Roasted Butter Herb Turkey

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Thanksgiving

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (243)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(243)

Cook Time:
3 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
12 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr 0 min
Total:: 4 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 (32-ounce) bag celery and carrot party sticks
2 large onions, large dice
1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth
12-pound turkey, thawed if necessary
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
3 (3/4-ounce) packets fresh herbs poultry herb blend (sage, thyme and rosemary)
1 lemon, thickly sliced

Directions

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.

Rinse the thawed turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.) Insert the pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.

Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
Pamela San Diego, CA 01-02-2010
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Loved It!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am so glad that I went with this recipe!! I thought my turkey last year was great but not compared to this one. I will... use this recipe from now on. My son surprised with with two extra guests, a buddy and his mom, for Thanksgiving. I wasn't worried, I was making a 21lb bird. The mom loved it so much, I printed a copy of the recipe for her to take back to Englad for their Christmas dinner. It was the "Most" flavorful and moist turkey I have ever made Thank you for making me look like a star!Read more
recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
Mark Bethalto , IL 01-02-2010
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The Best
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this recipe with a 12 lb. bird. I took it to a friends house for an after Thanksgiving Day dinner with about 25... people. Another person had cooked a 24 lb bird, needless to say, mine was picked clean and everyone complimented me so much I felt bad for the gal that cooked the larger bird. It was the best turkey I have ever had too. I will definately be making this again for my family......thank you so much!Read more
recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
Rebecca APO, AE 12-24-2009
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my turkey
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

this is wonderful and has always, always, always been loved by others! no matter how big your turkey is!
recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
Noelia Smyrna, GA 12-20-2009
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Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this turkey for Thanksgiving and my husband just loved it!!!! It's really a fantastic recipe!
recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
JODY Cedar Rapids, IA 12-17-2009
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I have a way easier way to do this and better too!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

All you need is the ingredients for the herb butter. Melt butter on stove add seasonigs and de-stem a couple sprigs of... Rosemary, Thyme, and sage to also throw in the sauce pan. Let simmer to incorporate flavors into butter. Throw mixture into blender and blend until as smooth as possible. If done before hand refridgerate until needed. If refridgerated, re-liquify and use a liquid injector to inject all over turkey includeing in legs and thighs. Then just cook turkey and it's the best tasting turkey ever so much easier than trying to get your hands under the skin etc. Plus you can still stuff the turkey if you want because you don't need any of the airomatics inside. I will never do a turkey a differnt way, it's so easy and sooooo good!Read more
recipe Roasted Butter Herb Turkey
SARAH Groveland, MA 12-15-2009
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The most delicious turkey ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this turkey recipe for Thanksgiving. The rave reviews from my guest were embarassing. The turkey was moist and... delicious. It will be my new family tradition on Thanksgiving. Thanks Sandra!Read more