Moist and delicious, Herb Roasted Turkey is an easy meal that is sure to impress everyone. Whether it is for Thanksgiving, Christmas, another holiday or just because, you cannot go wrong with this oven roasted classic.
Perfectly seasoned with fresh garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary and parsley this turkey is savory and juicy. With the slow oven roasting, the skin toasts to a golden brown and becomes deliciously crisp.
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Truly, one of the easiest dishes to prepare. Just coat the bird with the herb mixture then sit back and relax while the oven does the work.
Tender and mouthwatering this is the Turkey recipe that I come back to time after time. It is simple, rustic and super easy to prepare.
This is the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe and one of the most straightforward. The blend of butter, herbs and garlic completes the traditional oven roasted flavors that everybody loves.
Choosing the Best Turkey
Look for a turkey that is symmetrical and evenly rounded. Avoid a turkey with flat spots because this could mean it was thawed and refrozen.
Buy your turkey early to give it plenty of time to defrost. You will also have a better selection to choose from.
Plan on about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person with leftovers or 1 pound of turkey per person without leftovers.
Avoid turkeys with ripped or damaged packages. Torn wrappings can lead to freezer burn and cross contamination.
Defrosting
Make sure that your turkey is completely defrosted before you cook it. Cooking a partially frozen turkey could leave you with an unevenly cooked bird and it could also lead to Salmonella poisoning.
It is best and easiest to defrost your turkey in the refrigerator. It will take 3 to 4 days, depending on the size of your turkey. A turkey thawed in the fridge will last 2 additional days in the refrigerator.
For a quicker defrosting place your turkey in a large pot inside the sink. Cover it with cold water. Replace the water every half hour.
Water bath defrosting will take about 6-10 hours depending on the size. Cook the turkey immediately after defrosting in a water bath.
If your fridge is completely full you can thaw your turkey in a cooler packed with plenty of ice. Just make sure that the temperature in the cooler stays lower than 40°.
Similar to defrosting in a refrigerator, it will take about 3 days to defrost in a cooler. For larger turkeys, plan on 4 days.
Ingredients
Roasting a turkey is one of my favorite meals because the ingredients are so simple. For this recipe you will need:
- 12-14 pound Turkey
- Butter (softened
- Fresh Garlic
- Fresh Sage Leaves
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Rosemary
- Salt
- Freshly Ground pepper
Substitutions
If you don’t have any of the fresh herbs above you can easily substitute dried herbs in their place. Because dried herbs have more concentrated flavor you can use less.
Use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme for 1 tablespoon of each of the fresh herbs in the recipe.
If you wanted you could easily substitute olive oil instead of butter. Use ¼ to ⅓ cup olive oil in place of the butter. Mix in the herbs salt and pepper, then spread over the turkey and inside the cavity as well.
Instructions
Remove turkey from the refrigerator. Allow it to warm up to room temperature as you prepare the herb rub.
Remove the neck and giblets.
Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven, making sure there will be enough room for your turkey to fit. Preheat oven to 325°.
Cut a small hole in the turkey skin about an inch below the wing tip. Slide the wing through the hole and under the skin. This will prevent the wing tip from burning.
Finely chop the herbs and mince the garlic. Mix the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper into the softened butter.
Spread the butter mixture over the entire turkey. Spread some of the butter mixture inside the bird as well.
Place in a baking pan breast side up. Place an additional whole sprig of rosemary, thyme and sage inside the cavity.
Add the neck and giblets into the baking dish, these are wonderful in soup later on.
Loosely cover the turkey with tin foil. Avoid pushing the foil down onto the turkey. Instead, try to make a tent over the top.
Bake for 3 - 4 hours. For the last 45 minutes of the baking time remove the foil to brown the turkey. If your turkey is larger or smaller than the 12-14 pounds then simply adjust the cooking time based on the chart below.
The meat thermometer should register 165° when placed in the thickest part of the breast. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone because it will not give you an accurate temperature.
Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving.
Turkey Cooking Chart
It is best to cook your turkey at 325°. The lower cooking temperature will give you a moist and succulent roast without any dry or overdone areas.
Cook for 15 to 17 minutes for each pound of unstuffed turkey at 325°. Use the chart for easy reference.
Turkey Weight - Cooking time at 325°
- 8 to 10 pounds - 2 to 2 ¾ hours
- 10 - 12 pounds - 2 ⅕ to 3 ⅕ hours
- 12 - 14 pounds - 3 to 4 hours
- 14 - 16 pounds - 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours
- 16- 18 pounds - 4 to 5 hours
- 18 - 20 pounds - 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours
- 22 - 24 pounds - 5 ½ to 6 ¾
Storage
Avoid leaving the leftovers out for too long after your celebration, make sure to place them in the fridge as soon as it is convenient. Within 2 hours of coming out of the oven in recommended.
Store your leftover turkey in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing
For longer storage place your turkey in the freezer. Place it in an air tight container or a zip top freezer bag.
Use your frozen turkey within 6 months for the best flavor and to avoid freezer burn.
Defrost your already cooked turkey in the refrigerator for 6 hours up to overnight and then reheat or use in another recipe.
What can I do with leftover turkey?
Here are a few quick ideas for using leftover turkey:
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Salad
- Stir Fry
- Spaghetti
- Alfredo pasta
- Soup
- Omelets
- Shepherds Pie
- Tacos or burritos
- Nachos
- Quesadillas
- Casseroles
Tips
- Make sure that your turkey is fully defrosted before you cook it.
- Tuck the wing tips under the skin to prevent burning.
- Don’t cook the stuffing inside the turkey. It is hard for the stuffing to get hot enough (165°) to kill any Salmonella causing bacteria.
- Uncover for the last 45 minutes of the baking time to brown the turkey.
- Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving.
- Save the drippings to make gravy.
Recipe
Herb Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 12-14 pound Turkey
- ¾ cup Butter softened, 1 ½ sticks
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic about 3-4 cloves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary about 2 sprigs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Additional sprigs of sage thyme and rosemary to stuff inside
Instructions
- Remove turkey from the refrigerator. Allow it to warm up to room temperature as you prepare the herb rub.
- Remove the neck and giblets.
- Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven, making sure there will be enough room for your turkey to fit. Preheat oven to 325°.
- Cut a small hole in the turkey skin about an inch below the wing tip. Slide the wing through the hole and under the skin. This will prevent the wing tip from burning.
- Finely chop the herbs and mince the garlic. Mix the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper into the softened butter.
- Spread the butter mixture over the entire turkey. Spread some of the butter mixture inside the bird as well.
- Place in a baking pan breast side up. Place an additional whole sprig of rosemary, thyme and sage inside the cavity.
- Add the neck and giblets into the baking dish, these are wonderful in soup later on.
- Loosely cover the turkey with tin foil. Avoid pushing the foil down onto the turkey. Instead, try to make a tent over the top.
- Bake for 3 - 4 hours. For the last 45 minutes of the baking time remove the foil to brown the turkey. If your turkey is larger or smaller than the 12-14 pounds then simply adjust the cooking time based on the chart above.
- The meat thermometer should register 165° when placed in the thickest part of the breast. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone because it will not give you an accurate temperature.
- Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
It is best and easiest to defrost your turkey in the refrigerator. It will take 3 to 4 days depending on the size of your turkey. A turkey thawed in the fridge will last 2 additional days in the refrigerator.
Cook for 15 to 17 minutes for each pound of unstuffed turkey at 325°.
8 to 10 pounds - 2 to 2 ¾ hours
10 - 12 pounds - 2 ⅕ to 3 ⅕ hours
12 - 14 pounds - 3 to 4 hours
14 - 16 pounds - 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours
16- 18 pounds - 4 to 5 hours
18 - 20 pounds - 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours
22 - 24 pounds - 5 ½ to 6 ¾ hours
The meat thermometer should register 165° when placed in the thickest part of the breast. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone because it will not give you an accurate temperature of the meat.
Leftover Turkey will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Add leftover turkey to: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Salad, Stir Fry, Spaghetti, Alfredo pasta, Soup, Spanish Paella, Omelets, Shepherds Pie, Tacos or burritos, Nachos, Taco Salad, Quesadillas or Casseroles
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- Thanksgiving Sheet Pan Meal
- Cranberry Orange Relish
- Fall Apart Ham
- Turkey Pineapple Stir Fry (from leftover turkey)
Please leave your questions, comments and ratings below.
Tarasios
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was very easy and came out perfect. My new favorite oven turkey recipe.