Herb-Roasted Turkey
A classic holiday turkey seasoned with fresh herbs, citrus, and butter. This recipe creates a beautifully golden-brown bird with moist, flavorful meat infused with rosemary, sage, thyme, and citrus notes.
Ingredients
- •1 whole turkey
- •3 tablespoons kosher salt
- •1½ tablespoons black pepper
- •6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •1 tablespoon lemon zest
- •1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- •1 tablespoon fresh sage
- •1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- •1 medium onion
- •1 whole orange
- •1 whole lemon
- •
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Set a rack inside a large roasting pan. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub bird inside and out with salt and pepper.
15 min
- 2.
Place turkey on the rack in the pan. Using a fork, mix butter, lemon zest, rosemary, sage, and thyme in a small bowl. Rub herb butter over top of turkey and inside cavity.
15 min
- 3.
Place onion, orange, and lemon inside turkey cavity. Tuck tips of wings under bird (this prevents them from burning during the long roasting time). Pour 4 cups water into pan. Roast turkey, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Baste turkey with pan juices; add more water if needed to maintain at least 1/4" liquid in the bottom of roasting pan. Continue roasting turkey, basting every 30 minutes and tenting with foil if skin is turning too dark, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F (juices should run clear when thermometer is removed), about 2 3/4 hours total.
165 min
- 4.
Transfer turkey to a platter. Tent with foil and let rest for 1 hour before carving.
60 min
