Garlic Butter Thanksgiving Turkey With Gravy

Published on November 15, 2017 | In American | By tatyanaseverydayfood |

- Prep Time
- 20 Minutes
- Difficulty Level

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A Thanksgiving or holiday table wouldn’t be complete with a big ol’ juicy and flavorful turkey at the center! This easy, no-fail Thanksgiving turkey recipe will knock your socks off, and be the best turkey you’ll ever serve! The secret to this juicy and aromatic turkey is butter, and lots of it! I season the butter with loads of spices, such as smoked paprika, basil, oregano and garlic. This herbed butter is spread underneath the skin and over the top to add moisture and flavor to every bite! This recipe is measured for a 9 pound turkey; adjust the recipe according to the size of your bird.

Watch my video recipe for all the details! *Important* – turkeys need at least 4 to 5 days to thaw in the refrigerator! Make sure you take yours out of the freezer ahead of time!

I love to stuff my turkey with citrus, such as lemon and orange wedges, to add moisture and a fresh flavor twist. I also add loads of garlic, shallots and big bundle of fresh herbs. You’ll love the aroma of this turkey in the oven! And my second roasting tip: basting the turkey with more butter and adding chicken broth to the pan. Just brush the turkey with more butter at the 2 hour roasting mark and add a cup or two of chicken broth to the roasting pan to add more moisture to the oven so your turkey doesn’t dry out!

Use this handy turkey roasting guide to figure out how long you need to roast your turkey based on size in a 350F oven.

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And you can’t serve your turkey without gravy! I’ve included the most incredible turkey drippings gravy! It’s the one and only recipe I use and it’s so easy to make! Just strain the turkey drippings and add to the gravy for the ultimate flavor boost!

And watch how to carve the turkey with this handy tutorial! https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/carve-a-turkey/

Enjoyed this recipe? Please share and save it to Pinterest with this handy pinboard!

And don’t forget the side dishes! Try my kale pomegranate salad! https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/kale-pom-salad/

Or, my loaded bacon and garlic potatoes! https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/bacon-garlic-potatoes/

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Ingredients

8 to 10 pound turkey, thawed
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons salt
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 oranges, quartered
3 to 4 shallots, roughly chopped
15 to 20 cloves of garlic
large bundle fresh thyme and rosemary
1/2 cup butter, for basting
1 cup chicken broth, for pan
For Gravy:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 to 3 cups chicken broth
turkey drippings, from pan
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a large roasting pan. Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the giblets and neck. Place the turkey onto a wire rack placed over a baking sheet to catch any drippings. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Using a small rubber spatula, or the back of a spoon, separate the skin away from the turkey breast, taking care not to puncture the skin.
Prepare the herbed butter spread. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, salt and all the spices. Mix until well combined. For easier spreading, heat the butter in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until it's a bit runny.
Using your hands or a small spatula, spread a generous amount of the herbed butter underneath the breast skin, spreading it evenly over the breast. Massage the remaining butter over the top of the breasts, drumsticks and wings. Season the inside cavity with additional salt, then stuff generously full of lemon and orange wedges, shallots and garlic. Add the bundle of fresh herbs, too.
Cut a 3-foot piece of butcher's twine and truss the turkey by wrapping the twine around the back, then bring it forward, wrap around the drumsticks, then tie the drumsticks together. Transfer the trussed turkey into the prepared roasting pan. Tuck the back wings underneath the turkey so that they don't burn. Wrap the drumstick tips with foil also.
Bake the turkey in the preheated oven, using my above chart for timing. At the 2 hours baking mark, bast the turkey with the 1/2 cup melted butter using a pastry brush. Pour in a cup or two of chicken broth into the roasting pan, to add moisture to the oven. Continue baking, basting one more time 30 minutes before the turkey is done and once you remove it from the oven.
I baked my turkey for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, the internal temperature needs to reach 165F. Start checking the temperature with 30 minutes remaining. Remove the turkey from the oven once the thermometer reaches 160-162F, tent the turkey with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife and carving fork to carve the turkey.
For the gravy, strain the turkey drippings from the roasting pan into a large measuring cup; I recommend lining your strainer with cheesecloth to catch all impurities. Allow the drippings to stand for a few minutes, until the oil collects at the top. Use a spoon to skim the oil off the top.
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour. Whisk the flour into the butter vigorously, until smooth. Cook the roux for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the flour to cook. Begin adding the chicken broth, adding it slowly and whisking well after each addition. Add more chicken broth for a thinner gravy. Add the turkey drippings last, whisk and cook for 1 more minute. Keep gravy warm and covered until ready to serve.

Course : Main Dish
Recipe Type : Chicken Recipes, Dinner, Video

8 Responses to Garlic Butter Thanksgiving Turkey With Gravy

Caitlin November 20, 2017 at 4:21 am #

Hi! Long time listener, first time caller. Are the drum sticks the only bits you cover in foil? We’ve always covered our turkey with foil for baking but we’ll try anything for ours to look like this one.

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood November 20, 2017 at 10:46 am #
  
  Hi! 🙂 For the first 2 1/2 hours, I cover just the drumsticks. Once the turkey is nice and golden, I tent it with foil for the remainder of the time
  
  Reply
Anna November 21, 2017 at 2:55 pm #

Hi Tatyana!

I have never cooked a whole roasted turkey in my life, but my mother-in-law just asked me to make one for this Thanksgiving dinner :)) Of course, I said YES. So I found your recipe and I think I will go with it. It looks yummy and very festive. I am excited and both intimidated.. any advice to a first time turkey cook? Also I have a question about a tray to use – it is a roaster with a rack in your video – will a regular tray work? Or it is better to use something like yours?

Thank you for your help!
Anna

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood November 21, 2017 at 6:19 pm #
  
  Hi! Good luck with your first turkey – I know the first one is always the scariest! A regular tray will work if you don’t have a roasting pan like the one I used! Use my timing chart to determine the baking time based on the size of your turkey. I recommend tenting/covering the turkey with foil after about 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or once it reaches a nice, golden brown color. Covering with foil will prevent it from getting too dark. Other than that, enjoy! 🙂
  
  Reply
Marina November 21, 2017 at 7:49 pm #

Hi! I was wondering if you put the turkey in brine first? Thank you!

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood November 22, 2017 at 3:16 pm #
  
  Not the one I used for this recipe, but you can definitely brine the day before. I’ve tried both brining and a combination of brine and this recipe and they were identical… 🙂
  
  Reply
Girly November 23, 2017 at 10:09 pm #

Thank you so much for your wonderful turkey recipe
It was my very first time to cook turkey and your recipe did not disappoint me. I followed every single step 😊
My family and friends really enjoyed it!
Happy thanksgiving!

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood November 24, 2017 at 8:57 am #
  
  Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
  
  Reply