Best Turkey Recipe
Total Time
4 hours
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
3 hours
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(1)
Ingredients
6 servings
- 12-14 lb turkey, thawed
- ¼ cup butter, room temp
- 1 lemon, you’ll use the zest and lemon wedges
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced- use a garlic press, or grate.
- Fresh herbs: 1 tablespoon each: rosemary, thyme, and sage, plus a few sprigs for stuffing in the turkey.
- 1 teaspoon salt, more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more for sprinkling
- one large onion, divided
- 4-8 cups roasting vegetables: carrots, celery, onion, cut into chunks (optional, if you have a rack you can skip, but they are yummy)
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Preparation
Step 1
If frozen, make sure your turkey is completely thawed (this can take 3-5 days in the fridge). Bring to room temperature for one hour, before starting.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 325 F
Step 3
and position the rack on the lower third of the oven.
Step 4
Prep the turkey
Step 5
Unwrap the turkey from the top end and drain it in the sink. Remove the neck and gizzards (check both openings). You can let it drain/dry longer in the sink, positioning its cavity over a used wine bottle (much like beer-butt chicken). Place it on a sheet pan and pat it dry on all sides using paper towels.
Step 6
Make the herb butter
Step 7
Place the softened butter in a bowl along with minced garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1 tablespoon chopped sage, and 1 tablespoon chopped thyme. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and mix well into a thick paste. Set Aside.
Step 8
Roasting pan
Step 9
Place ½ of the onion (cut in wedges) and cut vegetables in the bottom of your roasting pan along with the neck (cut in two). Top with a roasting rack if using (or you can rest the turkey over the veggies).
Step 10
Season and stuff
Step 11
Sprinkle the back side, legs, wings and inside cavity of the turkey generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the already zested lemon (cut in half or wedges), the remaining half of the onion (wedges), and the remaining herbs.
Step 12
Butter the bird
Step 13
Carefully use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast meat, being mindful to keep the skin intact. (See photos.) You can enter through the neck area too. Rub the butter under the skin, over the breast meat and sides as evenly as possible. Yes, it’s messy. Use any extras on your hands or in the bowl, to rub all over the top of the skin (breast area and legs), then season the top of the bird with salt and pepper. If you don’t have enough butter to lightly coat the top of the skin, use a little spray olive oil.
Step 14
Tuck and Tie
Step 15
Tuck the wings under the bird—hint: picture clasping your hands behind your neck. Tuck the wings this way, lifting them up and behind. Using kitchen twine, cross the legs and tie them closed.
Step 16
Bake
Step 17
in the lower oven for 15 minutes per pound of turkey. For a 12 lb turkey, this is roughly 3 hours. Check halfway through, rotating or tenting with foil to prevent over-browning. Turkey is done when the innermost part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast reach 165F.
Step 18
Let the turkey rest
Step 19
for at least 30 minutes before slicing to prevent the juices from flowing out.
Step 20
Make the optional pan gravy below
Step 21
You can use some of the vegetables for the pan gravy or eat them – they are tasty!
Step 22
Save recipe for the next time?
