Turkey roasted with an herb butter under the skin and baked until golden brown.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword herb butter roasted turkey
Prep Time 1 dayday
Cook Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 1 dayday3 hourshours
Servings 8people
Author Tara Buss
Equipment
roasting pan
meat thermometer
Ingredients
12lbturkey
½c. butteror butter substitute like Smart Balance
1 ½tspsaltuse a little more if butter is unsalted
½tsppepper
1tspdried thyme
1 tsp dried ground sage
1 tspdried rosemary
optional aromaticsonion, apple, fresh herb bundle, garlic bulb
Instructions
Soften butter on countertop for about an hour.
Add all seasonings to butter and smash/mix with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
Remove neck and innards from turkey and discard.
Pat turkey dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Place in a roasting pan with a rack.
Using your fingers, loosen the membrane that holds the skin and the meat together to make a cavity for the butter to go under the skin. Work your way over to the legs and under the skin of the entire breast.
Using about ⅔ of the compound butter, rub it into the meat under the skin.
Rub the remaning ⅓ on the entire outer skin of the turkey.
Stuff with any desired aromatics. This is an optional step.
Cover with a single layer of foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day remove turkey from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When oven is preheated, place the turkey in oven as is and cook for about 13-15 minutes per pound. A 12 lb turkey will take approximately 3 hours.
The last hour remove the foil and continue roasting so that the skin can develop a golden brown color. Add foil back if skin gets too brown. Increase heat if skin is not browning as you like.
When temperature has reached 162-165, remove from oven. Tip turkey on it's side toward the legs to allow the drippings to run into the pan to reserve for gravy. Cover turkey and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
For a bigger turkey, double the butter and seasonings and increase the cooking time using the rule of about 13-15 minutes per pound.