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–+ servings
cooked golden brown roasted herb butter turkey in a roasting pan on the kitchen countertop.

Roasted Herb Butter Turkey

Mimi Council
This Roasted Herb Butter Turkey is easy to prepare and it roasts to perfection for a golden brown and crispy skin that's lightly seasoned. This Roasted Herb Butter Turkey will be the perfect centerpiece at your Thanksgiving table!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Makes 10 servings
Calories 728 kcal

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

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!
High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.

Nutrition

Calories: 728kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 98gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 351mgSodium: 1160mgPotassium: 1052mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 570IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 4mg
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