Description

This Best Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey for a Crowd is a budget-friendly, crowd-pleasing centerpiece that delivers golden, fragrant, and impossibly juicy meat with crisp skin. Simple ingredients and a forgiving technique make it perfect for holidays and family gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

1 whole turkey (12–14 pounds), thawed if frozen
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8–10 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the cavity
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 large onion, quartered
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 lemon, halved
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
For the Garlic Herb Butter:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep the Turkey (15 minutes): Remove turkey from packaging, take out giblets and neck, and pat completely dry with paper towels inside and out. Season cavity generously with salt and pepper, then stuff with quartered onion, chopped carrots, celery, and lemon halves.
Make the Garlic Herb Butter (10 minutes): In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix until evenly distributed.
Apply the Butter Under the Skin (5 minutes): Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast from the neck opening toward the legs. Slide about half the garlic herb butter under the skin, spreading evenly over the breast meat. Rub remaining butter all over the outside of the turkey, including legs and wings.
Truss and Position (5 minutes): Tuck wing tips under the turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack in the pan. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
Roast (About 3 to 3.5 hours): Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes. Without opening oven, reduce temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone). Start checking at 2.5 hours.
Baste and Rest (20 minutes total): Every 45 minutes, baste turkey with pan juices. If skin gets too dark, tent loosely with foil. Once turkey reaches 165°F, remove from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Notes

Pat the turkey dry for crispy skin. Let butter come to room temperature for easy spreading. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy. Let turkey rest before carving to retain juices. If skin tears, patch with butter and foil. For dried herbs, use one-third the amount of fresh.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 p
Calories: 475
Sugar: 1
Sodium: 650
Fat: 28
Saturated Fat: 16
Carbohydrates: 3
Protein: 48

Keywords: roasted turkey, garlic herb butter, holiday turkey, Thanksgiving turkey, crowd-pleasing turkey, budget-friendly turkey