Easy Herb and Butter Oven Roasted Turkey

Everything you need to know to make this easy Herb and Butter Oven Roasted Turkey is here for you. This oven-roasted turkey is tender, flavorful, and perfect to serve your family and guests for Thanksgiving or any holiday dinner.

Thanksgiving means turkey.  I know it means much more than that but let’s be realistic, it’s the turkey and all the side dishes that go along with it that we really wait for.  Families getting together making memories, being thankful for another year together, and eating till you can’t move! Let’s face it, the holiday season is filled with delicious foods, sweet and savory. I love tasting the sides and desserts that our guests bring, but the turkey is my favorite.

I never paid much attention to how my dad roasted a turkey but I sure did pay attention to how he prepared the stuffing used in our Thanksgiving turkey. It was amazing and I adapted his recipe slightly for my family. Gravy, that’s another story – I rarely make gravy from scratch but do recall how he made it and it does make an appearance for Thanksgiving dinner from time to time. But it’s the turkey that’s the star of the show, right?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The herb compound butter flavors the turkey as it’s roasting and the result is so good.
• Tips to roasting the perfect turkey that will keep you stress-free.
• The turkey comes out of the oven tender, flavorful, and moist every time.
• Leftovers are great for so many meals.

How Much Turkey Do You Need Per Person?

How many people are coming to dinner? Not sure how big of a turkey you will need to feed everyone? You can use this general guide to plan: About 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person. That being said, also factor in leftovers. I tend to buy between a 12 and 14 pound turkey to roast for my family of 6 and that included leftovers for about 3 or 4 days. If you have a very large family, consider buying two smaller birds to roast which will save cooking time.

• 4 guests – 5 pounds
• 6 guests – 8 pounds
• 8 guests – 10 pounds
• 10 guests – 13 pounds
• 12 guests – 15 pounds
• 15 guests – 20 pounds

How Long Does it Take to Thaw a Turkey?

Thawing a turkey takes a bit of planning so keep that in mind. Allow 2 to 3 days for it to fully defrost in the refrigerator for a 10-pound turkey. If your bird is over 13 pounds, you might want to add an extra day or two. Generally speaking, if your bird is 12 -14 pounds, take it out on Sunday and you’ll be ready to go on Thursday. Never thaw a turkey (or any meat) on the counter, this is just bad and can lead to all kinds of bacteria. If you have to speed the thawing process up, fill your clean sink up with cold water and soak the turkey in it, turning it over every 30 minutes and changing the water, too.

My Turkey is Thawed, What do I do with the Neck and Giblets?

Once your turkey is thawed, remove the neck and giblets (most turkeys bought in the grocery stores will have these parts in a pouch inside the turkey for easy removal.) You can save these parts to use in making turkey stock or to use in making gravy. I recall my Dad simmering the neck and giblets on the stovetop for hours to use the stock and giblets in making giblet gravy.

For some reason, the gravy gene did not get passed down to me in this fashion so I rarely attempt this. It does make for great gravy though.

How to Roast a Turkey in the Oven

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wash out the turkey with cold water and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Depending on the brand of turkey you buy, it may have a plastic or metal piece holding the legs together. If so, you need not remove this piece until the turkey is about 2/3 of the way cooked through. I generally keep it in until this point and then remove it so the insides of the thighs can cook more evenly. However, if your turkey doesn’t have this piece or you don’t want to use it, you will need to use some kitchen twine to tie the legs together.

At this point, you can stuff your turkey. If you do, it will add cooking time. If you choose not to stuff it, I would recommend placing a small onion, quartered; a carrot, cut into chunks; and a stalk of celery, cut into chunks inside the cavity of the turkey to give it more flavor. Rub the garlic herb butter compound under the skin of the turkey breast, carefully so as to not tear the skin. The remaining butter can be rubbed on the outside of the turkey. Place turkey in the roasting pan breast side up and add about half a cup of water (or chicken broth) to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the oven according to the chart. If you’re roasting pan has a roasting rack, place the turkey on it and add the broth in the bottom of the pan.

How Long Do You Roast a Turkey?

The time it takes to roast a turkey depends on the size if you’ve stuffed it, and the temperature you’re cooking it at. Generally, you want to roast the bird at about 325 degrees so that the meat doesn’t dry out. An easy guide is to multiply the weight of your turkey by 13 minutes per pound. Follow this guide for roasting an UNSTUFFED turkey and check for doneness about an hour before with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and breast. You will want to avoid touching the bone as this will give you an inaccurate temperature.

• 8 – 12 pounds: 2¾ – 3 hours
• 12 – 14 pounds: 3 – 3¾ hours
• 14 – 18 pounds: 3¾ – 4¼ hours
• 18 – 20 pounds: 4¼ – 4½

If are STUFFING your bird, then roasting time will be along these lines, and again check for doneness about an hour before.

• 8 – 12 pounds: 3 – 3½ hours
• 12 – 14 pounds: 3½ – 4 hours
• 14 – 18 pounds: 4 – 4¼ hours
• 18 – 20 pounds: 4¼ – 4¾

If you prefer not to roast a whole turkey, try this Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Turkey and Vegetables dinner. It’s all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one pan!

Don’t get rid of the turkey carcass, save it to make homemade Turkey Stock to use in making soup or in recipes calling for turkey or chicken stock.

How Do You Cook a Moist Turkey?

To cook a moist turkey, the key is to use an herb and butter mixture under and on top of the turkey. You don’t always need the herbs but it enhances the flavor of the meat. Baste the turkey with the pan drippings every 45 minutes. If your turkey is getting too brown before it’s cooked all the way through, tent it with aluminum foil for the last hour of cooking.

What to Serve with This Easy Herb and Butter Oven Roasted Turkey

The foods to serve with this easy turkey recipe are pretty much what you like. Here’s what we love to have with our Thanksgiving turkey besides gravy. An Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad is perfect to start with then there’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Slow Cooker Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, my dad’s Herb and Sausage Stuffing, Homemade Mac and Cheese, and Homemade Rosemary Bread. We also have our family favorite pumpkin pie and my mother-in-law’s delicious Macaroon Cherry Pie for desserts.

Equipment

• Large roasting pan
• Turkey baster
• Instant read thermometer
• Small bowl

Ingredients

• 14 pound frozen turkey, thawed completely
• 1 cup chicken stock or broth

For the herb and butter compound:

• 1 stick of softened unsalted butter
• 2 – 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• adding salt is optional

Steps to Making This Roast Turkey Recipe

Step 1

Make sure you have thawed your turkey completely (see chart above). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the wrapper from the turkey and remove the pouch with the neck and gizzards. Some brands of turkey also include a pouch of what I call “gravy starter”. You can use this to make gravy if you choose, or you can toss the pouch if you prefer to make your own gravy scratch or use a jar of gravy. Rinse your bird with cold water inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Set aside in your roasting pan.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the herb and butter mixture. I just use a fork to do this. You’re not limited to the fresh herbs I used. Use your favorite blend.

Step 3

Gently separate the skin from the breast of the turkey and massage the butter herb mixture under the skin being careful to not tear the skin. Any extra butter, rub on the outside of the turkey.

Step 4

If you’re going to stuff your turkey, this is the time to place stuffing the cavity of the bird. Do not pack the stuffing in as it will need room to expand and cook properly. The remaining herb and sausage stuffing can be placed in a casserole dish and baked later.

Step 5

Pour 1 cup of chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. You will use this along with the drippings from the turkey as it cooks to baste the turkey.

Step 6

Place the turkey into the oven and cook until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Check the roasting times chart above. Baste every 45 minutes with pan juices. A 14-pound UNSTUFFED turkey will take about 3¾ hours and a STUFFED turkey will take about 4 – 4¼. Check for doneness about an hour before you think it’s to be done. If the turkey is getting too brown, lightly place a sheet of foil over it for the last hour.

Step 7

When the turkey is cooked through, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 – 20 minutes. Taking your turkey out at this point and letting it rest before slicing and eating it allows the juices inside the turkey to disperse throughout it making for moister meat. If you stuffed your turkey, remove the stuffing to a serving bowl before slicing the turkey. Carve your turkey with a sharp knife and serve.

Try These Recipes with Leftover Turkey

• Turkey and Cranberry Grilled Cheese Sandwich
• 18 Fantastic Leftover Turkey Recipes
• Use leftover turkey in place of chicken in this Chicken Pot Pie.
• We also enjoy this quick recipe using leftover turkey, gravy, and stuffing: chop up the turkey and heat it with leftover gravy, and serve it over toasted bread for an open-faced hot turkey sandwich. Add leftover stuffing.

Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

• Plan ahead and thaw your turkey out a few days before you intend to cook it.
• Baste the turkey every 45 minutes with the pan juices.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of eating.\
• Use a cutting board to carve the turkey and place slices on serving platter

Printable Recipe Card For Roast Turkey Recipe

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Enjoy!