This is my go-to roasted turkey recipe for all occasions.
The flavours are satisfying anytime of year and once you’ve made the herb butter there’s not much left to do other than cook the turkey.
An easy lemon herb roasted turkey is sure to be enjoyed by all of your dinner guests!
I used to think roasting a turkey was very intimidating. However, I’ve made this lemon herb butter roasted turkey so many times now that I feel comfortable cooking it anytime.
The herb butter imparts so much flavour and makes the turkey skin so brown and crispy that it truly makes the process so easy.
Why you’ll love this easy lemon herb roasted turkey
- Lemony-herb, butter flavour shines through in this recipe.
- Easy to find, simple and fresh ingredients.
- A new, tasty take on a classic roasted turkey!
- The best part, you can use this herb butter and follow my cooking instructions OR simply use the butter and your own tried, tested and true turkey cooking method.
Ingredients needed for this lemon butter turkey recipe
Turkey: one turkey, approximately 12-14lbs.
Aromatics: chicken or vegetable broth, yellow onion, celery, carrots, lemon and fresh herbs for the roasting pan.
Butter: softened butter is the base for the lemon & thyme butter.
Salt & Pepper: key seasonings for this recipe.
Shallot: rounds out the flavour of the herb butter but you can substitute with garlic cloves if needed.
Lemon: zest of one lemon gives the butter serious flavour.
Olive oil: helps to make the butter spreadable.
Fresh herbs: fresh thyme makes this butter just sing with flavour when combined with the other ingredients.
Step by step process for making this easy lemon herb roasted turkey
Step 1: To make the herb butter stir together softened butter with remaining ingredients.
Step 2: Remove the turkey from the fridge 90 minutes before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature. Make sure once you remove the turkey from it’s packaging, remove the neck and the bag of giblets (usually found in the cavity of the turkey); then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Step 3: When ready to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 325F.
Step 4: To the roasting pan add broth, 4 pieces of onion, celery pieces, chopped carrots & 2 pieces of lemon.
Step 5: Season the turkey cavity with salt & pepper then stuff in the rest of the onion pieces, 2 pieces of lemon & handfuls of thyme/parsley.
Step 6: Pat turkey dry with paper towel & tie legs together with kitchen twine; set turkey inside a roasting pan.
Step 7: Use your fingers to smooth herb butter all over the outside of the turkey. If butter isn’t soft enough, microwave for 20-30 seconds & use a basting brush to spread over the turkey.
Step 8: Baste the turkey with the juices in the pan about 3-4 times during cooking.
Step 9: About halfway through the cooking time, if the skin becomes a golden brown colour, you can cover the top / turkey breast with foil to keep it from over cooking.
Step 10: Roast the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, you can estimate it will take about 13-15 minutes per pound. Once cooked, let the turkey rest, tented with foil for 20 minutes before carving.
Easy Lemon Herb Butter Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
Lemon Herb Butter
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsp minced shallot (about 1 small shallot)
- zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Leaves from 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
For the turkey
- 1 whole fresh turkey, 12-14lbs
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 celery stalks, chopped into 8 pieces
- 2 carrots, chopped into 8 pieces
- 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 pieces
- Handful of fresh thyme & parsley
Instructions
- To make the herb butter stir together softened butter with remaining ingredients.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge 90 minutes before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature. Make sure once you remove the turkey from it’s packaging, remove the neck and the bag of giblets (usually found in the cavity of the turkey); then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- When ready to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 325F.
- To the roasting pan add broth, 4 pieces of onion, celery pieces, chopped carrots & 2 pieces of lemon.
- Season the turkey cavity with salt & pepper then stuff in the rest of the onion pieces, 2 pieces of lemon & handfuls of thyme/parsley.
- Pat turkey dry with paper towel & tie legs together with kitchen twine; set turkey inside a roasting pan.
- Use your fingers to smooth herb butter all over the outside of the turkey. If butter isn’t soft enough, microwave for 20-30 seconds & use a basting brush to spread over the turkey.
- Baste the turkey with the juices in the pan about 3-4 times during cooking.
- About halfway through the cooking time, if the skin becomes a golden brown colour, you can cover the top / turkey breast with foil to keep it from over cooking.
- Roast the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, you can estimate it will take about 13-15 minutes per pound. *Remember, everyone's oven is different so the best way to see if the turkey is done is measuring the internal temperature.* Once cooked, let the turkey rest, tented with foil for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh thyme sprigs, you can use dried thyme - replace the leaves of fresh thyme with 2 tsp dried thyme.
- You can make the herb butter the day before and store in the fridge. Remove from the fridge at least an hour before using so it can soften up.
FAQ
Can I use dried thyme instead of fresh thyme?
If you don’t have fresh thyme sprigs, you can use dried thyme – replace the leaves of fresh thyme with 2 tsp dried thyme.
What if I forgot to soften the butter?
Pour hot water into a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, dump the water out of the bowl, put the butter in a bowl or plate and cover it with the emptied ‘hot water’ bowl. It should soften within a few minutes. Alternatively, you can cut up the butter and place it on a plate, separating the pieces and it should soften in 15-20 minutes.
Can I make the herb butter the day before?
You can make the herb butter the day before and store in the fridge. Remove from the fridge at least an hour before using so it can soften up.
Can I cook the turkey at a different temperature?
YES! The lemon butter turkey recipe is adaptable; so, just make the lemon herb butter, slather it on the turkey and then cook at your preferred temperature settings. They lemon herb butter will simply keep the turkey super flavourful!
What if I can’t find shallots?
Use garlic cloves for a good substitute; 3 garlic cloves should do the trick.
Expert tips to make this easy roasted turkey
- If you’re using a frozen turkey, make sure you leave plenty of time for the turkey to thaw – a good rule of thumb to follow is one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey. I like to give myself one extra day, just to make sure it defrosts completely.
- It’s super important to let the turkey rest once done cooking, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Just make sure to tent the turkey with foil while it rests – if you’re going to use the drippings from the pan to make a gravy, remove the turkey from the roasting pan to a cutting board and tent it (wrap it loosely) with foil while it rests there. If you’re not going to use the drippings to make a gravy, leave the turkey in the pan and tent with foil right in there.
- Knowing how to take the temperature of a turkey is key! This helpful post from The Kitchn shows you how to measure the temperature of a turkey.
- When the turkey is resting make your favourite gravy using the drippings from the pan.
Side dishes that would pair perfectly with this turkey from the blog:
Sheet Pan Roasted Carrots, Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
Honey Butter Roasted Carrots and Radishes
Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess
Leave a Reply