Oven Baked Herb Turkey

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Oven baked herb turkey is perfectly juicy and tender! It’s stuffed with slices of citrus, a crisp apple, and fresh herbs then baked until it’s a toasty golden brown. It’s mouthwatering and delicious!

Thanksgiving turkey is not complete without all the side dishes! Try these sweet potatoes, my green bean casserole, carrots, or cauliflower au gratin. And definitely end the night with some pumpkin pie!

Thanksgiving would not be the same without a beautiful turkey on your dinner table. This turkey recipe is the BEST. Your guests will not be disappointed! It will have everyone raving about your beautiful, golden-brown turkey. Dinner for Thanksgiving does take time and needs a lot of care and preparation before baking. But this recipe is super straightforward and anyone can make it! You will have the perfect turkey to serve this Thanksgiving.

The turkey is the most important part of Thanksgiving and what everyone is looking forward to. These step-by-step instructions will help make your Thanksgiving the best it has ever been! And when you’re done with the turkey then these sides of Sweet Potatoes and Mashed Potatoes, brown butter carrots, and Green Bean Casserole go fantastic with any Thanksgiving dinner!

How to Thaw and Prep a Turkey

It is best to start off with a completely thawed turkey. This can take 3 to 7 days depending on how frozen and how large your turkey is so you definitely need to be thinking ahead. You thaw a turkey by placing it into the refrigerator in a large pan or baking sheet. And then you just leave it there until it’s no longer frozen! Once your turkey is thawed and you are ready to bake the turkey here are a few steps to prepare your turkey for the oven:

Remove from fridge: Remove your turkey from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes prior to preparing. This will help it to bake more evenly.
Dry: Pat turkey completely dry, soaking up any excess water with paper towels.
Remove giblets: You will want to remove the neck and giblet bag in the turkey cavity.
Tie it up: With kitchen twine or string, tie the legs together.
Fold under the wings: Take the turkey wings and fold the end of them under your bird. This will prevent them from burning and drying out.

First photo of removing the giblets from the turkey. Second photo of tucking the legs under the bird. Third photo of stuffing the turkey with fruit and herbs. Fourth photo of rubbing the herb butter on the turkey.

Ingredients for Oven Baked Herb Turkey

Turkey is the most important part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Having just the right ingredients will tenderize, add flavor, and create a perfectly golden turkey for your Thanksgiving! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

Turkey: 12 to 20 pounds, thawed.

Stuffing

Onion: adds a bitter but sweet flavoring.
Garlic: has a mellow, sweet, and spicy taste.
Rosemary sprigs: a lemon-pine flavoring with a peppery ending.
Apple: crisp and cut into quarters.
Lemon: sweet and sour lemon quartered for more flavoring.
Thyme sprigs: a powerful herb that is pungent and slightly bitter.

Herb Butter

Butter: helps make everything tender and rich in flavor.
Garlic: minced and added into the mixture.
Thyme: fresh and finely chopped.
Oregano: finely chopped and adds a strong aromatic taste.
Rosemary: fresh and finely chopped.
Salt and pepper: just a pinch!

How to Make Oven Baked Herb Turkey

This oven-baked herb turkey is golden brown, tender, and juicy! It’s the absolute perfect turkey recipe that will make you wish that Thanksgiving came around more often!

Prepare Turkey: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. To prepare the turkey, remove the neck and giblets. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey.
Stuff the Turkey: Stuff the turkey with the onion, garlic, rosemary, apple, lemon, and thyme. Tie the feet together with twine.
Combine the Herb Butter Mixture: In a small bowl combine the butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Rub evenly over the turkey and underneath the skin.
Bake Turkey in Roasting Pan: Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes for each pound or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Make Turkey Gravy: Save the drippings for the turkey and make this Turkey Gravy if desired.

How Long to Cook Your Oven Baked Herb Turkey

The last thing that you want to do is to overcook (or undercook) a turkey! So it’s important that you know a few things about your bird first!

Turkey Size: Know how big your turkey is. You will cook it for about 13-15 minutes per pound!
Leave in Meat Thermometer: Use a meat thermometer! A leave-in oven-safe meat thermometer is a great way to check on the turkey continually. Place it in the thickest part of your turkey for the most accurate temperature reading. If you use a thermometer like this, then you don’t have to keep opening your oven door towards the end. This will help keep the heat in and your turkey cooking!
Cooking Temperature: Once your turkey has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit, take it out and let it reset. This is when you don’t cut into it and just let the juices keep smoking into your meat! This part is SO important!
Brined Turkey: A brined turkey will cook faster so keep a close eye on your turkey.
Don’t Eat Pink: If your turkey is pink AT ALL, then it isn’t done.

Turkey sliced and plated up on a platter with herbs garnished around it.

Tips for Cooking a Turkey

This tried and true oven-baked herb turkey recipe is just what you need for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner. It roasts your turkey to a crisp, golden brown outside and tender, juicy meat on the inside.

Turkey Size: You don’t want to run out of turkey! A good rule of thumb is to plan for a pound of turkey per person.
Don’t Forget to Thaw the Turkey!: Thaw your turkey days ahead of time to make sure it is completely thawed.
Use Chicken Stock: Adding 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock to the bottom of the roasting pan will keep the turkey from drying out. It also helps when making your turkey gravy at the end. If you are planning to brine your turkey, then skip this tip.
Use Foil: If you notice your turkey is getting dark on top, but your meat is not cooked through, then simply add a piece of foil over top while it finishes roasting.

How to Carve a Turkey

Looking at the turkey and knowing where to carve it is sometimes overwhelming. Carving a turkey is just a large bird and will still taste delicious no matter how you slice it! Here are some tips on where to start! Make sure your knife is sharp and you have a fork to help hold your turkey and plate in place while carving.

Wings: Remove the turkey wings first.
Thighs: Thighs will go next, cutting through the joints.
Breast: Slice close to the rib cage, carving the breast meat into individual slices.
Excess Meat: Move your knife to the flat side and carve right up against the rib bones.
Separate: Now that the meat is off, separate the dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) from the white meat.
Plate: Plate everything all together for more option choices at the dinner table.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover oven-baked herb turkey makes the BEST leftovers! There are so many things that you can do with it! I love to make Leftover Turkey Casserole to use up the rest of the Thanksgiving dinner. Here is how you can store extra turkey to save for later!

In the Refrigerator: Wait until your turkey has cooled. Then, place it in an airtight container and put it in your fridge. It can last there for 3 to 5 days.
In the Freezer: After your turkey has cooled down, place it in a freezer bag. Lay your turkey flat in the bag and then zip or suction out all the air in the bag. Label your bag with the date, and then you can keep it frozen for up to 1 month in the freezer. When ready to reheat, place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
To Reheat: To reheat in the oven, then place in a baking dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes or until warm. When reheating in a microwave, heat for 1 to 2 minutes at a time until warm. Try not to overheat. This will leave your leftover turkey dry and hard.

Sliced turkey, mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, brussel sprouts and pilaf all plated together.

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Herb Butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fahrenheit. To prepare the turkey, remove the neck and giblets. Tuck the wings underneath the turkey. Stuff the turkey with onion, garlic, rosemary, apple, lemon, and thyme. Tie the feet together with twine.
In a small bowl combine the butter, garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Rub evenly over the turkey and underneath the skin.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes for each pound or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Save the drippings for the turkey and make this turkey gravy if desired.

Updated on November 14, 2023
Originally Posted on October 20, 2019

Calories: 517kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 61gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 577mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 579IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Oven Baked Herb Turkey