Herb Butter Turkey

5 from 12 votes

No holiday table is complete without the star of the meal, meaning it is time to make Herb Butter Turkey. This delicious recipe creates the perfect moist turkey that is bursting with flavor from the beautiful herbs in the butter.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Christmas Recipes, Easter Recipes, Mains, Thanksgiving Recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Cider, Christmas, Dinner, Easter, Gravy, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Servings: people

Calories: 699kcal

Author: Eva Filer

Equipment

Roasting Pan with Rack Insert
Medium Saucepan
Meat Thermometer
Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

TURKEY:

16 pound turkey rinsed, patted dry
½ stick butter unsalted
¼ cup fresh sage chopped
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup apple cider fresh, refrigerated

GRAVY:

2 cups chicken broth low sodium
¾ cup apple cider sweetened
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375F. Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan (you can lightly grease the rack if you want), pat the turkey dry with paper towels and set aside (note: for a juicier turkey you can cook it breast side down).
Melt butter in a small saucepan then add in chopped sage. Brush over the turkey and sprinkle with salt.
Roast turkey 1 hour; baste with any pan juices once or twice, then reduce the temperature to 350F. Roast for another 30 minutes, basting every 15 minutes.
Pour apple cider overtop and rotate the pan. Keep cooking until instant-read thermometer reads 165F (we recommend checking the thickest part of each thigh), continue to baste every 15 minutes.
Transfer turkey to platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil.
To make the gravy: Strain all pan juices into a large 4 cup measuring cup (do not scrape the pan), transfer about 3 tablespoons of fat to a medium saucepan (discard the rest).
Set aside.
Place the pan over 2 burners. Add broth and cider, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Scrape up brown bits, cook for 10 minutes (lower heat if needed), reduce until about 2 ½ cups of liquid. Strain into the measuring cup with the pan juices (note: if less than 3 ½ cups in total, add more chicken stock). Set aside.
Place the saucepan (with the fat) over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, mix until combined. Pour in the 3 ½ cups of juices and whisk until desired thickness.

Notes

To ensure a more even cook, allow your thawed turkey needs to be brought to room temperature before cooking.
Every time you open the oven, heat escapes and cooking time extends. Stick to 15-minute intervals after the first hour.
Tie the legs together to help the turkey cook evenly and retain moisture.
While this recipe doesn’t involve a stuffed turkey, note it will require a longer cooking time. If you stuff the cavity, use a thermometer to ensure the stuffing also reaches a safe internal temperature
If cooking a larger turkey, loosely tent with foil if the skin browns too quickly and rotate the pan during roasting for even cooking.
After roasting, place turkey on a cutting board and let it rest. This ensures the juices redistribute through both the breast and dark meat.
For best results, test the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone.

Nutrition