Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
This Roasted Herb Butter Turkey has a crispy golden brown skin that the whole family will love! With just a few simple ingredients, this organic turkey is a show stopper with minimal effort!
If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes With Pecans, Honey Butter Dinner Rolls, Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Without Eggs, or Lattice Spiced Apple Pie.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
- Ready In: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Makes: 10 servings
- Main Ingredients: turkey, salted butter, rosemary, thyme
- Flavor Profile: buttery, savory, herby
- Dietary Info: gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: perfect balance of rich, savory flavor and tender juicy meat, this herb-infused turkey is simple to make
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Crowd Pleaser: This simple recipe for Roasted Herb Butter Turkey is a total crowd pleaser! Everyone will love this simply spiced turkey. I use rosemary, thyme, and sage for a simple spice mix that goes with all your favorite sides!
- Crispy Skin: This organic turkey roasts to golden brown perfection, the skin crisps up and is infused with spices. Everyone will be wanting to devour the slices with skin!
- Simple & Lightly Seasoned: This Thanksgiving turkey is lightly seasoned so it tastes amazing on its own, but it will also be delicious with any side dishes!
Ingredients
- Turkey: You'll need an organic whole turkey, mine was about 14 pounds.
- Bone Broth: I use Kettle and Fire Chicken Bone Broth, use code MIMIBAKESCOOKIES for 20% off your order! I love using bone broth as you can use the drippings to create gravy with added protein and flavor!
- Spices: I use organic dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage, black pepper, and salt. You could also use a poultry seasoning in place of these as well to make it even easier.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Use a roasting pan to ensure your skin is golden brown. If you bake turkey in just a baking dish or pot, the bottom may not brown as well as the rest of it. I have the Cuisinart Roasting Pan and I love it!
- I use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter, you can add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the butter and herb mixture.
- You can turn the oven up to 400°F or 425°F for the last 15 minutes if the turkey does not looked browned enough.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving it. You should let turkey rest for about 30 minutes before carving.
- Make sure to save your turkey giblets and learn How to Cook Turkey Giblets for Dogs to give your dog tasty treats and reduce waste!
How to Make Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
- Make sure your turkey is defrosted. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, add the butter, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage, sea salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine completely.
- Add the roughly chopped onions and chicken broth to a roasting pan.
- Remove the packaging and the bag of giblets from the turkey, pat dry with paper towel. Add the turkey breast side up to the roasting pan.
- Starting at the neck and working your way down, slide fingers underneath the skin and rub half the butter between the bird and skin. With the remaining half of the butter, rub it on the outside of the skin.
- Add the fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf inside the unstuffed turkey. Tent the turkey with foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes per pound. Uncover for the last 30 minutes of baking to get a golden brown skin and baste the Turkey with the pan juices every 10 minutes until done. Cook until internal temperature is 165°F.
Roasted Herb Butter Turkey FAQ's
Yes, while I used a 14 pound turkey for this recipe, you can use any size. Just be sure to cook your turkey for 15 minutes per pound and use a digital food thermometer to test that the internal temperature is 165°F. If you have a much larger turkey, you can just double the herb butter recipe if you need more coverage.
If you don't have a roasting pan, you can use a dutch oven, a baking dish, or you can even create your own roasting pan with a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. The reason a roasting rack is best is because the bird is elevated so it is not sitting in its own juices, which allows the skin to get crispy. So, a roasting rack allows this to happen. And, even the makeshift roasting rack with a cooling sheet and baking sheet will work. If you're using a dutch oven or baking dish, the bottom of the bird will not get as crispy because it will be cooking in its juices.
You should allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes after its cooked. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the bird, making it easier to carve and more tender and moist.
Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Inspiration
Here are some Thanksgiving dinner menu inspiration ideas to go along with this Roasted Herb Butter Turkey! Depending on what kind of dinner you're planning, try out these sides and desserts with this organic turkey recipe! And, be sure to save that turkey carcass to make Turkey Carcass Soup With Bone Broth!
- Healthy-ish Holiday: Try my Bone Broth Mashed Potatoes for a healthy but nostalgic take on the classic. Add a Simple Cranberry Kale Salad with Homemade Dressing for vibrant color and fresh veggies! My Caramel Apple Pie has less sugar than most of my pie recipes, but I bet you won't even miss it! And top this pie with Homemade Organic Whipped Cream.
- Nostalgic & Modern: Get all the nostalgic comfort foods but with a modern twist. Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes With Pecans are a classic side dish. Combine nostalgia with a modern take on salad with my Kale Apple Salad With Honey Dijon Dressing. And, enjoy our Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake and Vanilla Bean Apple Pie for twists on classic desserts.
- Indulgent Holiday Meal: If you want a classic Thanksgiving, you'll want to make my Easy Stuffing Recipe to round out the meal. For dessert, Brown Butter Apple Pie Without Eggs will satisfy the craving for classic apple pie, but takes it up a notch in the flavor department! Top off your pie with Salted Caramel No Churn Ice Cream as opposed to plain old vanilla and everyone won't be able to stop talking about this holiday meal!
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Roasted Herb Butter Turkey
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
- Instant Read Food Thermometer
Ingredients
- 14 pound whole turkey (you can use smaller or larger too)
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Make sure your turkey is defrosted. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a medium bowl, add the butter, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage, sea salt, and pepper. Stir to combine completely. Set aside.
- Add the roughly chopped onions and chicken broth to a roasting pan.
- Remove the turkey packaging, neck, and the bag of giblets from the turkey, pat dry with paper towel. Add the turkey breast side up to the roasting pan.
- Starting at the neck and working your way down, slide fingers underneath the skin and rub half the butter between the bird and skin. With the remaining half of the butter, rub it on the outside of the skin.
- Add the fresh rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf inside the unstuffed turkey. Tent the turkey with foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes per pound. Uncover for the last 30 minutes of baking to get a golden brown skin and baste the Turkey with the pan juices every 10 minutes until done. Cook until internal temperature is 165°F.
Video
Notes
- Use a roasting pan to ensure your skin is golden brown. If you bake turkey in just a baking dish or pot, the bottom may not brown as well as the rest of it. I have the Cuisinart Roasting Pan and I love it!
- I use salted butter, but if you only have unsalted butter, you can add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the butter and herb mixture.
- You can turn the oven up to 400°F or 425°F for the last 15 minutes if the turkey does not looked browned enough.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving it. You should let turkey rest for about 30 minutes before carving.
- Make sure to save your turkey giblets and learn How to Cook Turkey Giblets for Dogs to give your dog tasty treats and reduce waste!
Nutrition
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Simple and delicious!