Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
This roast turkey is rubbed with an fragrant herb butter and slow-roasted at 325°F for tender, juicy meat and a golden-brown, glossy skin. It’s simple enough for home cooks but elevated with fresh aromatics.
Ingredients
Turkey & Aromatics
- 1 12–14 lb whole turkey, thawed
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 onion quartered
- 1 lemon halved
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Herb Butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
Turkey Prep & Assembly
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes while you preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity, pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then season the cavity generously with kosher salt and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity with the quartered onion, halved lemon, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs.
Herb Butter & Roasting
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with minced garlic, chopped thyme and rosemary, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast and spread half of the herb butter mixture underneath the skin. Rub the remaining butter all over the exterior of the turkey.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, place the turkey breast-side up on a rack set in a roasting pan, and pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven for 13 minutes per pound, basting every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F, about 2¾ to 3½ hours for a 12–14 lb bird.
- If the skin browns too quickly, tent the turkey loosely with aluminum foil during the last hour of cooking.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Notes
I found that allowing the turkey to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting gave me the crispiest skin yet.
During my second test, I learned that tenting the bird too early prevents the skin from fully browning – wait until the last hour.
After freezing leftovers in airtight bags, I noticed they stayed moist for up to three months when reheated gently.