Compound Butter & Herb Roast Turkey

Author Notes

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I slow-bake an 18 to 20–pound turkey at 325°F in my huge graniteware pan. The turkey is cooked with the steam that builds up in the pan, and then basted and finished on high heat to crisp and brown the skin. The meat is tender and juicy and very tasty. I don't load the compound butter with lots of garlic and herbs, just enough to flavor the turkey very delicately.

Thanksgiving 2020 Update:

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and the turkey is traditionally considered the star of the show on most holiday tables. While it’s the natural focal point, it can also be the most challenging to execute. I remember my mom’s turkey from when I was growing up: always moist, tender, and delicious every single time. As an adult, cooking my own Thanksgiving dinner I learned that roasting turkey can present some challenges, sometimes overcooked and dry or undercooked, requiring constant monitoring, watching, basting etc… but it doesn’t have to be that way.

After several sad attempts I called Mom asking her secret to a consistently perfect turkey, and the answer was simple: She used a graniteware pan. My recipe for Butter and Herb Roast Turkey is based on my mom’s method updated by adding a compound butter with garlic, sage, thyme, and lemon zest that is generously placed under the skin. Not only does it keep the breast meat moist, it adds incredible flavor.

When you use a covered roasting pan (e.g., graniteware), the meat or poultry is steam roasted; this seals in the juices and results in a turkey that is tender, moist, and cuts the cooking time almost in half. Another perk is that you do not have to baste the turkey until the very end, when you remove the lid and let the skin crisp and brown. Suggestion: Prepare the turkey by placing the compound butter under the skin and rubbing it all over the outside of the turkey as well, then let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

This holiday—just like every year!—I will be making this recipe. Most of the time, there are at least a dozen guests at my home, but this year will be different—the pandemic has impacted all of us and holidays for many will not be the same. Instead of having family over, I am making Thanksgiving dinner and delivering to some neighbors and friends who are alone and do not or cannot cook. It is all about happy memories, and food prepared with love and shared. —sdebrango

Test Kitchen Notes

This video is shared in partnership with Yummly®—their Smart Bluetooth Meat Thermometer calculates cook time and signals when the recipe's ready, so your roast turkey, steak, salmon, and more comes out juuuust right.

I've roasted no more than three or four turkeys over the last 10 years; we discovered frying them and were hooked. When I saw this recipe, however, I was intrigued: Roast a turkey and not baste it? How could that be? Well, it was amazing! I took the liberty of roasting a 14-pounder, cut the roasting time a bit and used only about 3/4 of the compound butter (which is truly amazing in itself). I struggled to keep from peeking and basting, but followed sdebrango's directions and just cranked up the heat and basted with the compound butter once. What resulted was moist breast meat, succulent dark meat and somewhat crispy skin. This one's a keeper! —inpatskitchen