juicy roast turkey

A classic Roast Turkey is a holiday centerpiece that has everyone&#x27;s mouths watering when it&#x27;s finally time to sit up to the table and feast. This roast turkey recipe is hands down the best I&#x27;ve ever had, with a butter, herb, and garlic rub that results in crispy skin and juicy, perfectly flavored meat that will have everyone asking you how you did it!

Best Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey

turkey, (thawed

water

coarse kosher salt (or 1 cup table salt)

dark brown sugar, (packed)

black peppercorns

Tablespoons allspice berries

thyme

rosemary

garlic, (smashed)

bay leaves

clean 5-gallon bucket (pot,

salted butter, (softened)

Tablespoons fresh rosemary, (finely chopped)

Tablespoons fresh thyme, (finely chopped)

Tablespoons fresh oregano, (finely chopped)

Tablespoons fresh tarragon, (finely chopped)

garlic, (minced)

salt

black pepper

apple, (quartered)

onion,

carrot, (roughly chopped)

celery stick, (roughly chopped)

olive oil

In a 5-gallon food-grade bucket, combine the water, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice, fresh herbs, garlic, orange peel, and bay leaves.

Remove the neck and giblets from the thawed turkey and discard or set aside for later use. Remove any plastic or wire holding the turkey legs together and discard. Gently lower the turkey into the bucket of brine, making sure it is fully immersed. Place in the fridge or cover with a bag of ice placed directly on top of the turkey to keep it submerged fully in the bucket. Cover the bucket a lid or a thick, tight layer of aluminum foil and set aside to brine overnight or up to 24 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine and pat completely dry both inside and out using plenty of paper towels. Let the turkey air-dry for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.

Brine

Combine the softened butter with the fresh herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper, mashing into a paste with a fork or with a food processor.

Carefully use your fingers to separate and loosen the skin from the breast meat by sliding one hand in to gently stretch and separate them on both sides of the turkey. Be sure to remove any rings first so as not to tear the skin.

Use your hands to stuff about 2/3 of the garlic herb butter between the skin and the breast meat, massaging it to create a thin, even layer over the entire breast on both sides of the turkey. Rub the remaining 1/3 of the butter mixture inside the cavity of the turkey.

Stuff the cavity with the apple, onion, carrot, and celery. Other good aromatics are quartered lemons or oranges. I do not recommend cooking stuffing or dressing inside your turkey.

Truss the turkey by tying a piece of kitchen string around one leg, then crossing the legs and wrapping the string around both legs before tying it off, securing the legs together. Fold the wings under the turkey.

Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan with the breast side up. At this point, the turkey can go back into the fridge for 24 hours.

Garlic Herb Butter Rub

Remove the turkey from the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, if it was prepared the day before. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Take a large square of aluminum foil and fold it in half to make a triangle. Shape the triangle over the breast of the turkey to create a shield, then set aside. Rub the turkey all over with a drizzle of olive oil.

Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and place the shield on top of the turkey. Roast for 13 minutes per pound of turkey (an additional 2 hours 30 minutes for a 12-pound bird), removing the shield and basting the turkey with the juices in the bottom of the pan every 30 minutes or so. Remove the shield during the last 30 minutes, unless the turkey is already looking evenly browned all over.

Cook until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F when tested on the meatiest part of the thigh and 160 degrees F when tested on the breast. The temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees after removing the turkey from the oven.

Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil. Let the turkey rest for 30 to 60 minutes before carving. Save the drippings for turkey gravy!

Arrange the carved meat on a large platter with sprigs of fresh herbs and fresh cranberries or other fruit as a garnish, then serve.

Roasting the Turkey

How to Make the Juiciest Roast Turkey Recipe (no lengthy marinating required)

Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe

lb turkey ((Anything from 11-15 lbs will work, but bake time will vary))

Salt & Pepper

(2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin, plus more to drizzle top)

lemon juice

garlic

parsley

Tbsp salt (I used sea salt)

tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

onion (quartered (no peeling))

garlic (halved (no peeling))

lemon (quartered)

Kitchen String

Heavy duty foil

heavy roasting pan that accommodates your bird (but isn't over-sized)

A temperature probe (to ensure a fully-cooked turkey)

Season inside of turkey cavity generously with about 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine: 2 sticks softened butter, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, 4 Tbsp lemon juice, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 Tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash /stir with a fork until well combined (the lemon juice doesn't easily stir into butter but keep mixing and it will happen after a few minutes). Take a whiff of it; you'll fall in love with how fresh it smells!

Separate the skin from the turkey breast by pushing your fingers under the skin. Do this from the front and the back of the turkey; being careful not to tear the skin.

Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under skin then spread the butter around by massaging over the top of the skin. This butter keeps the turkey breast tender, juicy and provides rich flavor.

Rub remaining butter over the outside of the turkey (breast, legs, wings). Drizzle all over the top of the turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper; I just love a crisp, salty skin.

Stuff turkey with quartered onion, 4 halved garlic cloves, 1/2 bunch parsley and quartered lemon. Tie turkey base and legs together; crossing the legs to better close up the turkey cavity, plus it looks extra fancy on the table.

Seasoning, Stuffing and Tying up a Turkey:

Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry. You'll apply this shield later in the roasting process.

Place an oven-safe meat thermometer into the bird; beneath the drum stick; deep into the dark meat. Start roasting uncovered at 430˚F for 20 min.

Remove from oven; quickly baste with butter from the bottom of the dish. You can use a baster or tilt one side of the pan and collect drippings with a large spoon. Now apply prepared foil triangle to turkey breast area.

Reduce oven to 350˚F and bake for another 2 hours 30 min for a 12 lb bird. (Once you have reduced the oven to 350˚F, you will bake about 13 min for every pound of turkey). The turkey thigh should register at 170˚F on the temperature probe and the breast at 160˚F to make sure it's fully cooked through then remove from the oven (keep in mind the turkey temp continues to rise slightly after it's out of the oven).

Transfer turkey to serving platter and cover loosely but fully with foil. Let turkey rest for at least 1 hour. It will become more tender and easier to carve, the longer it sits. Keep the drippings from roasting pan for gravy. Now you can decorate around your turkey and make it festive. I used kale for my greens, then added small apples, sliced oranges and quartered lemons.

How to Roast a Turkey: (Pre-heat the oven to 430˚F on the bake mode. Place oven rack in the lower part of your oven (mine was on the second level from the very bottom).

Impress friends and family with this absolutely delicious and juicy Roast Turkey. This recipe takes savory herbs and spices, combines them with butter to cover the entire turkey. It’s then slow-roasted to perfection to make your Thanksgiving a huge success.

Juicy Roast Turkey

turkey

unsalted butter (softened)

parsley (finely chopped)

thyme (finely chopped)

rosemary (finely chopped)

sage (finely chopped)

tarragon (finely chopped)

garlic (finely minced)

tbsp kosher salt (or

tsp black pepper

lemon

orange

onion

garlic (cut in half)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey if there are any. Cut off any excess skin and discard. Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the turkey starting at the neck/breast area and work your way down to the legs and thighs, set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the butter, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and garlic until combined. Again, using your hands place ⅔ of the butter mixture under the skin, smoothing it out over the legs, thighs, and breast. Rub the remaining butter mixture all over the skin. Season the turkey all over with salt and pepper.

Stuff the cavity with the lemon, orange, onion, garlic, and any leftover herbs you have. Roast for about 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature taken in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing to serve. 

Hi Julie,

I’m making this recipe this year for Thanksgiving and I’m so excited! I know you mentioned that it’s up to us to cover or not, but what do you recommend? I want to follow your turkey to the “T” since it’s my first time making a turkey ever!

This looks bomb. Can’t wait to make it.

This Perfect Roast Turkey from Gordon Ramsay ensures a juicy, flavorful bird with herby butter, lemon, and garlic, wrapped in smoky bacon.

Perfect Roast Turkey

free-range Turkey (about 5 kg), the main ingredient

Onions (peeled, halved),

rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon, to wrap around the turkey

Lemon

Garlic (halved horizontally),

Leaves,

Olive Oil (to drizzle),

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to season.

½ Cups (375 g) Butter (room temperature),

Garlic (peeled, crushed),

Lemons

Olive Oil, to enhance the butter's smoothness.

Make The Herb Butter

In a large bowl, combine butter with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and crushed garlic. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.

Prep The Turkey

Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff with onions, lemon, garlic, and bay leaves for an aromatic stuffing. Loosen the skin of the turkey and stuff the butter mixture underneath, spreading it evenly across the meat. Drizzle olive oil over the skin and rub in to ensure a golden, crisp finish.

Roast The Turkey

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Roast the turkey for 10-15 minutes at high heat to brown the skin, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F). Roast for 2 ½ hours, basting every 30 minutes to ensure the meat stays moist. If the turkey is not fully cooked after 2 ½ hours, cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Rest And Serve

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 45 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

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Best Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey

Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe

Juicy Roast Turkey

Perfect Roast Turkey

Top 4 juicy roast turkey recipes from across the web

The most viewed juicy roast turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Best Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey

Juicy Roast Turkey Recipe

Juicy Roast Turkey

Perfect Roast Turkey

The most viewed juicy roast turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine