• Whole Turkey • Cold Water • Kosher Salt or Table Salt • Dark Brown Sugar • Whole Black Peppercorns • Allspice Berries • Fresh Thyme • Fresh Rosemary • Garlic Cloves • Oranges • Bay Leaves • Salted Butter • Fresh Oregano • Fresh Tarragon • Ground Black Pepper • Apple • Onion • Carrot • Celery • Olive Oil
Brine the Turkey and pat it dry. I have a link to my Turkey Brine Recipe in the post.
Chop the fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, and tarragon.
Combine softened butter with chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper.
Mash into a paste with a fork or using a food processor.
Use your fingers to gently separate and loosen the skin from the breast meat.
Use your hands to stuff about ⅔ of the garlic herb butter between the skin and the breast meat.
Massage it to create an even layer. Rub the remaining ⅓ of the butter mixture inside the cavity of the turkey.
Add aromatics like apple, onion, carrot, and celery to the cavity of the turkey.
Tie the legs together and fold the wings under the turkey to protect them while the rest of the turkey is cooking so they don't dry out and burn.
Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan with the breast side up. At this point, the turkey can go back into the fridge for 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Take a large square of aluminum foil and fold it in half to make a triangle.
Shape the triangle over the breast of the turkey (with the point towards the legs) to create a shield.
Cook the turkey, starting with high heat, dropping to a lower temperature for a slow roast.
Remove from turkey from the oven and tent loosely with foil.
Let it rest for 30 to 60 minutes before carving.
Arrange the carved meat on a large platter with sprigs of fresh herbs and fresh cranberries or other fruit as a garnish, then serve.
The butter, herb, and garlic rub results in crispy skin and mouth-watering, juicy, perfectly flavored meat!
Being in charge of preparing the Thanksgiving turkey might be scary, especially if this is your first time roasting one. But it doesn't have to be that way! Roasting a turkey is similar to roasting a chicken, but on a bigger scale.
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