Best Herb Butter Roast Turkey

Best Roast Turkey

Herb butter beneath the breast skin seasons the meat, while a little rubbed over the outside helps the skin turn golden and flecked with herbs and pepper. Roast the whole turkey breast-side up at a steady 325°F (165°C), without routine basting. The key is to check both the breast and thighs with a thermometer: the skin can look ready before the meat is cooked through. Serve the bird intact on a white platter with fresh herbs and lemon, then carve.

Ingredients for Roast Turkey

• 1 whole turkey (12 to 14 pounds), fully thawed, with neck and giblets removed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (225g)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, for an untreated turkey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 lemons, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 3 celery ribs, cut into large pieces
• 2 medium carrots, cut into large pieces
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or turkey stock, or water
• 1 generous handful fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley sprigs, divided between the cavity and platter

Check the turkey label before adding salt. If it says enhanced, self-basting, kosher, pre-brined, or contains a salt solution, reduce or omit the salt and do not brine it again. Brining is optional for an untreated turkey; this recipe does not require it.

How to Roast Turkey

1. Dry the turkey and preheat the oven: Check that no ice remains in the cavity. Pat the turkey very dry inside and out; do not rinse it. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes while you position an oven rack in the lower third and preheat to 325°F.
2. Make the herb butter: Mash the softened butter with the chopped rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the outside of the turkey. The butter should be spreadable, not melted.
3. Butter the breast: Gently loosen the skin over both breast halves without tearing it. Spread the remaining butter over the breast meat beneath the skin, then rub the reserved butter over the outside. Keep some herbs and pepper visible on the skin.
4. Set up the pan: Put the celery, carrots, and some of the onion in a large roasting pan. Set a rack over the vegetables and pour the stock or water into the pan, keeping it below the rack. Loosely place one halved lemon, the remaining onion, and several herb sprigs in the cavity. Do not pack it tightly. Tuck the wing tips behind the body and set the turkey breast-side up on the rack.
5. Roast uncovered: Roast for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, using that range only to plan when to check. There is no need to baste routinely. Rotate the pan halfway through only if the turkey is browning unevenly. If the breast turns richly golden before the meat is done, lay foil loosely over the breast and top without pressing it against the skin. Add a little more stock or water below the rack only if the pan dries out.
6. Check both breast and thighs: Begin checking about 45 minutes before the expected finish, generally around 2 1/2 hours. Insert a thermometer into the deepest part of the breast and the thickest part of each thigh without touching bone. Remove the turkey when the breast reaches 160°F (70°C) and the thighs reach at least 170°F (75°C). Check another spot if a reading seems inconsistent.
7. Rest and serve: Carefully transfer the whole turkey to a large white platter. Tent it loosely with foil and rest for 30 to 45 minutes; check that the breast reaches 165°F (75°C) during the rest. Save the pan drippings for gravy. Just before serving, arrange the remaining lemon in halves or slices and the fresh herb sprigs around the turkey, leaving the browned breast visible. Carve after presenting it.

How to Tell When Roast Turkey Is Done

The skin should be golden to amber-brown, but color cannot confirm doneness. Turkey size, starting temperature, and oven heat can all change the finish time, so use the clock to decide when to start checking—not when to take the bird out. If the skin still needs color, leave it uncovered. If the breast has browned enough but the meat needs more time, keep the foil tent loose so it does not trap steam against the skin.

Bake bread stuffing separately rather than packing it into the cavity. If you do not have a roasting rack, sturdy, large pieces of onion, carrot, and celery can elevate the turkey above the pan liquid. For gravy, strain the reserved drippings and skim off excess fat; add stock if more liquid is needed.

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make the herb butter up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it; soften it before spreading. The pan and cavity aromatics can be chopped a day ahead and refrigerated separately.

Refrigerate leftover turkey in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, cover sliced turkey with a splash of broth or gravy and warm it at 250°F (120°C) to 300°F (150°C) until hot. Freeze cooled sliced or shredded turkey, preferably with a little broth or gravy, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Approximate per serving, based on 13 servings of cooked turkey with skin and some retained herb butter, without gravy: 515 calories, 56g protein, 31g fat, and 1g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of served turkey: 235 calories, 26g protein, 14g fat, and less than 1g carbohydrates. Values vary with the amount of meat, skin, and butter served; pan vegetables and liquid are not counted as a side dish.