Our Thanksgiving Turkey recipe has all the flavor and juiciness you expect from the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, with minimum stress!
Figure on about 1.5 lbs of turkey per person. This will provide plenty for everyone plus leftovers for great turkey sandwiches.
Ingredients
Directions
- If you have a frozen turkey, thaw it in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours for every 5 lb of turkey. Err on the generous side to be safe.
- Remove the thawed turkey from the refrigerator about 1 hour before roasting, to bring it to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Adjust the oven rack so the turkey sits in the center of your oven.
Herb butter
- Combine room temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, one Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, one Tbsp fresh chopped thyme, and half a Tbsp of fresh chopped sage.
Prep the turkey
- Remove turkey from packaging and remove the neck and giblets from the inside the cavities of the bird. (You can reserve them for the gravy or discard them). Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels. Do NOT rinse the turkey.
- Season the cavity of the turkey with Spirits & Spice Bloody Good on Everything, then add quartered lemon, onion and apple and sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.
- Loosen the skin above the breasts and smooth a few Tbsp of the herb butter underneath.
- Tuck the wings underneath the turkey and set the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan.
- Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 30 seconds. Use a basting brush to brush the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey.
- Roast at 325 degrees F until internal temperature (inserted on middle of thigh and breast) reaches about 165 degrees - about 13-15 minutes per lb.
- About halfway through cooking, check the turkey. When the skin is golden brown, cover the top of the turkey with tinfoil, to protect the breast from overcooking.
- Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
- Reserve drippings from roasting pan to make turkey gravy.
- Combine with your favorite and stuffing recipes.
Slice and lay out on your serving platter as the centerpiece of your meal.
