Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (14-16 pound) whole turkey
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Herb Butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Inside the turkey:
- 1 lemon, halved
- Fresh sprigs of sage, thyme, and rosemary
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Instructions
- Remove turkey from the fridge 1 hour prior to roasting to allow it to come to room temperature. Place on a baking sheet to catch any liquid.
- Mix all herb butter ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and move a rack to the bottom third.
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavity. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season inside and out with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with lemon halves, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs. Rub herb butter all over turkey skin.
- Tuck wings under turkey and tie legs with kitchen twine (optional).
- Place turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. Reduce oven to 350°F and roast for ~3 hours (for a 14 lb turkey) or until thigh reaches 165°F. Cover loosely with foil if breast browns too quickly.
- Remove turkey from oven, tilt rack to pour out juices for gravy, then transfer turkey to a cutting board. Rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Adjust butter and herb quantities if your turkey is larger or smaller than 14-16 pounds.
- Do not salt a brined turkey, or reduce/eliminate salt in herb butter.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for best results; 13 minutes per pound at 350°F is a good rule of thumb.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American