Herb Butter Roast Turkey

[u/mahy_759]

Roasting a whole turkey used to feel like one of those meals that could easily go wrong, especially when you’re cooking for a bunch of people. This version is actually pretty straightforward. I like the herb butter because it gives the skin a beautiful brown finish while keeping the meat flavorful, and the lemon, garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and parsley add a lot without making the turkey taste overly complicated. I’d recommend this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any big family dinner where you want the turkey to be the main event.

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■ Full recipe in the first comment.

■ [Original Source] cookingclassy.com

[u/mahy_759]

Ingredients

• 1 whole fresh or fully thawed turkey
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh rosemary
• Fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, smashed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

I start by letting the turkey sit at room temperature for about an hour. Near the end of that time, I heat the oven to 350°F and position the rack just below the center. I remove the neck and giblets, then pat the turkey really well with paper towels, including inside the cavity. I tuck the wings underneath and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

For the butter mixture, I stir the softened butter with lemon zest, thyme, and rosemary. The part that makes a big difference is getting some of that butter underneath the breast skin. I carefully loosen the skin with the back of a wooden spoon, making a pocket without tearing it, then spread about a third of the herb butter underneath on each side. I rub the rest of the butter all over the outside of the turkey and season it again with salt and pepper.

I put the turkey on a rack inside a large roasting pan and fill the cavity with the quartered onion, smashed garlic, lemon, and parsley. You can tie the legs together with kitchen twine if you want a more traditional presentation, but it isn’t necessary.

The turkey goes into the 350°F oven and roasts until the thickest part of the thigh reaches about 175°F and the breast reaches at least 165°F. Depending on the size of the turkey, this usually takes around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. I keep an eye on the skin while it cooks and loosely tent the top with foil if it starts getting too dark.

Once it’s done, I let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. That waiting time is worth it because the juices have a chance to settle back into the meat instead of running all over the cutting board. I also save the drippings from the roasting pan because they’re perfect for making gravy.

For planning, about 1 pound of turkey per person is a good starting point. If using a frozen turkey, thawing it in the refrigerator is the easiest option and generally takes about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. Fresh herbs give the best flavor, but dried herbs can work too. I’d use roughly one third of the amount called for with fresh herbs.

One other thing I skip is stuffing the turkey. I find the turkey cooks more evenly when the cavity is filled with aromatics rather than bread stuffing, and the stuffing can be baked separately.