Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey

Garlic butter roasted turkey is the perfect showstopper for your Thanksgiving holiday spread. It’s made with flavorful aromatics, loads of fresh herbs and an incredible compound butter that takes your turkey to the next level.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Garlic Butter Roasted Turkey, Roasted Turkey, Thanksgiving Turkey

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 25

Servings people

Calories 613kcal

Author Olivia Ribas

Ingredients

For the turkey:

12 to 18 pound turkey fully thawed
1 onion peeled and quartered
1 lemon quartered
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage
kosher salt and black pepper

For the herb butter

1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
7 cloves garlic minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped

For the vegetables under the turkey

1 onion peeled and quartered
3 ribs celery roughly chopped
3 carrots roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
Remove the giblets from the turkey's cavity and pat it dry with paper towels. Season the inside of the turkey with kosher salt and black pepper. Stuff it with the quartered onion, lemon, and fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and sage).
In a mixing bowl, combine unsalted butter, minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and thyme, and salt and black pepper. Mix well.
Carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast by gently sliding your fingers or spoon between the skin and the meat. Spread a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin of the turkey breast. This will help keep the breast meat moist and flavorful. Then, spread the remaining herb butter all over the entire outside of the turkey. Season the outside of the turkey with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
In the bottom of a roasting pan, place the quartered onion, chopped celery, and chopped carrots. These will serve as a flavorful bed for the turkey.
Place the seasoned turkey on top of the bed of vegetables in the roasting pan. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and transfer it to the preheated oven. Roast until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh; it will continue to rise to 165°F as it rests outside the oven. The exact cooking time depends on the size of your turkey; for reference, mine took 3 hours. During the final 30 minutes, remove the foil to allow the turkey to achieve that desirable golden brown color.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven, tent it with foil, and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a moist and flavorful turkey. Then, carve the turkey and serve it with your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.

Notes

I recommend purchasing 1 & 1/2 pounds of turkey per guest. For 8 people, you'd want want a 12-pound turkey (8 x 1.5 = 12)!
Be patient and work very slowly when loosening the skin over the breast meat for compound butter. Try to avoid tears.
It can take multiple days for a turkey to fully thaw in the refrigerator, so be sure to plan accordingly.
Be sure to let your turkey rest before carving for extra juicy meat!

To Store: Allow leftovers to cool. Carve remaining meat from the bone and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.

To Freeze: Place leftover meat in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag and store frozen for up to 6 months!
To Reheat: I typically reheat leftover turkey in the microwave and have often found that covering it with a damp paper towel restores moisture.

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