This easy herb butter roasted turkey recipe is the secret to a juicy, flavorful turkey with crispy golden brown skin and the most incredible garlic herb butter flavor. It's simple enough for a beginner and guaranteed to impress your whole holiday table!
Why You'll Love It
This herb butter roasted turkey is the reason I've been on turkey duty for the last 5 years!
The combination of softened butter and dried herbs creates an irresistible herb compound butter that melts under the skin of the turkey, infusing every bite with wonderful flavor. And it stays MOIST y'all. Especially if you do my optional butter turkey injection.
It honestly doesn't even matter if it's your first time cooking a whole turkey or you're a seasoned pro, this method delivers the juiciest, most perfectly roasted turkey every single time. TRUST ME! Just look how gorgeous it is. It's my favorite way to do it and you'll see why.
All you need to do is cover the whole bird in a rich butter mixture and inject it with even more melted butter, and roast it right over a bed of veggies and broth - so all those pan juices can turn into the best gravy base ever. It's bonkers.
Oh and this recipe is totally flexible. You can make it with a bone-in turkey breast if you're cooking for a smaller crowd, or go all out with a larger turkey for a full feast. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times.
It's truly the best way to make sure your Thanksgiving meal centerpiece comes out tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this buttery, flavorful Thanksgiving turkey. Be sure your turkey is dry and the butter is at room temperature before you start - that's key for getting the herb compound butter to stick to the outside of the turkey and underneath the skin.
- Salted Butter: Room temperature butter is the base of your herb butter . You can use unsalted butter and adjust seasoning if you prefer more control over the saltiness.
- My Go-to Turkey Seasoning: You'll definitely want to use my go-to turkey seasoning blend which is made with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, and other dried spices for classic flavor. It takes seconds to whip up but you could absolutely use another one of our favorite seasoned salt blends.
- Whole Turkey: A 12 lb to 15 lb turkey works beautifully here, but follow the general rule of about 13-15 minutes per pound when planning your roasting time.
- Celery and Carrots: These go on the bottom of the pan to create a flavorful gravy base and keep the juices from burning while the turkey cooks. If you don't want to do this, you can swap it for a wire rack inside your baking dish.
- Onion: A medium onion, quartered and placed inside the cavity of the turkey, adds natural sweetness, moisture and flavor.
- Garlic Bulb: Halved and placed in the cavity of the turkey for extra flavor.
Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, and sage are a must - they add a classic Thanksgiving aroma and depth to the butter recipe. - Chicken Broth: Keeps the bottom of the roasting pan moist and adds extra flavor to the pan drippings. You could also swap it for water or wine if you wanted to.
- Optional Butter Injection: If you want this herb butter roasted turkey to be even more delicious, try my easy butter injection! It's made with salty butter, chicken boullion, herbs, and garlic. It's so good and is always a great idea in my opinion.
How to Make It
This easy roast turkey recipe is foolproof, even if it's your first time cooking a whole bird. Just follow these step-by-step instructions for a juicy, golden, flavorful turkey every single time.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set your oven to 325°F. This moderate temperature ensures even cooking time for a juicy turkey breast and crisp skin.
- MAKE THE HERB BUTTER: Combine softened butter and my go-to turkey seasoning in a medium bowl to create your herb compound butter.
- PREP THE ROASTING PAN: Add carrots, celery, and the turkey neck and giblets (if included) to the bottom of a large roasting pan or on a roasting rack if you prefer.
- PREP THE TURKEY: Place turkey directly over the veggies. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. This helps the butter mixture adhere and makes the skin of the turkey extra crispy.
- BUTTER IT UP: Smear ¾ of the garlic herb butter all over the outside of the turkey. Making sure to go under the turkey skin, over the top of the skin, and into every nook and cranny. Careful not to rip the skin!
- STUFF THE CAVITY: Add the onion, celery butt, halved garlic bulb, and fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage to the main cavity. Rub the remaining butter inside for extra flavor.
- ROAST THE TURKEY: Place turkey in the oven, uncovered. Then carefully pour in the chicken broth into the roasting pan to cover the bottom by about ½ inch. As it roasts, the butter melts and bastes the whole bird while also making the best drippings for gravy.
- OPTIONAL: MAKE THE BUTTER INJECTION: While the main event roasts, grab a small pot and melt 2 sticks of butter with fresh garlic, rosemary, thyme, and chicken bouillon over medium heat. Once melted, carefully fill your culinary syringe with the mixture.
- INJECT THE BUTTER: After about 1 hour, use a turkey injector to inject the warm garlic butter mixture into multiple spots around the bird - especially the bottom of the breast, thighs, and near the neck end. Repeat this every hour or so until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and 175°F in the thickest part of the thigh using an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer.
- REST AND SERVE: Remove from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving. This allows the turkey juices to redistribute, resulting in perfectly moist and tender meat.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Turkey
- Make it ahead: You can dry brine your turkey 1-2 days before roasting for even deeper flavor. To do this, use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey. No need to wipe it off the brined turkey - just rub that butter all over it bc this is a great way to make the butter stick better.
- For larger turkeys: Increase cook time based on the size of your turkey - the rule of thumb is 13-15 minutes per pound at 325°F.
- Check the internal temperature: Always use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast (165°F is the ideal temperature) and thigh (175°F) for food safety and juicy results. For the most part, you can assume that a turkey will follow these time when cooked at 325 degrees f.
- 12-pound turkey: about 2¾ to 3 hours
- 15-pound turkey: about 3¼ to 3¾ hours
- 20-pound turkey: about 4¼ to 5 hours
- Frozen turkey? No problem! Just put it in the fridge days before your big event. If you're in a bind, you can run cool water into the cavity of the turkey for as long as needed - just make sure to change the water ever 30 minutes or so.
- Keep it juicy: Use my butter injection which is such an upgrade to cooking turkeys. Tenting the turkey with aluminum foil while resting locks in moisture and helps the juicy turkey breast stay tender.
- Avoid a dry turkey: Don't skip the butter injection. It's the best way to keep your whole turkey flavorful from the inside out.
- Enhance the gravy: Strain the turkey drippings from the bottom of the pan to create a rich, buttery pan gravy.
- Add brightness: A touch of lemon zest over the carved slices adds a fresh, aromatic finish.
What to Serve It With
Every Thanksgiving meal needs a few sides that live up to your perfectly roasted turkey. Serve it with classic cranberry sauce with orange juice, buttery mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and a drizzle of pan juices turned into gravy. And don't forget the leftovers makes incredible turkey cranberry sandwiches the next day.
And be sure to check out my Southern Thanksgiving recipe collection to get all the inspiration you need for the holiday season.
You might also like some of these related recipes:
- Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes with Smoked Gouda, Sage + Pancetta
- Turkey Pesto Sandwich with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Feta
- Hawaiian Roll Turkey and Cheese Sliders
- Southern Cucumber Salad with Onion, Vinegar & Sugar Recipe
Recipe
Easy Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
- Turkey Injector
- Carving Knife
Ingredients
For the Outside of the Turkey
- 3 sticks Salted Butter softened
- 4 tablespoon Turkey Seasoning Recipe
- 5 stalks Celery roughly chopped
- 5 large Carrots roughly chopped
- 6 cups Chicken broth
- 12-15 lb Turkey thawed and patted dry
For the Cavity
- 1 medium Onion quartered
- 1 Celery butt leafy root end
- 1 handful Fresh rosemary thyme, and sage (equal parts)
- 1 bulb Garlic halved horizontally
Optional: Butter Injection Recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened butter and turkey seasoning and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- Add chopped carrots and celery to the bottom of the roasting pan with turkey neck and giblets (if included).
- Place turkey directly on the vegetables or on your roasting rack if you prefer. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Smear ¾ of the butter mixture all over the turkey under the skin, over the skin, and into every nook and cranny. Be careful not to rip the skin.
- Add onion, celery butt, garlic bulb, and fresh herbs to the cavity. Rub remaining butter inside for extra flavor.
- Place in the oven and carefully pour in chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- OPTIONAL: Prepare butter injection if using. If not, continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
- After 1 hour, inject the warm butter mixture into multiple spots throughout the turkey (especially the breast and thighs). Repeat every hour until internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
- Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 30 minutes before carving.
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