Herb Roasted Turkey

Simple, traditional, and always a crowd pleaser. This roasted turkey will awe anyone who arrives at your dinner table and have them asking for seconds!

TYPE MAIN COURSE
SERVES 8
DIFFICULTY MODERATE
PREP TIME 20 MIN
COOK TIME 3+ HOURS

Ingredients

  • 10 to 14-pound turkey fresh or frozen and fully thawed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, chopped
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
  • ½ bunch of parsley, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion cut in half
  • 8 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

  1. Make sure the oven rack is below the center to be able to fit the large turkey. Preheat your oven to 350°F and let the turkey rest at room temperature for an hour.
  2. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season inside the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the room temperature softened butter, thyme, lemon zest, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. We will use this compound butter all over the turkey.
  4. Using the back end of a spoon separate the skin from the meat very carefully making sure not to break the skin in the process. Using roughly 1/3 of the butter mixture, stuff underneath the skin. Add a dollop of the butter in one area and carefully smooth it out throughout each piece (breasts, thighs, drums). With the remaining butter mixture, spread it all over the outside of the turkey trying your best to make an even layer throughout. Season the outside of the turkey well with salt and pepper over the butter.
  5. Transfer the turkey to an All-Clad Large Stainless Steel Roaster with Rack. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 halved onion, smashed garlic cloves and chopped parsley.
  6. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. Roast in the oven until the thickest portion of the thigh meat registers at 174°F and the breasts register at 165°F. Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to one hour before carving.

Pro Tip:

If you are starting with a frozen turkey, make sure to thaw it out completely. On average, it usually takes around 24 hours per 5 pounds of meat. If you have a 15-pound turkey it would take roughly 3 days to fully thaw out and prepare.

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