Its time. Thanksgiving is upon us. Lemme break it down. weve got 17 days until Thanksgiving. That means every day from here on out is going to be Thanksgiving related. Were talking main event today – my succulent Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe. Its perfectly moist and has the crispiest skin. youll make annually from here on out.
Are you ready to impress your guests with a succulent, flavorful turkey that’s the star of your Thanksgiving table? Look no further than this comprehensive guide to herb-roasted turkey, drawing inspiration from two fantastic recipes: Baked Bree’s Herb-Roasted Turkey and What’s Gaby Cooking’s Herb Roasted Turkey.
Why This Recipe Rocks:
- Moist and Delicious: Brining the turkey ensures juicy, flavorful meat that won’t dry out, even after hours in the oven.
- Crispy Skin: The herb butter slathered on the turkey creates a golden-brown, crispy skin that’s irresistible.
- Simple and Easy: This recipe is straightforward, even for beginner cooks, with clear instructions and helpful tips.
- Customizable: Feel free to adjust the herbs and spices to your liking, making it your own signature dish.
Gather Your Ingredients:
- Turkey: Choose a fresh, organic turkey for the best flavor and quality.
- Herbs: Fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme are the classic choices, but feel free to experiment with others like marjoram, oregano, or parsley.
- Butter: Use room-temperature butter for easy mixing and spreading.
- Citrus: Lemons and oranges add a bright, refreshing flavor to the turkey.
- Onions and Garlic: These aromatics infuse the turkey with savory depth.
- Salt and Pepper: Seasoning is key to a delicious turkey.
- Kitchen Twine: This helps secure the turkey legs and wings for even cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Prepare the Turkey: Wash and dry the turkey thoroughly. Remove any giblets or neck from the cavity.
- Make the Herb Butter: Combine softened butter, herbs, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a food processor or by hand until smooth.
- Stuff the Turkey: Quarter the lemons, oranges, and onions. Stuff the cavity with these aromatics and fresh herbs.
- Tie the Turkey: Truss the turkey legs and wings with kitchen twine for even cooking.
- Slather with Herb Butter: Generously spread the herb butter all over the turkey skin. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Roast the Turkey: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a pan and roast for approximately 3-3.5 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices.
- Rest and Carve: Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Tips and Tricks:
- Brining is highly recommended: It’s a simple step that makes a big difference in the final product.
- Use a meat thermometer: This ensures the turkey reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
- Don’t overcook: Overcooked turkey will be dry and tough.
- Let the turkey rest: This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.
- Get creative with the herbs: Experiment with different combinations to find your perfect flavor profile.
- Make gravy with the drippings: Don’t waste the delicious pan juices! Use them to create a rich and flavorful gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Should I stuff my turkey? While stuffing is traditional, it can add extra cooking time and potentially dry out the turkey. Consider making a separate stuffing dish if you prefer.
- Can I use dried herbs? Fresh herbs are ideal, but dried herbs can be used in a pinch. Use about 1/3 the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh.
- How long does it take to roast a turkey? Roasting time depends on the size of the turkey. A general rule is 15-18 minutes per pound.
- What temperature should the turkey be cooked to? The internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh should reach 165°F.
Additional Resources:
- Baked Bree’s Herb-Roasted Turkey Recipe: https://bakedbree.com/herb-roasted-turkey
- What’s Gaby Cooking’s Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe: https://whatsgabycooking.com/herb-roasted-turkey
- Turkey Brining Guide: https://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-events/thanksgiving/how-to-brine-a-turkey
With this comprehensive guide and the inspiration from two fantastic recipes, you’re well on your way to creating a delicious, show-stopping herb-roasted turkey that will be the highlight of your Thanksgiving feast. Remember, don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own!
How to Make Herb Roasted Turkey
Step 1: Take the turkey out of the brine or refrigerator when you’re ready to roast it. Then, take out 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. Take out any extra brine that landed on the bird from the bottom of the roasting pan if you used my dry brine mixture.
Step 2: Put the butter, lemon zest, one handful each of parsley, thyme, and sage leaves in a food processor. Pulse for one to two minutes, or until everything is well combined.
Step 3: Pulse for an additional few seconds after adding 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Remove the compound butter from the food processor and set aside.
Step 4: After the turkey is prepared, put it on a metal rack, breast side up, in a sizable roasting pan.
Step 5: Using your hands, smear the butter all over the turkey. Season the bird generously with salt and pepper, then pat everything onto the skin with your hands. Make sure the bird is completely filled by packing it full of the remaining handfuls of herbs and the cut lemons. After using a small amount of kitchen twine to bind the legs together, put the bird in the oven and roast it for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6: After 2. After the turkey has been cooking for five hours, check the thickest part with a meat thermometer to 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. After you take it out of the oven and let it rest, it will rise to around 170.
As youll see in the steps above, I love slathering a turkey with a compound butter. A compound butter is basically room temperature butter thats 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.
Youll need a large roasting pan too. I like one thats fitted with a metal rack so its easy to place the turkey on/off the rack and access the drippings when the time comes to make gravy!
For this particular turkey recipe, I like to preheat my oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit in order to crisp the skin, and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees in order to finish cooking the bird.
In order to achieve a slightly crispier skin at the end, you can increase the heat to 450 for the final 10-15 minutes.
Turkeys need about 15-18 minutes of cooking time per pound. The internal temperature of the cooked bird should be 160°F (71°C) for the breasts and 165°F (74°C) for the thighs. When the bird reaches these temperatures, remove it and allow it to rest for a minimum of half an hour before carving.
Why I Love This Recipe
There’s a lot of preparation required before the big day, so over the past few months, I’ve been working hard to create the most amazing Thanksgiving spread just for you! Anyone who believes that being a food blogger is glamorous ought to witness what it’s like to test a 16-pound recipe for herb-roasted turkey in August. It wasnt pretty.
I’ve taken all the guesswork out of Thanksgiving this year, so whether you’re hosting the family or just need a side dish or dessert to bring over to someone’s house, it will all be worth it now that 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?) plus a few playful desserts that no one will be expecting! youre covered! Nothing is super complicated or time consuming – just 100% delicious!.
- 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.