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Classic Herb-Butter Roast Turkey
The classic everyone expects: butter under the skin, herbs on top, a steady 325°F oven and a good rest before carving.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (12–14 lb), thawed, giblets removed
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
Steps
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out — dry skin is crisp skin.
- Mix the butter with thyme, rosemary, sage, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Gently loosen the breast skin and spread two-thirds of the butter underneath; rub the rest over the outside.
- Fill the cavity with the onion, lemon and garlic head. Tie the legs and tuck the wings.
- Roast on a rack, breast up. Plan about 13 minutes per pound (a 12–14 lb bird takes roughly 3 to 3¾ hours). Tent with foil if the skin browns too fast.
- It is done when a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 175°F and the breast reads 165°F.
- Rest 30 minutes before carving. Use the pan drippings for gravy.
Serve with: mashed potatoes, herb gravy, cranberry sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Roasting times by weight (unstuffed, 325°F): 8–12 lb → 2¾–3 hours; 12–14 lb → 3–3¾ hours; 14–18 lb → 3¾–4¼ hours; 18–20 lb → 4¼–4½ hours. Always confirm with a thermometer.
Find this recipe in the Holidays section on the RecipeDelish home page, where you can scale it, print a clean PDF, download the shopping list and use cook mode.
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