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5 from 3 votes

Butter Basted Turkey

If you are of the few that find turkey be boring or bland, this butter basted turkey will absolutely change your opinion! Amp up your holiday turkey with a savory butter seasoned with plenty of citrus, herbs, and savory spices.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Resting Time20 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butter basted roast turkey, butter basted turkey, roast turkey, turkey dinner
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 629kcal
Author: Sunena Anand

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Remove the gizzards and the neck bone from the turkey. Transfer the turkey to a baking dish or a roasting rack. Using a paper towel, pat dry the turkey skin so there is no excess moisture.
    10 lb Whole turkey
  • Liberally season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper, and stuff with the garlic bulbs, lemon and thyme.
    2 teaspoon Sea salt, 2 teaspoon Black pepper, 2 bulbs Garlic, 2 Lemons, 1 bunch Thyme
  • Mix together the ingredients for the flavoured butter, in a mixing bowl.
    2 sticks Salted butter, 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 2 teaspoon Onion powder, 2 teaspoon Dried thyme, 2 teaspoon Smoked paprika
  • Using a pastry brush or your hands, slather the turkey in all the crevices with the flavoured butter. You will be left with butter, which you will baste the turkey with while it roasts.
  • Cover the turkey with a tent of tin foil, and transfer the turkey to the oven.
  • Baste the turkey every half an hour, with your remaining butter mixture. Once the butter mixture is completely used up on the turkey, start basting from the juices and butter in the baking dish or roasting rack.
  • For the last 45 minutes of roasting the turkey, remove the foil and cook uncovered.
  • Once the turkey is cooked, the juices run clear, and the internal temperature reads 165°F from the thickest part of the thigh, allow the turkey to rest in a foil tent for approximately 15-20 minutes prior to carving.

Notes

  • If you forgot to soften your butter: Place the unwrapped butter in a bowl and microwave in 10-second increments on 50% power.
  • Let your turkey come to room temperature before roasting: Take the chill of your turkey, and let it come to room temperature before roasting it.
  • Don't forget to dry the skin: This is key to achieving a nice, crispy skin. It also helps to spread the butter nicely on the skin. If there is too much moisture on the skin, the butter will not stick, and will result in a clumpy mess.
  • Cover the wings with foil if they are getting too dark: If the wings look like they are browning too quickly, cover them with tin foil.

Nutrition

Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 280mg | Sodium: 973mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 976IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3mg