Thanksgiving Garlic Herb Butter Roast Turkey

Serves: 16 Time: 03:15 Skill:

The main attraction of thanksgiving besides the pumpkin pie, the roasted turkey! This recipe will show you how to roast your own turkey for Thanksgiving! Now a good rule of thumb is that the bigger the bird, the longer it’ll take to cook! You want your bird to be room temperature and thawed out before roasting. Turkeys are big birds, so they’ll take up to or more than an entire week to thaw out.

Approximate times:

-10 pounds | 2 hrs 15 min
-12 pounds | 2 hrs 35-45 minutes
-14 pounds | 3 hrs
-16 pounds| 3 hrs 15-20 min
-18 pounds | 3 hrs 45-55 min
-20 pounds | 4 hrs 15-20 min

Remember: this is just an estimate. Check the temperature early on to ensure you’re not over or undercooking. Insert your meat thermometer between the breast and leg. It should read 165°F. The turkey will continue to cook for several minutes after you remove it from the oven, so it’s best to take it out about 5 minutes before it reaches the suggested temperature.

Ingredients
Recipe

Roast Turkey:

24 pound (6 kg) whole turkey, skin on (fully defrosted, washed, giblets and neck removed)
6 heads garlic cut in half horizontally divided
6 slices lemon divided
12 sprigs thyme divided
12 sprigs rosemary divided
1 cup olive oil divided

Herb Butter:

8 ounces (125 g) unsalted butter
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt
Cracked Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F | 220°C for standard ovens, or 390°F | 200°C for fan-forced. Lower oven shelf to the lowest part of your oven.
Combine the Herb Butter ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Reserve half of the herb butter in the refrigerator for later.
Line a large roasting pan with foil or parchment paper. Arrange the 4 halves of garlic cut-side down on the bottom of the pan with 4 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary, half of the olive oil, and 1 slice of lemon.
Thoroughly pat turkey dry with paper towels. Stuff with the remaining heads garlic halves, lemon slice, a squeeze of lemon from the remaining slice, herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Melt the butter and rub all over the turkey, including under the skin. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Place turkey on top of the garlic and herbs in the pan BREAST-SIDE DOWN. Drizzle with the remaining oil.
Roast uncovered for 30 minutes for a small turkey under 13 pounds (6 1/2 kg), or 45 minutes for a larger turkey over 14 pounds (7 kg plus).
Turn turkey over (breast-side up) with a clean tea towel or oven mitts (heat-proof gloves) and baste with pan juices.
Using the reserved herb butter, use a spoon to spread half of it over the top of your turkey (be careful, the turkey will be hot and the butter will melt nicely over the skin). Pour any remaining juices over your turkey.
Reduce heat to 325°F |165°C (for standard ovens), or 300°F | 150°C (fan-forced). Roast for an hour.
Slather turkey generously with remaining butter and roast for 30 minutes. Baste again, then continue roasting for a further 30 minutes or so, depending on the size of your bird. (For an extra-large turkey, you may need an additional half-hour to an hour. Tent loosely with foil if starting to brown too fast.)
For extra crispy skin, broil (or grill) in the last 5-10 minutes, keeping your eye on it so it doesn\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t burn, until the skin is crispy and golden browned all over.
Tent turkey with foil and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving and serving.
Remove 2 1/2 cups of the liquid from the pan juices (top up with stock if you need too), strain, and reserve for your gravy.