This herb butter roasted turkey is a holiday staple! This recipe is easy to make and packed full of flavor!

Cooking a roast turkey for the first time can feel intimidating. I can’t quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the many prep steps, perhaps it’s the long cooking time, or the pressure of the holidays and feeding a large group of people.

Whatever the reason, we have you covered. This herb butter roast turkey is straightforward and takes the stress out of cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

The secret? butter of course! (butter makes everything better right?)

Cooking the turkey with herb butter medallions ensures every inch of the turkey will be moist and delicious, with perfectly browned skin and texture.

It’s sure to be the star of the show at your special holiday event!

Pair it with our traditional turkey gravy to take your turkey dinner to the next level.

Don’t let the delicious turkey scraps go to waste! Use every part of the bird by saving the carcass to make a delicious homemade turkey noodle soup you can freeze and enjoy all winter long!

Herb Butter Roast Turkey

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 2 days d

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

  

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Brine

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups kosher salt

Turkey

• 12 lb Turkey Thawed if necessary
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1.5 tsp poultry seasoning mix
• 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1.5 tsp garlic minced
• 1 stalk Celery heads removed
• 3-4 large Carrots peeled and halved
• 2 large onions quartered
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 3 packets fresh pultry herb mix (sage, thyme & rosemary)
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1 cup white wine

Instructions

 

Day Before

• Remove heck & giblets from defrosted turkey chest cavity. Set aside for gravy (see gravy recipe).
• Rinse turkey interor and exterior.
• Submerge turkey in water with 1 cup sugar and 2 cups kosher salt in a large stock pot. Brine turkey for 6-8 hrs in the refridgerator.
• Soften Butter. Add poultry seasoning, cajun seasoning, minced garlic, 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme, 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper, and lemon zest. mix until well combined. Transfer butter to a plastic ziploc bag, seal and push butter to the bottom of the bag to create a butter cylinder. Place in fridge overnight to harden.

The Day of

• The day of – remove turkey from brine. Pat try with paper towels. Remove butter mixture from the ziplock bag and cut into 1/4' thick disks. Gently separate turky skin from meat by running your hand inbetween the two. Slide butter disks under skin in an even layer, until bird brest is evenly covered. let dry in the Turkey refridgeratorfor 2-3 hours in the refridgerator before cooking.
• Preheat oven to 450 F.
• In a large roasting pan, arrange celery, carrots, and half of quartered onion along the bottom. Add chicken stock and wine, set aside.
• Season turkey cavety and outside skin with salt and pepper. Stuff inside of turkey cavity with remaining onion quarters, lemon quarters (add juices to bottom of roasting pan first), and fresh herbs (whole). Truss if necessary. Insert a pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3" down from the neck cavity and 2" from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast
• Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in the roasting pan and tent with aluminum foil. Place turkey in the oven and reduce oven temperature down to 375 F. Roast for 1 hr, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 F. (about 3-4 hrs)
• Note: if drippings evaporate add more stock & wine 1-2 cups at a time to moisten.
• Let rest 20-30 minutes before serving/carving.

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