This Herb Butter Turkey is juicy, flavorful, and guaranteed to be the star of your holiday feast. The buttery herb mixture keeps the meat moist while creating the most golden, crispy skin.
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With the holidays right around the corner, it is time to think about cooking the turkey. Turkeys always seem intimidating, but with my help tips and this tasty recipe, you won't think that anymore.
Be sure to check out my guide on How to Spatchcock a Turkey, Smoked Turkey Breast, and my favorite Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey.
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful Compound Butter Mixture - Fresh herbs blended into butter infuse the turkey with incredible taste. This is a spin-off of my Garlic Herb Butter Recipe!
- Moist & Juicy Meat - Butter under the skin helps lock in moisture as it roasts.
- Crispy Golden Skin - Basting, oil, and herb butter create that irresistible holiday finish.
- Beginner Friendly - Straightforward steps make this recipe approachable, even for first-time turkey cooks.
This turkey with compound butter goes great with sour cream mashed potatoes, turkey gravy without drippings, green bean casserole with cream cheese, Thanksgiving corn, sweet potato rolls, and baked brie with.
What This Recipe Needs
- Whole Turkey - The centerpiece of the holiday table. Make sure to get one that will feed everyone!
- Butter - Adds richness, keeps meat juicy, and helps herbs stick.
- Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Sage) - Classic aromatics that bring earthy, savory flavor.
- Garlic - Provides warmth and depth to the butter mix.
- Salt & Pepper - Essential for bringing out the best flavor in the turkey.
- Onion, Lemon, and Carrots, & Celery (for stuffing inside cavity) - Infuse subtle flavor and moisture while roasting.
- Equipment- Roasting Pan, Instant Read Thermometer, probe thermometer, and a platter.
Substitutions
- Butter → Try ghee or extra olive oil for different dietary needs.
- Fresh Herbs → Use dried herbs (about ⅓ the amount) if fresh aren't available.
- Turkey → This method works beautifully with a whole chicken if you're feeding fewer guests. Check out my Thanksgiving Chicken for more details!
Herb Butter Turkey Prep
What Size Turkey Should You Buy?
Typically, people suggest 1 lb of turkey for every person or 1 ½ lbs. per person if you want leftovers, and who doesn't want leftovers!
- For 8 people you should get a 10-12 lb turkey.
- For 12 people you should get a 14-18lb turkey.
If you have a large group of people, it might be easier to get two smaller turkeys and bake those than one gigantic turkey.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw A Turkey?
Making sure you take the turkey out of the freezer with ample time to thaw is essential. You should thaw the turkey in the refrigerator.
Allow at least 1 day for every 4 lbs.
How Soon After Thawing Should You Use Turkey?
Cook the turkey within 2 days after thawing.
Do You Need to Rinse The Turkey?
Nope. Studies have shown rinsing spreads bacteria from the bird to other kitchen surfaces more easily. Rinse won't help with the cooking of the bird.
Any bacteria on the turkey will be killed when you bake it.
How To Make Herb Butter?
- Step 1: Allow butter to come to room temperature or microwave at 30% power at 15-second intervals until soft and malleable but not melted. Mix in the minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Herb Butter Turkey?
- Step 2: Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. These will be located in the body cavity or neck cavity. Not all turkeys come with them, so don't be worried if yours aren't there. You can set those pieces aside for use in another recipe or throw them away.
- Step 3: Remove the trussing from the legs of the turkey. This is the tie or plastic piece that keeps the legs together during cooking. Even though it makes the turkey look nice, it actually prevents airflow and can lead to food safety issues.
- Step 4: Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. This helps the skin to crisp up nicely during baking.
- Step 5: Combine the extra rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Then take the mixture and rub it inside the cavity of the turkey. Then, quarter the onion and lemon, and insert them into the cavity.
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- Step 6: Gently separate the skin from the breast muscle. It's easy to peel it back and then work your fingers in between the two to pull them apart. Take ⅓ of the herb butter and rub it between the skin and muscle.
- Step 7: Then rub the remaining butter over the entire outside of the turkey and drizzle with olive oil. You don't need to worry about getting the bottom.
- Step 8: Coarsely chop your other onion, celery, and carrots and place them in a roasting pan. If you have a roasting rack, you can set it over the veggies and then put the turkey on top. However, if you don't have a roasting rack, you can place the turkey directly on top of the veggies.
- Step 9: Tuck the wings under the turkey as best as possible (this prevents burning of the tips).
- Step 10: Baste the turkey with its own juices every 20-30 minutes until it is done.
Check out my fun turkey cheese ball for a great-tasting centerpiece.
How Long to Bake Herb Butter Turkey?
The rule of thumb for baking a turkey is 15 minutes per pound of turkey.
For example, a 8-pound turkey will need at least 2 hours to bake, a 12-pound turkey at least 3 hours, and a 16-pound turkey 4 hours.
You will want to remove the turkey from the oven when the breast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. The turkey will continue cooking out of the oven and will rise to the final and correct temperature of 165°F.
The thigh meat's connective tissue breaks down at 175°F, making it nice and easy to eat.
I recommend checking the turkey when it is ¾ of the way done baking. If it's getting too dark on top, place some foil over it.
Expert Herb Butter Turkey Tips
- Make sure the turkey is fully thawed before cooking for even roasting.
- Pat the turkey dry so the herb butter sticks and the skin crisps.
- Let the bird rest at least 30 minutes after roasting to keep juices in.
- Use a meat thermometer-165°F in the thickest part of the breast ensures perfect doneness.
- Don't toss the drippings-use them for rich, flavorful gravy.
Variations
- Citrus Twist - Add orange zest or juice for a brighter flavor.
- Garlic Lovers' Turkey - Double the garlic in the herb butter for extra punch.
- Spiced Turkey - Add paprika or cayenne for warmth and subtle heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Putting butter under the skin helps add moisture and flavor to the meat.
Just separate the skin from the breast, creating a pocket by gently pulling the skin up and using your fingers to separate it from the muscle. Then rub the butter in between.
Yes-prepare it up to 2 days early and keep it chilled until ready to use.
Absolutely-just reduce the amount to about one-third of the fresh herb measurement.
Plan on 1-1.5 pounds per person to ensure plenty of meat and some leftovers.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
I highly recommend using it for my leftover turkey enchiladas, turkey tacos, turkey cranberry sandwiches, and hot open faced turkey sandwiches.
More Related Recipes
If you love this recipe, make sure to check out all my easy Thanksgiving Recipes like Sugared Cranberries, Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Filet Medallions with Blackberry Sauce, Chocolate Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie Cake, and my favorite Cranberry Julep!
If you like this recipe make sure to give it a 5-star review and leave a comment down below!
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Video
Herb Butter Turkey
Ingredients
Herb butter
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 tbs garlic minced
- 2 tbs rosemary fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 2 tbs thyme fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon sage fresh, or ⅓ teaspoon dried
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Turkey
- 12 lb turkey Use whatever size turkey you have
- 1 onion
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbs rosemary fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 2 tbs thyme fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 2 tbs sage fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Roasting Pan Veggies
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 celery ribs chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
Instructions
Herb Butter
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Set aside.1 cup butter softened, 3 tbs garlic, 2 tbs rosemary, 2 tbs thyme, 1 teaspoon sage, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
Turkey
- Allow the turkey to come to room temperature for an hour before baking.12 lb turkey
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine the rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.2 tbs rosemary, 2 tbs thyme, 2 tbs sage, 1 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Peel and cut your onion into quarters. Quarter your lemon as well.1 onion, 1 lemon
- Remove turkey from packaging. Remove the neck and giblets, which, if they are included with your turkey, will be located in the body cavity and stuffed in the next cavity. Sometimes skin will be covering the neck cavity, and you just need to pull that out, and the giblets will be in there.
- Pat the outside of the turkey dry and remove the trussing around the legs (usually a bit of plastic).
- Place all the herb/seasoning mixture inside the turkey cavity, then place your quartered onion and lemon inside the cavity as well. I like to scoop up handfuls of the mixture and then stick my hand into the cavity and spread the mixture around.
- Gently separate the skin from the breast by lifting up on the skin and then pushing your hand in between the skin and muscle.
- Rub about ⅓ of the herb butter under the skin.
- Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the turkey. Make sure to get the drumsticks and wings. Drizzle turkey with olive oil.¼ cup olive oil
Baking
- Coarsely chop your onion, celery, and carrots and place them in your roasting pan.1 onion, 4 celery ribs, 4 carrots
- Place your turkey on top of the veggies OR on top of a roasting rack that is placed over the veggies. Tuck the wings under the body if you can (to prevent burning).
- Bake in preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. You will want to cook the turkey for 15 minutes per pound of weight. Check the turkey frequently once it's ¾ done a baking. If the top is browning too much, cover it with aluminum foil. Stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, making sure you don't hit any bone or go through to the cavity.
- Once the temperature reaches 160°F, remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. It will continue to rise in temperature until it reaches 165°F, at which point it is safe to consume.
- Carve and enjoy!
Notes
- Rough Cooking Temperatures: An 8lb turkey will need at least 2 hrs to bake, a 12 lb turkey at least 3 hours, and a 16lb turkey 4 hours.
- Need a thermometer? Here is the one I love to use.
- Nutrition info and serving size are based on 3 oz of turkey breast per serving.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Michele says
I have been making Thanksgiving for years. I decided to quickly look up an easier way to butter my turkey and came across this recipe. It looked so good, and I had a ton of fresh herbs to use. So on a whim, I decided to do it. It was THE BEST TURKEY I have ever made! This is now my go to. My family loved it. I used more herbs since mine were fresh. The only differences were that I had already let it sit overnight with salted skin in my fridge. And my cooking is 475 for 30 minutes then down to 350. My skin is crisp and turkey very moist. I cannot wait to make this again and perhaps sooner than next Thanksgiving. 🙂
Lisa says
Yay! Thank you so much Michele!
RJinTX says
We're going to try this next week but was wondering if the herb measurements are for dried or fresh herbs, or are you using a mix of both?
Lisa says
I used dried herbs. If you use fresh I recommend using 2x the quantity. So for the herb butter 3 tbs rosemary, 3 tbs thyme, 1 tsp sage and then add more if you think it needs it.
Karen says
Would you use salted or unsalted butter for the herb butter?
Thanks!
Lisa says
I used unsalted. If you use salted just omit the salt from the ingredients for the herb butter. 🙂