Thanksgiving Turkey With Herb Butter Seasoning
A classic recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, with a simple herbed butter for rubbing under the skin. Super easy step-by-step instructions!
Servings: 5
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 ½ cup butter
- 2 ounces fresh sage
- 22- pound whole turkey
Instructions
Prep Ahead:
- Mince the sage and mix with the butter, salt, and pepper according to the instructions in Step 4. Transfer to a resealable container.
- Butter and sage mixture will store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Prepare From Prepped:
- Thaw the butter mixture as necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F and line a large roasting pan with foil.
- Continue following the instructions in Steps 5-10.
Make From Fresh:
- Preheat the oven to 350* and line a large roasting pan with tin foil.
- Remove any giblets bags, neck, etc from inside the turkey, and then rinse the turkey under cold running water. Use paper towels to pat dry.
- Finely mince the sage and melt the butter.
- Whisk together the butter, salt, pepper, until the salt has dissolved, and then stir in the sage.
- Pour the chicken stock and wine in the bottom of the pan.
- Place the turkey in the roasting pan and use a barbecue brush or spoon to completely smother the turkey, inside and out, with the butter mixture.
- Tent a large sheet of tin foil on top of the turkey to prevent the skin from drying out during roasting
- Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 5.5 hours Every 30 minutes or so, remove the tented foil and baste the entire turkey, then replace the foil.
- About 30 minutes before the turkey is done, remove the tin foil tent and discard. Baste the turkey and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. This last blast of heat on the bare turkey will brown the skin and crisp it up prior to service.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest another 20 minutes or so before carving. This helps the turkey stay juicy!
Notes
This is a standard recipe for a traditional Thanksgiving-style whole turkey, coated in seasoned butter and roasted in the oven. It leaves space for you to play around with your own seasonings if you wish, but keeps the old-school vibe alive. The ingredients list calls for a 22-pound turkey, which is a pretty average size, but you may want to ratio up or down the remaining ingredients if you have one bigger or smaller.
Remember this formula when figuring out how long you should roast a turkey: 15 minutes at 350*F for every pound. So, a 22-pound bird will roast for roughly 5 and a half hours. The last 40 minutes, check the turkey occasionally with a meat thermometer and remove it from the oven as soon as the thermometer reads 160*F. Let it rest for about 20 minutes before serving.
Remember this formula when figuring out how long you should roast a turkey: 15 minutes at 350*F for every pound. So, a 22-pound bird will roast for roughly 5 and a half hours. The last 40 minutes, check the turkey occasionally with a meat thermometer and remove it from the oven as soon as the thermometer reads 160*F. Let it rest for about 20 minutes before serving.