Herb Butter Turkey

• servings: 85 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened

3 tbs garlic (minced)

1 ½ tbs rosemary

1 ½ tbs thyme

½ tsp sage

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 turkey 12-20 lbs*

1 onion

1 lemon

2 tbs rosemary

2 tbs thyme

2 tbs sage

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 onion (chopped)

4 celery ribs (chopped)

4 carrots (chopped)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl combine softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Set aside. (1 cup butter, 3 tbs minced garlic, 1 ½ tbs rosemary, 1 ½ tbs thyme, ½ tsp sage, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Combine the rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper in a medium size bowl.

Peel and cut your onion into quarters. Quarter your lemon as well.

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 seasoning mixture inside the turkey cavity, then place your quartered onion and lemon inside the cavity as well. I like to just 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 1/3 of the herb butter under the skin.

Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the turkey. Making sure to get the drumsticks and wings.

Coarsely chop your onion, celery, and carrots and place them in your roasting pan.

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 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 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. Allow turkey to rest at least 30 minutes.

Notes

Allow turkey to come to room temperature for an hour before baking.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 3 oz
• Calories: 109 kcal
• Total Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 49 mg
• Sodium: 158 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 13 g