey stock and gravy. Note that thawing the turkey and using the neck and giblets for gravy takes some advanced planning, so this step is best addressed a few days ahead.

How do I prepare a turkey for roasting?

If your turkey is frozen, you will want to make sure that it is completely thawed before it hits the oven. Most turkeys will have the neck and giblets stuffed into the cavity. You will want to remove them before you roast. You can discard the neck and giblets or save them to make turkey stock and gravy. Note that thawing the turkey and using the neck and giblets for gravy takes some advanced planning, so this step is best addressed a few days ahead.

What equipment do I need to make herb-roasted turkey?

This easy recipe requires minimal equipment. You’ll need a large roasting pan, a roasting rack, kitchen string, and an instant-read thermometer. Since you’ll be taking the turkey in and out of a hot oven a few times, avoid disposable aluminum pans and opt for a sturdy roasting pan with handles instead. A good roasting pan is not only easier to handle, but it’s better at collecting the fond—the key ingredient to making a good gravy once the turkey is finished roasting.