When it comes to holiday meals, few things are as comforting and impressive as an oven roasted turkey with butter and herbs. But what makes this roasted turkey recipe stand out is the incredible depth of flavor and juiciness that comes from brining the turkey, stuffing it with fresh herbs and vegetables, and then roasting it to golden brown perfection. Whether it’s for a Thanksgiving meal, Christmas, or a special family dinner, this recipe will surely steal the show!
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This turkey is the centerpiece of any special meal. The combination of butter, fresh herbs, and brining creates a turkey that’s bursting with flavor and moisture. Plus, the herbs and vegetables in the roasting pan make for a perfect side dish to complement the bird.
Ingredients
Each of these ingredients plays a crucial role in ensuring your oven roasted turkey with butter and herbs is flavorful, juicy, and perfectly roasted. From the brine that locks in moisture to the herbs that add fragrance and depth, every ingredient works in harmony to create a delicious turkey feast!
- Whole Turkey: The turkey is the star of the show! Choosing a fresh, quality turkey ensures a tender and flavorful meal. This particular size of turkey is ideal for feeding a large group, making it perfect for holidays or family gatherings. Your turkey can be either fresh or frozen. If you choose a frozen turkey, make sure that it is fully thawed before roasting.
- Sea Salt: Sea salt is the key ingredient in the brine. It helps the turkey absorb moisture, ensuring it remains juicy during roasting. The salt also seasons the turkey deeply, so every bite is flavorful.
- Brown Sugar: The sugar in the brine balances the saltiness and helps the turkey develop a beautiful, golden-brown skin while roasting. It also adds a slight sweetness that complements the savory herbs and vegetables.
- Cold Water: The water dissolves the salt and sugar, creating the brine solution that will infuse the turkey with moisture and flavor. Cold water is essential for starting the brining process without cooking the turkey.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the turkey, helping to keep the meat moist during roasting. It also helps the skin crisp up, creating a golden, mouthwatering turkey.
- Vegetables: Vegetables provide a savory base flavor to the turkey. Stuffing the turkey’s cavity with the veggies helps infuse the meat with aromatic flavors, while the vegetables in the bottom of the pan add sweetness and depth to the drippings.
- Herbs: Rosemary is a fragrant, piney herb that gives an aromatic flavor to the turkey. It works perfectly with the butter, enhancing the turkey’s richness. The bay leaf adds a subtle, earthy flavor to the turkey.
- Lemon: Lemon provides a burst of acidity that balances the richness of the turkey. It adds a bright, fresh flavor to the meat and helps cut through the butter’s richness, enhancing the overall taste.
- Garlic: Garlic brings a savory, aromatic flavor to the turkey. Roasting garlic softens its intensity, giving it a sweet, mellow flavor that seeps into the turkey’s meat and the roasting pan.
- White Wine: Wine adds both acidity and depth of flavor to the roasting pan, helping to tenderize the turkey and making a delicious base for the pan juices. The wine also helps to steam the turkey from the bottom, keeping it moist during roasting.
- Black Pepper: Black pepper adds a bit of spice and heat, balancing out the rich, buttery flavors. It’s a simple but essential seasoning that brings all the other ingredients together.
See recipe card for full quantities and information.
Why You Should Brine A Turkey
Brining is a simple technique that helps lock in moisture, ensuring a juicy turkey. The salt in the brine pulls water into the turkey while the sugar adds a slight sweetness that helps brown the skin during roasting. If you’ve ever had a dry turkey, brining is the secret to keeping your bird tender and flavorful.
Sea salt and brown sugar create the brine. The salt helps tenderize the meat, while the sugar balances out the flavors and promotes a beautifully golden skin when it’s roasted. You’ll need to brine the turkey for 12 hours or overnight, so be sure to plan ahead!
The Turkey Roasting Process
Once your bird has been brined, it’s time to prep it for roasting. After rinsing off the brine, you’ll pat the turkey dry and brush it with melted butter. Stuff the cavity with the chopped vegetables, fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic. These ingredients not only flavor the turkey from the inside out but also add a delicious aroma as it cooks.
You’ll want to roast the turkey breast side down at first. This helps the juices flow down into the breast meat, keeping it tender and moist. After a couple of hours, you’ll flip the turkey to breast side up, which allows the skin to get nice and crispy. Don’t forget to baste it with the remaining butter!
Turkey Cooking Time and Resting
The turkey will take about 3 ½ to 4 hours to cook, depending on its size, so make sure you have a meat thermometer on hand. The turkey is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (74°C). I find the best way to test the temperature is with an instant-read thermometer.
Once out of the oven, it’s important to let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving. This resting time allows the turkey juices to redistribute, making for a turkey that’s moist and flavorful with every bite.
Carve and Serve The Turkey
After the turkey has rested, it’s time to carve and serve! You’ll want to remove the turkey from the roasting rack and place it on a platter. Surround it with the roasted vegetables from the pan and maybe even some extra herbs for garnish. This oven-roasted turkey with butter and herbs will not only look impressive but taste absolutely delicious.
Instructions
In a large stockpot, combine the salt, brown sugar, and the cold water. Stir until the salt and sugar are both completely dissolved.
Submerge the turkey in the brine solution. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it thoroughly using cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Discard all of the brine mixture.
Brush the turkey inside and out with half of the melted butter. Season the cavity with freshly ground black pepper.
Stuff the cavity of the turkey with 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 sprig of rosemary, the lemon quarters, and the halved garlic head.
Place the turkey with the breast side down on a metal roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Spread out the remaining onion, carrots, celery, and rosemary in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the bay leaf. Pour the white wine over the vegetables in the pan.
Roast the turkey in the preheated oven, uncovered, for about 3 ½ to 4 hours, depending on the size of your turkey. About two-thirds of the way through the roasting time, carefully turn the turkey breast side up and brush with the remaining melted butter.
Tip: After roasting, use the pan drippings to make a rich, flavorful gravy. The drippings will be infused with all the turkey’s flavor, plus the wine and roasted vegetables. If you need a little more liquid, add some chicken broth to thin it out and adjust the seasoning.
Substitutions and Variations
While this recipe is delicious as is, you can easily make a few swaps based on what you have or your personal preferences. Here are some ideas:
Wine: If you don’t have dry white wine, you can use chicken or even vegetable broth instead. The wine adds a nice acidity to balance the richness, but broth will still give you plenty of flavor.
Herbs: If you don’t have fresh rosemary, try thyme or sage instead. These herbs will give the turkey a slightly different but equally incredible flavor.
Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies to the roasting pan, such as parsnips, leeks, or garlic cloves. The vegetables get wonderfully caramelized as they roast, adding extra flavor to your turkey.
Equipment
Storage
Turkey stores well in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, carve the turkey, cover it with aluminum foil, and warm it in the oven at 325°F (163°C) for about 20-30 minutes.
Top tips for success:
- After removing the turkey from the brine, pat it dry with paper towels. This will ensure the skin crisps up beautifully when roasting. Moisture on the surface can create steam, which prevents the skin of the turkey from becoming golden and crispy.
- If you’re short on time, you can skip the brining step, but it does make a big difference in terms of moisture and flavor. For a quicker alternative, you could season the turkey with a generous amount of kosher salt and sugar before roasting.
- For an extra burst of flavor, use garlic herb butter or simply mix finely chopped herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage into the melted butter before brushing it on the turkey skin. This infuses the skin with more aromatic flavors, making each bite even more delicious.
- The fresher the better – if you can, source your herbs the day before you cook the turkey. If they’re hard to find, it’s a great idea to grow fresh herbs at home.
FAQ
While it’s best to roast the turkey on the day you plan to serve it, you can roast it a day in advance and store it in the fridge.
It’s not recommended to stuff the turkey with traditional stuffing due to food safety concerns. Stuffing the turkey can slow down the cooking process, potentially leaving the stuffing undercooked. If you want a stuffing-like element, try adding more aromatics like onions, garlic, and herbs to the turkey cavity for flavor.
No, you do not need to cover the turkey while roasting. Roasting it uncovered helps the skin become crispy and golden. You will flip the turkey halfway through the cooking time to get the best of both worlds: juicy meat and a crisp skin.
Yes, if you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute with a broth like chicken or vegetable. The flavor will be different, but broth also works well for creating a flavorful base for your turkey drippings and gravy.
What to serve with oven-roasted turkey:
Oven Roasted Turkey with Butter and Herbs
The perfect recipe for oven-roasted turkey with butter and herbs. Tender, juicy, and full of flavor, this classic dish is seasoned with aromatic herbs and rich butter for a mouthwatering meal. Ideal for holiday dinners or special occasions!
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (about 18 pounds), neck and giblets removed
- 1 ½ cups sea salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 quarts cold water
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 2 large onions, chopped, divided
- 4 carrots, coarsely chopped, divided
- 4 stalks celery, chopped, divided
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, divided
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved horizontally
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, combine the sea salt,
brown sugar, and cold water. Stir until the salt and sugar are completely
dissolved. - Submerge the turkey in the brine solution.
Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight. - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175
degrees C). - Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it
thoroughly under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the
brine mixture. - Brush the turkey inside and out with half
of the melted butter. - Season the cavity of the turkey with
freshly ground black pepper. - Stuff the cavity with 1 chopped onion, 2
chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 1 sprig of rosemary, the lemon
quarters, and the halved garlic head. - Place the turkey breast-side down on a
roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. - Scatter the remaining onion, carrots,
celery, and rosemary in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add the bay leaf. - Pour the white wine over the vegetables in
the pan. - Roast the turkey in the preheated oven,
uncovered, for about 3 ½ to 4 hours. - About two-thirds of the way through the
roasting time, carefully turn the turkey breast-side up and brush with the
remaining melted butter. - The turkey is done when the juices run
clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the
thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). - Once cooked, remove the turkey from the
oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to
redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a moist and flavorful turkey. - Carve the turkey and serve it on a platter,
accompanied by the roasted vegetables from the pan.
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