Roasted Turkey

with herb butter and homemade gravy!

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This Roasted Turkey is moist and crispy, great for any holiday meal! Seasoned with just the right spices, it is sure to become a family favorite! 

Moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, this turkey recipe is great for any holiday meal! Seasoned with just the right spices, it is sure to become a family favorite!

I have included an easy homemade gravy recipes as well that utilizes the drippings from the bird.

So whether your cooking for a large crowd or just a few you will be pleased with this recipe. 

Here in Canada we have our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays pretty far apart. So we tend to have Turkey twice per year. I have made a few Turkey’s myself over the years and also have watched family and friends prepare it, so you can rest assured this recipe is a Winner! 

By following some basic tips you too will achieve a super moist and crispy turkey this holiday season guaranteed. I grew up in a large family surrounded by many Women, so I have seen my fare share of Turkeys cooked throughout the years. 

So when the holidays came around such as “Thanksgiving” and “Christmas” turkey was always on the table. And I was happy as ever because that meant a feast was to be had.  

It wasn’t till I ventured off on my so many years ago, when I finally learned to cook my first turkey. And since then I have really come to enjoy it, because there is really not much to it and the reward is well … just look at this incredible bird! 

Now what is turkey without the stuffing? It’s really not a complete holiday meal now is it, so that part is definitely something you do not want to forget! Personally I do not make my stuffing in the turkey, and I encourage you not to either. Even though I was raised to do so, I find my turkey comes out much better cooked without it in the bird. 

My stuffing recipe is listed below, if you too choose to do the stuffing outside the bird. Otherwise you can do the same thing and just stuff the bird, keeping in mind you may need to cook it longer.

Oh and do not forget the gravy, I’ll show you below how to make the best homemade gravy from the same bird you are cooking here. I hope you give it a go, and have an enjoyable dinner with those who mean the most to you. 

I always save the bones to make a turkey soup the next day, its simple. Also I like to make my own Gravy from the drippings see my recipe below for a simple Homemade Turkey Gravy.

My top tips to cooking the best Turkeys are as follows:

• Allow the bird to fully defrost and then sit on the counter at least one hour prior to baking, this ensure that the skin doesn’t break and that the bird cooks properly thought out.
• Butter the turkey all over with solid butter as well as liquid.
• Place 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan to prevent burning and aid in creating the gravy.
• Bast the turkey every hour to ensure it stays moist.
• Cover the legs and wings of the turkey with tinfoil and place the birds legs towards the back of the oven where it’s the hottest and where the bird needs most the cooking. “The breasts always cook the fastest.
• Do not stuff the bird with stuffing, rather make the dressing on the side.

Note: If you notice the bird getting to BROWN during the last hour, you can put some aluminum foil around it. Or just cover the wings to prevent burning.

Looking for an awesome Stuffing recipes? See my recipe here for a Healthy Flax & Quinoa Stuffing (Dressing)

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this recipe id love to hear about it! You can post a review, picture below or via Instagram and let me know how it turned out. And by doing so you will be automatically entered into our seasonal CONTEST to win one of our great prizes. Winner will be notified via email within a week after the contest closes. Thank you very much for reading and until next time see ya in the kitchen. Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for our NEWSLETTER delivered right to your inbox!

Print Recipe

Roasted Turkey

With herb butter and a homemade gravy!

Ingredients

• 1 14 pound Turkey
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1 Lemon

SPICES

• 3 tbsp Fresh Rosemary
• 3 tbsp Fresh Parsley
• 2 tbsp Sage
• 3 tbsp Thyme
• 4 Garlic cloves
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Start by thawing your turkey in advance to preparing it, best to do this in the fridge 48 hours prior. Once thawed place on the shelf one hour prior to preparing.
• Rinse your Turkey under cold water for a few minutes and then remove the neck and other things in the cavity and cook on the side if desired. Or use to make a Gravy.
• Chopped, Fresh Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary up and set aside.
• Chop one Onion in half and 1/2 a lemon along with two garlic and set aside.
• Season inside the bird with salt and pepper, and then stuff with half a lemon, two onion halves, garlic pieces and then close the cavity with toothpicks and tie the legs of the bird with twin.
• Pour the juice of the other half of the lemon all over the bird and then brush with butter.
• Season with salt and pepper and then place bird "BREAST SIDE" down and bake at 400 for one hour.
• One the hour is up, turn down the oven to 350 and cook for one more hour.
• Once the bird has been cooking for 2 hours, remove the bird and turn it over so its "BREAST SIDE UP" and cook for the remaining hour.
• Before you remove the Turkey, probe it with a thermometer it should reach a temperature of 165-170 degrees. Be careful not to touch the bone, rather insert it right into the breast for an accurate reading.
• If it has reached the desired temperature, remove from the oven and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before carving otherwise you will have a dry Turkey.

TO MAKE GRAVY FROM THE DRIPPINGS: HOMEMADE TURKEY GRAVY

• Simply take 1 cup of the pans juices, leave behind the particles and place in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in 3/4 cup of flour and stir constantly.
• Then add in 1 1/cup cups of Chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and stir till it reaches a smooth texture. Add more flour to thicken up if desired. Enjoy!

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