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This Roast Turkey comes out impossibly juicy and golden every time, thanks to a garlic herb compound butter rubbed right under the skin. I make this for our big Thanksgiving feast and it always steals the show next to all the sides. Serve it with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and plenty of gravy.
Tucking compound butter under the skin and roasting the bird over a bed of aromatics keeps the meat moist and packs in flavor.
Roast Turkey Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 hour
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 2367kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Juicy, buttery, herby, and savory
- ✋ Difficulty: Worth the effort, easier than it looks, a holiday centerpiece like our Italian sausage stuffing
Quick Answer
To make a roast turkey, mix softened butter with garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper into a compound butter. Pat the thawed turkey dry, loosen the skin, and spread most of the butter underneath, then rub the rest over the skin. Set the turkey on a bed of onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, stuff the cavity with citrus and herbs, and tie the legs. Roast at 325 degrees for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound, until a thermometer in the thigh reads 165 degrees. Rest the turkey 30 minutes, make gravy from the drippings, then slice and serve.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Garlic herb butter under the skin. Spreading compound butter right on the meat keeps the turkey juicy and seasons every bite.
- Roasted over aromatics. A bed of onions, carrots, celery, and garlic flavors the bird and the drippings for amazing gravy.
- Stuffed cavity for moisture. Citrus and fresh herbs in the cavity steam the meat from the inside and add bright flavor.
- Foolproof temperature. Roasting low at 325 and pulling the bird at 165 degrees gives perfectly cooked, never dry meat.
- Built-in gravy. The pan drippings turn into a rich, savory homemade gravy with just butter and flour.
- The holiday showstopper. A golden, beautifully browned turkey is the centerpiece your whole table will remember.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A garlic herb compound butter under the skin makes the juiciest, most flavorful turkey.
- Roasting over a bed of vegetables builds rich pan drippings for the best homemade gravy.
- It is the ultimate holiday centerpiece, and the leftovers make an amazing turkey sandwich.
Key Ingredients
A few fresh, simple ingredients turn a whole turkey into a stunning holiday roast.
- Whole turkey: A thawed 15 to 20 pound bird with the innards removed is the star of the table.
- Butter: Lots of softened unsalted butter, mixed into a compound butter and tucked under the skin.
- Fresh herbs and garlic: Parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage with garlic build that classic savory flavor.
- Citrus: Lemon and orange slices in the cavity add brightness and keep the meat moist.
- Onions, carrots, and celery: A bed of aromatics flavors the bird and the drippings for the gravy.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this roast turkey your own with a few easy twists.
- Brine it first: A wet or dry brine the day before adds even more moisture and seasoning.
- Switch up the herbs: Use any mix of rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley you love in the butter.
- Add a citrus glaze: Brush the skin with a little maple or honey near the end for extra color.
- Short on time or space? Make our slow cooker turkey breast for a smaller crowd instead.
- Plan the leftovers: Save the meat for creamy turkey tetrazzini later in the week.
How to Make Roast Turkey
- In a bowl, stir together the softened butter, minced garlic, parsley, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper to make a compound butter.
- Pat the turkey dry, then gently loosen the skin and spread most of the compound butter directly on the breast and thigh meat, rubbing the rest over the outside of the skin.
- Place the turkey on top of a bed of onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves in a large roasting pan.
- Fill the cavity with sliced lemon, orange, garlic, and fresh herbs, then tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Roast at 325 degrees for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound, until a thermometer in the thigh reads 165 degrees, tenting with foil if the skin browns too fast.
- Rest the turkey at least 30 minutes, then make gravy by whisking flour into melted butter and streaming in the strained drippings until thickened, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Fully thaw the turkey in the fridge, allowing about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so it cooks evenly.
- Pat the skin very dry before buttering, since dry skin is the key to a crisp, golden finish.
- Use a meat thermometer and pull the bird at 165 degrees in the thigh to guarantee juicy, safe meat.
- Tent with foil if the skin browns too quickly, usually about an hour before the turkey is done.
- Let it rest at least 30 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute and the meat stays moist.
- Save the drippings for the richest homemade gravy, then plan leftovers like our turkey moistmaker sandwich.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This roast turkey is the centerpiece of the holiday table, so surround it with all the classic sides. Serve it with creamy garlic mashed potatoes, savory Italian sausage stuffing, and plenty of that homemade gravy ladled right over the top.
Round out the feast with cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, and warm rolls, and do not forget a few cranberry meatballs as an appetizer while the turkey rests. Carve the bird at the table for a showstopping presentation everyone will remember.
Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Use it up in a turkey moistmaker sandwich, creamy turkey tetrazzini, or game-day turkey cranberry sandwiches.
Roast Turkey FAQs
Plan on roasting your turkey at 325 degrees for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound. A 15 to 20 pound bird usually takes around 4 to 5 hours, but the only way to know for sure is with a meat thermometer. The turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, reaches 165 degrees. Always go by temperature rather than time, since every oven and bird is a little different.
The biggest secrets to a juicy roast turkey are the compound butter under the skin and not overcooking it. Spreading butter directly on the breast and thigh meat bastes it from the inside, while roasting over a bed of vegetables and stuffing the cavity with citrus add moisture. Use a thermometer and pull the bird at exactly 165 degrees, then let it rest at least 30 minutes so the juices redistribute before carving.
With the compound butter spread under and over the skin, this roast turkey does not need constant basting, which actually slows cooking by letting heat escape each time you open the oven. The butter keeps the meat moist on its own. If you like, you can spoon some pan drippings over the bird once or twice, but it is not required for a juicy, golden turkey.
Let your roast turkey rest for at least 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven, and up to 45 minutes for a large bird. Resting lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out when you slice it, which keeps the turkey moist. Tent it loosely with foil to keep it warm. This is also the perfect window to make your gravy from the drippings.
This recipe stuffs the cavity with citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs rather than bread stuffing, which adds moisture and flavor while letting the bird cook more evenly and safely. If you want to cook bread stuffing inside the turkey, it must reach 165 degrees too, which can overcook the meat. For the best results, bake your bread stuffing in a separate dish and use the cavity for aromatics.
Yes, the pan drippings make the best homemade gravy. Strain the drippings, let the fat rise, and skim it off, then measure out 4 cups, adding chicken stock if you are short. Melt butter in a skillet, whisk in flour and cook for a minute, then slowly stream in the drippings while whisking to avoid lumps. Simmer until thickened, season with salt and pepper, and serve alongside the sliced turkey.
Got leftovers? Turn them into creamy turkey tetrazzini next for an easy, comforting weeknight dinner.
Our wild rice pilaf is the make ahead side that loves turkey drippings.
Roast Turkey
Ingredients
For the baking dish:
- 4 onions quartered
- 4 heads of garlic cut in half to expose the cloves
- 1 whole celery large chop
- 1 pound carrots large chop
- 4 fresh or dried bay leaves
For the turkey:
- 15 – 20 pound thawed whole turkey innards removed and discarded
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter very soft
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
For the cavity:
- 1 small lemon thinly sliced
- ½ navel orange thinly sliced
- 1 head garlic cut in half to expose the cloves
- 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 fresh or dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 sprig sage
For the gravy:
- 4 cups drippings
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large roasting dish, add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and bay leaves, and set aside.
- Place the turkey on a sheet tray and tuck the wings under. Pat dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, stir together the butter, minced garlic, parsley, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper.
- Use your hands to carefully separate the skin from the meat. You need to place your hand under the skin at the neck and start separating the skin from the breast meat. Work your hand all the way down and around the turkey breast, even going into the leg and thigh area. You need to make sure you do not puncture the skin.
- Next, add the compound butter under the skin, leaving about 2 tablespoons of it behind. I take a small spoon with butter on it, work it under the skin and use my hand on top to smush the butter around all over the meat.
- Make sure the breast area is completely covered with the butter and go down to the leg area as well, where you separated the skin.
- Take the remaining butter and smear it all over the outside of the skin.
- Place the turkey on top of the veggies in the roasting pan.
- Next, fill the cavity with the sliced lemon, sliced orange, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, and sage.
- Take some kitchen twine and tie the legs together. The legs should criss-cross when tightly tied.
- Place in the oven and bake for 13-15 minutes per pound. The turkey is ready when a thermometer inserted into the thickest meat of the thigh, not touching the bone, reaches 165°F. If it looks like the skin is browning too fast, add a large piece of foil tented over the roasting dish. I had to do this about 1 hour before the turkey was cooked through.
- Take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- To make the gravy, place the veggies from the roasting dish into a colander over a large bowl to let any excess drippings, drip off into the bowl and discard. Pour the remaining drippings through the colander to catch any solids.
- Let the drippings sit so the fat will rise to the top. Skim off the fat or use a gravy separator to help. What’s left should be the pure drippings/liquid.
- We want 4 cups of drippings, so measure it and if there is not enough, add a little chicken stock to it until you get 4 cups.
- In a large skillet, add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
- Very slowly, stream in the drippings while constantly whisking to avoid lumps. Season with pepper. Let simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste, and add salt or more pepper if needed.
- Cut the twine and take it off of the legs, slice the turkey and serve with the gravy.
Notes
- Cooking times will vary on the weight of your turkey.
- For this recipe try to use an 15-20 pound turkey, ours was 18 pounds.
- Ovens bake differently, so do not always rely on time for when it is done, I suggest an internal thermometer, you can see above on knowing when it is finished.
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- This is a great base recipe, add or take away herbs or use dried instead of fresh.
- The vegetables in the pan are optional, but make the gravy taste amazing.
- We like to tie the legs together, this helps the turkey cook more evenly and faster.
- If you do not want to use butter in the gravy, you can use some of fat that you skimmed off the top of the pan drippings. You will want to make sure that you use 1/2 cup.
Nutrition
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