Roast Turkey with Herb Butter
This roast turkey is dry-brined overnight for deeply seasoned, juicy meat, then roasted with garlicky herb butter worked under the skin for a golden, crackling exterior. It's the anchor of a traditional Thanksgiving table, finished with pan drippings for gravy.
By YumYum Editorial · Holiday & Seasonal
Prep: 30 min · Cook: 3 min · Total: 33 min · Serves 10
Ingredients
- 1 (12-14 lb) whole turkey, giblets removed
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- to taste Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting and gravy
Instructions
- One to two days before roasting, pat the turkey completely dry and rub kosher salt all over the skin and inside the cavity. Refrigerate uncovered to dry-brine.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Mix softened butter with garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, and black pepper into a compound herb butter.
- Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers, then work about two-thirds of the herb butter directly under the skin. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the skin.
- Stuff the cavity with quartered onion and lemon halves. Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Place the turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack set in a pan. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325°F (165°C).
- Continue roasting, basting with pan juices every 45 minutes and tenting with foil if the skin browns too quickly, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C), about 2.5-3 hours total.
- Rest the turkey for 30-40 minutes before carving. Use the pan drippings, skimmed of excess fat, as the base for gravy.