Herb and Butter Roasted Turkey

A simple roast turkey gives you a main dish to build your holiday dinner around. This version uses butter, a few herbs, and a steady oven temperature. Use the clock to plan your day, but use a thermometer to decide when the turkey is done.

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What You Need

• 1 whole turkey, 12–14 pounds, completely thawed, neck and giblets removed
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; use less salt if the turkey is brined, kosher, self-basting, or injected with a salt solution
• 1 large onion, cut into large pieces
• 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces
• 1 large juice-orange or lemon

Thaw the Turkey First

Put the wrapped turkey on a rimmed tray in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Allow about 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds; a 12–14-pound turkey generally needs 3–4 days. Once thawed in the refrigerator, cook it within 1–2 days. Do not thaw it on the counter.

How to Roast the Turkey

1. Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F. Arrange an oven rack so the turkey will fit without touching the top of the oven.
2. Prepare the bird. Unwrap the turkey and remove the neck and giblet packet from both cavities. Dry turkey with paper towels inside and out. Do not rinse raw turkey; splashing water can spread bacteria around the sink and counters. Wash your hands and clean any surfaces that touched the raw bird. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about an hour.
3. Make the herb butter. Mix the softened butter with the fresh herbs. Season the turkey lightly with salt and pepper, taking its package label and any previous brining into account.
4. Butter the turkey. Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, taking care not to tear it. Spread about half the herb butter mixture under the skin and rub the remaining butter over the outside.
5. Set up the roasting pan. Scatter the onion, carrots, and celery in the pan beneath the roasting rack. Place the turkey breast-side up on the rack and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Add more large chopped onion, celery and carrot to the cavity of the turkey. Poke holes in the orange all the way around with a skewer. Add the orange to the cavity. Bake any stuffing in a separate dish.
6. Roast. Roast uncovered. For a fully thawed, unstuffed 12–14-pound turkey, start checking the temperature around 2¾ hours; the estimated roasting time is 3–3¾ hours. Loosely tent the breast with foil if it browns before the turkey is cooked. Avoid opening the oven repeatedly.
7. Check all three places. Before removing the turkey, check the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh, and the innermost wing with a food thermometer, avoiding bone. Each must reach at least 165°F. If one area is below 165°F, continue roasting and check again. Do not rely on the color of the juices or a pop-up timer.
8. Rest and carve. Move the cooked turkey to a carving board and loosely tent it with foil. Rest for about 30 minutes before carving. Save the drippings for gravy.

Timing for a Different Size

These are approximate roasting times for a fully thawed, unstuffed whole turkey in a 325°F oven. Start checking before the end of the range. Use the thermometer to decide when the turkey is ready.

Whole turkey weight	Estimated roasting time
8–12 pounds	2¾–3 hours
12–14 pounds	3–3¾ hours
14–18 pounds	3¾–4¼ hours
18–20 pounds	4¼–4½ hours
20–24 pounds	4½–5 hours

White Meat vs. Dark Meat. 

The legs and thighs are technically done (safe to eat) at 165°F. But the dark meat is more tender when it reaches 175-180°F.

To keep the breast meat from drying out, I remove both breast halves when they reach 165°F. Cut down along one side of the breastbone, following the curve of the rib cage to lift off the breast half. At the bottom of the breast, cut horizontally just above the thigh to free the breast half. Use heat-proof gloves.

Tent the breasts on a cutting board with aluminum foil, then return the dark meat to the oven until the dark meat reaches 175-180°F internal temperature.

How to Slice the Breasts

Slice the breast into slabs about half an inch thick, width-wise, not length-wise.

Fit It Into Your Holiday Plan

Use the Holiday Food Calculator to estimate your turkey size, then use the Cooking Day Scheduler to work backward from serving time. Reserve time for resting and carving after roasting. If you are cooking two birds, estimate the roasting time from each bird’s individual weight rather than adding their weights together, leave space for heat to circulate, and check each bird separately.

Serve with Mashed Red-Skinned Potatoes, Giblet Gravy, and your favorite holiday sides.

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Store and Reheat Leftovers

Carve the remaining meat off the bones and refrigerate it in shallow airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. Keep refrigerated leftovers for 3–4 days. Freeze portions for longer storage. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, adding a little broth and covering the meat to help keep it moist.

Cooking and Food Safety References

Roasting and thawing estimates: FoodSafety.gov turkey roasting and thawing charts. Temperature checks: USDA guidance on turkey temperature.

What to do with Leftover Turkey

• Turkey Spaghetti Casserole
• Turkey Pot Pies
• Leftover Turkey Sandwiches
• Turkey Enchiladas

Tools that Make This Recipe Work

• Roasting pan
• Meat thermometer

This is a simple recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas.