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Herb Butter Roasted Turkey is tender, flavorful and the perfect turkey to serve your guests over the holidays. This turkey makes Thanksgiving simple and is always a favorite at the table! The leftovers are great too on sandwiches, in casseroles and pastas. This will become your go-to turkey recipe!
This Herb Butter Roasted Turkey takes about 30 minutes to prep and 2 and a half to 3 hours to roast, and it comes out juicy every time thanks to an herb butter rubbed both under and over the skin. No brining required. It is the turkey I make every year for a crowd, and the leftovers are just as good the next day in a panini, casserole, or pasta.
We love pairing it with these Scalloped Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Lemon Arugula Salad Recipe with Parmesan Cheese, and this Butternut Squash Apple Bake. If you have leftover turkey, try this Turkey Hummus Panini. If you prefer something different for the holidays, try this Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken, this Roast Beef Recipe, Slow Cooker Mediterranean Whole Chicken, or this Apple Cider Glazed Ham.
Why This Recipe Works
Rubbing the herb butter both under and over the skin means the turkey absorbs flavor into the meat itself, not just the surface, while the layer on top helps the skin brown and crisp as it roasts. Stuffing the cavity with onion, garlic, lemon, and fresh herbs adds moisture and aromatics from the inside out, so the whole bird gets seasoned instead of just the exterior. Roasting at a steady 350 degrees F, without raising or lowering the temperature partway through, cooks the turkey evenly and avoids the dry breast meat that comes from blasting the oven too hot. And because the recipe skips brining, there is no extra prep step or special equipment needed, just a thermometer to confirm the turkey is done.
Recipe Ingredients
For the Turkey:
- 12-14 Whole fresh bird turkey {you can use a frozen turkey but make sure that you thaw it first. It usually takes about 3 days to thaw for a 13 pound turkey}
- Onion: I used sweet onion but feel free to use a white onion, red onion or even shallots.
- Garlic: You don’t have to use garlic but I highly suggest it. I love the flavor it adds to the turkey!
- Lemon: The sweet lemon adds a sweet flavor and helps tenderize the turkey. I like to add lemon slices inside the turkey if I am not doing a stuffing or add them around the turkey in the pan.
- Sage, Rosemary and Thyme: These fresh herbs add a ton of flavor. I like to use sage, rosemary and thyme but you can also add in parsley, oregano and basil.
For the Herb Butter:
- Butter: I suggest unsalted butter otherwise I find the turkey can get too salty. If you do use salted butter just cut down on the other added salt you use.
- Olive Oil: I used olive oil in my recipe but you could also use other oils like avocado oil.
- Garlic: As always I love using fresh garlic. If you don’t have any try garlic powder.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, flat leaf parsley, oregano are the herbs I used. The best part about the herb butter is the fresh herbs. You can add your favorites but I used thyme, rosemary, sage, flat parsley and oregano.
Ways to Modify Your Roasted Turkey
- Glazes: Brush on a glaze during the last 30 minutes of roasting so it caramelizes without burning. Honey, fruit preserves, balsamic vinegar, or a sweet and spicy glaze all work well.
- Spices: Swap the herb butter’s flavor profile with a Moroccan or Asian-inspired blend, Mediterranean spices like za’atar or sumac, or something smoky like chipotle chili powder. You can also mix your own rub with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder and pat it onto the turkey before roasting.
- Fruit: Stuff the cavity with lemon slices or apple wedges to infuse the meat with a subtle sweetness as it roasts.
- Stuffing: A traditional bread stuffing works great, or try cornbread, wild rice, or a fruit and nut stuffing for something different.
How to Make the Best Turkey
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F oven temperature.
Step 1. Make the Butter: In a medium small bowl combine butter, olive oil, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, flat leaf parsley, oregano and the salt and pepper. Another addition I like to add to the herb butter it lemon zest. Stir together until combined and set aside.
Step 2. Prepare the Turkey: Remove the giblets from out of the turkey cavity and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Place the whole turkey in a large roasting pan. Use your hands to liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity.
Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the onion, 4 garlic cloves, lemon, sage, rosemary and thyme. Sometimes I will also add two halves of a lemon into the cavity. Use your hands or a brush to spread the herb butter mixture on the outside of the turkey, under the skin and then sprinkle with salt and pepper on top of the turkey.
Step 3. Tie the Legs and Wings: Use string to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
Step 4. Cook the Turkey: Place the turkey in the preheated oven and roast the turkey about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for 12 pound turkey or until the turkey has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh on an instant-read thermometer.
Throughout cooking I like to use a syringe to use the pan juices or pan drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan and drizzle them on the turkey as it cooks. This helps create a flavorful turkey.
Step 5. Carve the Turkey: Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving to let the juices set. Carve the breast meat and remove the legs and serve warm on a serving platter with cranberry sauce, salad, stuffing and your favorite vegetables on your Thanksgiving table.
Pro Tip: Do not thaw a turkey at room temperature. This can promote the growth of harmful bacteria. Always follow proper safety guidelines like washing your hands after before and after handling the turkey and washing any utensils that you use for the raw turkey.
How do you Prepare a Turkey for Roasting?
- Remove from the packaging: Once you are ready to roast your turkey, remove the turkey from the packaging.
- Remove the Giblets: Many of the turkeys you buy will have the neck and giblets packaged in the main cavity or neck opening. Pull them out and discard them or use them for stock.
- Drain the Juices then Rub the Spices and Oil: You will want to drain juices from the turkey, pat it dry with clean paper towels and then rub it with salt, pepper, spices and oil or butter if that is what your recipe calls for. Place the turkey breast side up on a flat rack in a shallow large roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh without touching the bone of the turkey. If you are adding stuffing to the turkey add it to the cavity and use kitchen twine to tie the legs closed.
- Roast the Turkey: Place the turkey in the oven and roast until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. Some people like to baste a turkey throughout cooking with the pan drippings or with a mixture of melted butter and herbs which adds flavor and keeps the turkey moist but is not necessary.
- Let Rest and Carve: Remove your turkey from the oven, cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
Recipe FAQ
Roast at 350 degrees F for the whole cooking time. This recipe does not require raising or lowering the oven temperature partway through.
Plan on roughly 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F. A 12 pound turkey takes about 2 and a half to 3 hours, and a 14 pound turkey takes closer to 3 to 3 and a half hours. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer rather than time alone, the turkey is ready when it reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh.
No, brining is not necessary for this recipe. The herb butter under and over the skin keeps the turkey moist and flavorful without the extra step.
A good rule of thumb is 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person if you want leftovers. This 12 to 14 pound turkey comfortably serves 12, with extra for sandwiches and casseroles afterward.
Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, never at room temperature. Plan on 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds, so a 12 to 14 pound turkey needs about 3 days in the fridge. See the full thawing chart by weight in the recipe notes below.
More Holiday Recipes
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Herb Butter Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
For the herb butter:
- 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons sage, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons thyme, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For the turkey:
- 12- 14 pound Honeysuckle White Whole Fresh Bird Turkey
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 6 sprigs of sage
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the butter, olive oil, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, flat leaf parsley, oregano and the salt and pepper. Stir together until combined and set aside.
- Remove the giblets from out of the turkey cavity and pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Use your hands to liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the onion, 4 garlic cloves, lemon, sage, rosemary and thyme. Use your hands or a brush to spread the herb butter mixture on the outside of the turkey, under the skin and then sprinkle with salt and pepper on top of the turkey.
- Use string to tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the oven and roast for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for a 12 pound turkey, or 3 to 3 1/2 hours for a 14 pound turkey, until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh. Time is a guide only, always confirm with a thermometer.
- Carve the turkey and serve warm alongside your favorite sides.
Notes
- If you think the turkey is overcooking or some parts are cooking faster than others, cover with a loose aluminum foil tent about 2/3 of the way through cooking over the parts that are browning too fast.
- You do not have to rub butter under the skin of the turkey but I think it really helps to add flavor to the turkey as it cooks.
- The rule of thumb is usually it takes 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey. So for today’s recipe which calls for a 13 pound turkey you are looking at about 3 days of thawing.
Here are some examples:
4 to 12 pounds: 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds: 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds: 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 6 days
I have heard that some people pull their turkey out an hour or two before cooking it and let it come to room temperature. I personally do not do this and I don’t feel you need to this for your turkey to cook evenly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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