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+ servings
a cooked whole turkey on a platter decorated with orange slices and herbs.
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5 from 3 votes

Juicy Roast Turkey

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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Holidays
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 724kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 lb whole turkey skin-on, fully defrosted
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh tarragon finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1/2 tbsp kosher salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp black pepper

The Cavity

  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • 1/2 orange cut into wedges
  • 1 small onion cut into wedges
  • 1 head of garlic cut in half

Instructions

  • 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. 

Notes

To make Thanksgiving day easier, prepare the turkey the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 40 minutes and then pop it in the oven!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 724kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 84g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 946mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 942IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 4mg