The most Perfect Roast Turkey recipe relies on dry-brining and butter-basting for the juiciest, most delicious turkey you’ve ever had. Save your pan drippings too for an easy classic gravy recipe.
My idea of a perfectly roasted turkey involves juicy meat, butter-crisp skin, and plenty of flavor.
Luckily, there’s a way to get all three of those things without a giant bucket of salted water (taking up precious fridge space) or a vat of boiling oil (too risky and unpredictable.)
Whether you’re a first-time turkey roaster or a seasoned Thanksgiving host, this recipe is easy to follow and always makes people come back for seconds.
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Buttering a turkey before cooking is a simple but genius technique that imparts rich flavor and moisture to your holiday bird. Slipping butter under the skin before roasting transforms an ordinary turkey into a delicious showstopper. Here’s everything you need to know about prepping your turkey with butter.
Why Should You Butter a Turkey?
Buttering a turkey before roasting provides several important benefits:
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Flavor – Butter adds rich, savory flavor to the turkey meat. As the butter melts, those flavors get absorbed into the meat.
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Moisture – The melted butter bastes the turkey from the inside out, keeping the meat much moister than an unbuttered bird.
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Browning – Butter promotes even browning and crispier skin as the turkey roasts. The milk proteins in the butter undergo the Maillard reaction, resulting in browned flavors.
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Texture – Butter makes the skin super crispy and helps separate it from the meat. This gives you that ideal contrast of ultra-crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
When to Butter a Turkey
The best time to slip butter under the turkey skin is right before the bird goes into the oven. Butter too far in advance and it can soften excessively or even spoil.
Plan to prep your turkey with butter after it has sat out at room temperature for about 1-2 hours before roasting. The skin will be more pliable and easier to loosen when the turkey isn’t ice cold.
How to Butter a Turkey
Buttering a raw turkey is easy Here are simple step-by-step instructions for prepping a turkey with butter
Gather Your Ingredients
You’ll need:
- Whole raw turkey
- Salted butter, at room temperature for easy spreading
- Fresh herbs (optional)
Loosen the Skin
Use your hands to gently loosen the skin from the breast meat, being careful not to tear the skin. Wiggle your fingers underneath to create a pocket for the butter.
Add Flavored Butter
Mix softened butter with chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Spread the butter evenly under the skin of the turkey breast.
Herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme are excellent choices that pair nicely with turkey. Garlic butter is delicious too.
Roast the Turkey
Roast the turkey according to your recipe. Baste with pan drippings for added moisture and flavor.
The butter under the skin bastes the turkey from the inside as it melts during cooking.
Butter Tips and Tricks
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Focus on slipping butter under the skin of the breast, where it can work its magic on the lean white meat. Turkey legs and thighs have more fat and often get crispy on their own.
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For easier spreading, bring the butter to room temperature before prepping the turkey. Cold butter is too firm. Softened butter blends smoothly under the skin.
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Herb butters add wonderful flavor. Use fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, or a blend. Minced garlic is excellent too.
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Compound butters made with citrus zest, horseradish, or Parmesan are also delicious options. Get creative with the flavors!
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Resist over-buttering. Just 2-4 tablespoons is plenty for a standard 12-16 lb turkey. Too much butter under the skin can cause the skin to tear.
Make Ahead Turkey
For added convenience, you can prep your turkey with butter ahead of time. Just follow these tips:
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Butter and herb the raw turkey as described above, then refrigerate overnight. The butter will firm up but still flavor the meat.
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Roast the turkey until just underdone, then let cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze.
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To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a 300°F oven until heated through and the skin is crispy.
FAQs
Does butter make turkey skin crispy?
Yes! Turkey skin crisps up beautifully thanks to the milk proteins in butter. Butter helps facilitate the Maillard reaction, resulting in crispy browned skin.
Can you put olive oil on turkey instead?
Olive oil doesn’t impart as much flavor. Butter is preferred for its rich taste and browning abilities. That said, you can rub the turkey skin with a bit of olive oil if desired. This helps promote even browning.
What’s the best turkey breed for roasting?
The Broad Breasted White is the most common variety raised for roasting. These commercial turkeys have a higher proportion of white breast meat. Heritage breeds have darker, more flavorful meat.
How long should you roast a turkey?
Whole turkeys take about 13-15 minutes per pound at 325°F. A 16 lb turkey would take 3-4 hours. Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness.
Can you roast a turkey at 350°F?
Yes, 350°F is within the safe roasting temperature range. Whole turkeys are often roasted between 300-350°F. Higher heat helps render fat and crisp the skin.
The Takeaway
Slipping butter under the turkey skin before roasting delivers big benefits to flavor, moisture, and texture. The process only takes a couple minutes and the rewards are well worth that small effort. For your best turkey ever, don’t skip this simple prep step. A well-buttered bird promises to be a new holiday tradition that your family and friends will request year after year.
Do you need an instant-read thermometer?
Because roasting times may vary, the best way to tell if a turkey is done is with a good instant-read thermometer. I love my Thermapen One from ThermoWorks and it’s one of my most used cooking tools. I get nearly instant, extremely accurate results every time. In fact, we named it the top pick in our roundup of the best instant-read thermometers.
It’s a bit pricey and you can get it for $99 at ThermoWorks. It does go on sale every so often, but if you want a more budget-friendly option, I also like the ThermoPop, which is only $15.99 at ThermoWorks and it makes a great gift!
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: Plan for 1 ¼ pounds turkey per person (some of the weight is from bones). This recipe assumes a 15-pound bird which will feed about 12 people (about 1 ½ cups turkey per person or 18 cups total). The math is: 12 people x 1.25 pounds per person = 15-pound turkey.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Get a jump start on your Thanksgiving prep with my easy Make Ahead Turkey recipe. Roast, carve, and freeze the turkey in its juices. Then thaw, reheat, and make the gravy.
- Roasting times may vary: After all, you may be cooking a slightly smaller or larger turkey. An unstuffed turkey takes about 15 minutes per pound when roasted at 325 degrees. However, the best way to tell if a turkey is roasted through is with a good meat thermometer (165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh).
- Table-side carving: Follow this method if you prefer to carve the turkey at the table, rather than handle everything backstage. Just above the thigh and shoulder joints, carve a deep horizontal cut through the breast toward the bone to create a base cut. Starting near the breastbone, carve thin slices vertically, cutting downward to end each slice at the base cut.
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast: This recipe delivers a delicious, tender bird without taking up any oven space.
- Ultimate Turkey Guide: Cook your best Thanksgiving menu (or Sunday dinner) ever. Brush up on how to buy, thaw, brine, and cook a turkey, plus learn how easy it is to make turkey broth from bones and turkey gravy from pan drippings.
Plan on 1 ¼ pounds per person. If you can’t find a turkey small enough for your group, consider a turkey breast instead. And if you’re feeding a large group, consider a couple of medium or large turkeys rather than an enormous one (it is easier to thaw and cook a couple of average birds rather than the biggest one you can find).
Your turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees for 15 seconds and the juices run clear
For food safety reasons, and for a more evenly cooked bird, most modern recipes don’t encourage stuffing a turkey. If you decide to stuff your turkey, combine wet and dry stuffing components just before placing them in the cavity, ensuring any raw meat, poultry, or seafood used in the stuffing is fully cooked beforehand. Do not stuff a bird with cooked stuffing. Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat. For more information, see the USDA website.