Herb Roasted Turkey

This Herb Roasted Turkey is the same recipe my family has been using for years.  It’s one of my favorite classic easy Thanksgiving recipes.

Hands down, Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday!  I love everything about it — family and friends, the food, the food coma, everything!  Well, everything except for the dishes.  Those I could  do without.

Growing up, my grandmother or mother would always host Thanksgiving dinner.  I remember lazy days watching the Thanksgiving Day parade while smelling the amazing aromas from the roasting turkey.  It’s one of my favorite memories.

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Now, I host Thanksgiving dinner for my family.  I love it.  I love cooking the food.  I love setting the table.  I love being surrounded by all of my family.

The first year I hosted Thanksgiving I needed a lot of help from my mother.  I remember her giving me her turkey recipe written on old, grease spattered, paper that was browning from age.  This is the recipe I’m sharing with you today.

This is the turkey that we eat every single year.  It’s juicy and flavorful and perfect.  There’s nothing fancy, just classic flavors with ingredients you can find at your grocery store.  I do use my own Homemade Poultry Seasoning blend but you can easily use the kind you buy at the store.  I make it with my favorite stuffing packed into the cavity of the bird, but you can omit that if you prefer.

You can find all of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes here.

Wondering what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?  I’ve got you covered – check out these recipes.

Tools needed to roast a turkey

• Roasting Pan
• Turkey lifters
• Meat thermometer
• Electric knife to easily carve the bird

More Recipes You Might Like

• Grandma’s Best Stuffing
• Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
• Sausage and Apple Stuffing
• Baba’s Homemade Cranberry Relish

Looking for more?  Check out all of the best Thanksgiving recipes on It Is a Keeper.

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Herb Roasted Turkey

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Course: Main Dish

Servings: 10 servings

Author: Christina Hitchcock

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole turkey - I use a 14 turkey - recipe can easily be adjusted for any size
• 1 batch Herb Butter - recipe below
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion - peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots - peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 celery stalks - cleaned and chopped into chunks
• 2 cups turkey stock - or chicken stock
• 1 cup dry white wine - or water
• Prepared stuffing or extra chopped vegetables (1 onion - 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery)

Herb Butter

• 2 tablespoons butter - softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme - minced
• 2 teaspoonspoultry seasoning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine all ingredients for herb butter together (I do this in a food processor); set aside.
• Clean turkey - remove neck and gizzards from the cavity.
• Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water, including the cavity.
• Pat dry with paper towels.
• Season the outside and cavity generously with salt and pepper.
• If stuffing the bird, fill the cavity with stuffing. If not stuffing the bird, fill the cavity will extra vegetables.
• Rub herb butter all over the outside of the bird, including the underneath.
• Place chopped onion, carrots and celery in the bottom on the pan.
• Add stock and wine.
• Place bird on top of veggies and stock.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Turn oven down to 325 degrees and roast for 12-15 minutes per pound or until internal temperature (between the leg and breast) reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove foil during the last 30 minutes of roasting if turkey needs to brown more.
• Remove turkey from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

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Helpful Tips for All Recipes on It Is a Keeper

• Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust! 
• When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.  
• I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
• I always use a meat thermometor to test for doneness when cooking meat.  This one is my favorite.  
• When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
• The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate.  Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.