Roasted Butter Herb Turkey

Thanksgiving holidays are upon us and you may be searching for that perfect turkey recipe. Look no further, here is the recipe that will end your search! Delicious flavor, juicy and moist, even the breast meat. This recipe is inspired by a Sandra Lee recipe it can be found here, Roasted Butter Herb Turkey 

Cooking a turkey can be tricky and I hope my tips and pictorial will help your cooking run smoothly.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Sticks Butter Softened

1 1/2 Teaspoons Poultry Seasoning

1 Package Knorr Garlic and Herb Sauce Mix

1 1/2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic

1 Small Package Carrots

7 Stalks Celery

2 Large Yellow Onions

1 Lemon

1 32 Ounce Chicken Broth

12-14 Pound Turkey Thawed

Salt

Pepper

In a small bowl combine butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb mix and minced garlic. Using a fork mix until well combined. After mixed, transfer to a quart size Ziploc bag. Place in hand and fold over, like you would do for placing icing in bags. Refer to photos if needed. Using a rubber spatula add butter to bag. Mush butter to bottom of bag, seal and roll up bag and place in fridge. Let harden for about 30 minutes, you can also make this the night before.

Remove from fridge and cut bag, refer to photos. Have a small plate and knife handy. Make slices of butter and place on plate.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash and cut up celery, onions and carrots. Cut carrots and celery into 2-3 inch sticks. Large quarter onions. Reserving one onion for the inside of turkey. Cut lemon into thick slices.

Add celery, carrots and one onion to bottom of roasting pan. I like to use a disposable pan nestled inside my roasting pan, easy clean up! Set this pan aside.

Rinse and pat dry turkey and place on top of large cookie sheet. Using your fingers loosen skin around entire turkey. After loosened, place discs of butter under skin and in cavity, reserving 4-5 for outside of turkey. Place turkey into pan with celery, onion and carrots.

Rub reserved butter discs onto outside of turkey, season with salt and pepper. Stuff inside of turkey with remaining onion and lemon slices. Truss if you prefer, but we let our bird run free in our house!

Insert meat thermometer at an angle about 3 inches down from neck cavity and 2 inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.

Pour chicken broth into bottom of pan. Place into oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Roast for 1 hour. After 1 hour, using a turkey baster, baste with pan juices every 20 minutes. Turkey will be done when meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. I had a turkey close to 13 pounds and cooked it for 3 1/2 hours.

Note: If turkey starts browning too much place foil loosely over turkey.

Mix butter, poultry season, minced garlic and garlic herb mix

Place into bag fitted over hand

Mush butter to bottom of bag, place in fridge to harden

After hardened, use scissors to cut bag

Cut butter into discs

Add cut up celery, carrots and onion to bottom of pan

Cut up lemon and onion for inside of turkey

Loosen skin of turkey using fingers

Place butter discs under skin of turkey

Don't forget the legs

See the discs of butter, this will make your meat very moist and flavorful

Smear outside with remaining butter

Add butter to inside of cavity too

Make sure you smear that bird well

Salt and pepper entire turkey

Add lemon and onion to cavity

Pour chicken broth into bottom of pan

After a couple of hours this bird is looking delicious

Add foil if browning too much

Finished turkey

Cuts like buttah

See how juicy the breast is?

This is one delicious turkey

Dressing, gravy and cranberry compote added

Dressing and cranberry compote recipes coming tomorrow!