Juicy and tender oven roasted turkey stuffed with fresh herbs and coated in a flavorful garlic butter. This delicious dish will become the star of your holiday dinner table!
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 2 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time: 2 hourshours40 minutesminutes
Servings: 16
Equipment
Non-metallic container or roasting pan
Ingredients
12-15poundturkey(I prefer Butterball or Norbest)
1onion(quartered)
1lemon(quartered)
½cupsoftened herb butter(see notes)
salt and pepper
Optional: Lemon slices and fresh herbs for topping
Instructions
Thaw turkey (plan on about 4 days in the refrigerator or 8-10 hours in cold water).
Remove neck and giblets from body and neck cavities, discard. Place turkey breast side down in a roasting pan. Cross the legs and tie with baking twine if they aren't already tied. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Then sprinkle with a thin layer of salt. Let rest 30-60 minutes before preparing to bake.
Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry the turkey. Salt and pepper the inside of the cavity and then fill with onions, lemons and herbs. Create a pocket using the dowel of a spoon on the top and then rub the butter under the skin. Then rub the remaining butter all over the top of the turkey.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust rack if needed.
Place turkey with the legs down in a roasting pan. Bake for 2 1/2 hours (about 13-15 minutes per pound), or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. The temperature will reach 165°F while resting.
Let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Reserve any drippings to make turkey gravy. Slice the turkey and serve. Serve on platter with herbs and lemon slices if desired.
Notes
Butter: Want to take it up a notch? Rub about 1/4 cup garlic herb butter in between the meat and the skin before baking.Turkey: If turkey is done ahead of time, cover with foil and then place towels over the foil to hold in the heat. Slice just before serving.Carving: Check out this post for my tips on how to carve a turkey.Turkey gravy: Use the drippings to make my favorite turkey gravy recipe.