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Ultimate Herb Butter Roasted Turkey with Crispy Skin

A whole roasted turkey with deeply browned, crispy skin seasoned with herbs, resting on a white plate.
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A straightforward guide to roasting a whole turkey using an herb butter rub to keep the meat moist and achieve perfectly crisp skin for your holiday meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole turkey (12-14 lbs), thawed
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the neck and giblets. Pat the entire turkey dry, inside and out, using paper towels. This step is key for crispy skin.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix until you have a uniform herb butter.
  3. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat using your fingers, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub about half of the herb butter directly onto the breast meat under the skin.
  4. Rub the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey skin.
  5. Place the quartered onion and halved lemon inside the turkey cavity.
  6. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
  7. Roast the turkey for approximately 13-15 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste the turkey with pan drippings every 45 minutes.
  8. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
  9. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the turkey from the oven. Tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in moist meat.

Notes

  • For extra crispy skin, you can place the turkey in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours after applying the herb butter. The dry air helps crisp the skin during roasting.
  • If you prefer a browner skin finish, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for the last 15 minutes of cooking, watching closely to prevent burning.
  • Use the pan drippings to make gravy immediately after removing the turkey from the pan.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savoryskies.com/herb-butter-roasted-turkey-recipe/