The Best Butter Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe is so easy to make, and the turkey turns out perfect every time. It’s so easy to make and flavorful. Lemon herb butter is what makes this recipe so good.
If you’re looking for more delicious turkey recipes, The Best Turkey Brine Recipe and Slow Cooker Turkey Broth will keep your taste buds happy.
You’re going to love this recipe because it makes roasting a turkey seems so simple and tastes delicious at the same time. The bonus of this recipe is how good the gravy will be because of the turkey drippings!
I’ve been using this recipe for years, and the turkey ALWAYS comes out perfect! You’ll love it. I don’t know what I love more, the taste of lemon, butter, or the fresh herbs used in the recipe.
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Here’s How to Make Herb Roasted Turkey
Ingredients for Roasted Herb Turkey
1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound), room temperature
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
10-12 pound turkey
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh sage
1 whole lemon, quartered
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 head garlic, crosswise halved
Directions for making Herb Roast Turkey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the softened butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, one teaspoon thyme leaves, and one teaspoon sage leaves. Set aside.
Take the giblets out of the turkey. Wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any leftover pinfeathers or excess fat. Pat the outside of the turkey dry.
Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Lift the turkey’s skin near the cavity and spread the butter mixture as far as you can under the skin without breaking it. Rub the remaining butter mixture on top of the skin. Season the turkey with Kosher salt and fresh black pepper.
Add salt and black pepper to the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the hole with the onion, quartered lemon, halved garlic, a bunch of thyme, and a bunch of sage.
Tie the turkey legs together with string. You will also want to tie the wings to the turkey. Wrap the string around the turkey and ensure the wing tips are tucked inside.
Roast the turkey at 350 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
Place the turkey on a cutting board and cover it with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before serving.
Carve the turkey and serve.
Tips for Making Roasted Herb Turkey
You can substitute other fresh herbs like rosemary, tarragon, or parsley for the sage and thyme.
Make sure you use Kosher salt in this recipe. It makes a big difference in taste.
What to Serve with Lemon Butter Herb Roasted Turkey?
Now that you have the perfect herb roasted turkey recipe, you’ll need some side dishes. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
- Perfect Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Rustic Candied Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce
- Fresh Cranberry Relish with Pecans
- Cranberry Rice with Caramelized Onions
How Long does Roasted Herb Turkey last in the refrigerator?
When properly stored, herb roasted turkey will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze Butter Roast Turkey?
Yes, this herb roasted turkey will last six months in the freezer when stored in an airtight container. Make sure you freeze the turkey in the deepest part of the freezer.
Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
If you're looking for the perfect herb roasted turkey recipe, you found it! This recipe will leave your taste buds dancing!
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, (1/4 pound), room temperature
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 10-12 pound turkey
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 1 whole lemon, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the softened butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves, and 1 teaspoon chopped sage leaves.
- Take the giblets out of the turkey. Wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any leftover pinfeathers or excess fat. Pat the outside of the turkey dry.
- Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Lift the skin off the turkey near the cavity and spread some of the butter mixture under the skin as far as you can go without breaking it. Rub the remaining butter mixture on top of the skin. Season the turkey with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add salt and pepper inside the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the quartered lemon, quartered onion, halved garlic, bunch of thyme, and bunch of sage leaves.
- Tie the turkey legs together with string. You'll also want to tie the wings to the turkey. Wrap the string around the turkey to tie and make sure the wings are tucked inside.
- Roast the turkey at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.
- Place the turkey on a cutting board and put a piece of foil on top of it. Let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Carve the turkey and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
8
Amount Per ServingCalories 195Total Fat 62gSaturated Fat 22gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 36gCholesterol 772mgSodium 743mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 195g
We’ve reached the end of The Best Herb Roasted Turkey recipe. I hope you enjoyed it!
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