Moist and buttery herbes de provence roasted turkey is such a delectable main course for the holiday season or to enjoy throughout the year! The turkey is slathered with an aromatic herb butter and roasted to perfect to create a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey that everyone will be raving over!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time4 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Resting Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time6 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Christmas dinner, Dinner Recipes, Main Dish, Thanksgiving Turkey
Remove your thawed turkey from the fridge and allow it to warm to room temperature for 30 minutes. *This is also approximately enough time to soften butter.
20 lb turkey, ½ cup butter
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and place a roasting rack or tray into a large roasting pan.
Once the chill has been taken off your thawed turkey, remove it from packaging, as well as any packages in the cavity (neck, gizzards, heart, liver are usually inside - some turkeys also have a package of gravy base). Rinse your turkey inside and out, then place it into the roasting pan with the breast side up (or a cutting board). Pat dry using paper towels.
20 lb turkey
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with herbes de provence (you can also add a teaspoon of paprika if desired) until evenly distributed.
½ cup butter, 2 tablespoon herbes de provence
Using the butter herb blend, coat the outside of the turkey as well as inside the body cavity. Starting with massaging the paste into the breast and working over the legs, wings, back and then the remaining paste inside the turkey. *Use your fingertips to loosen the skin from the breast meat to rub the herbed butter under the skin if desired. I highly recommend this!
Once the whole turkey has been coated with the herbes de provence butter, use the olive oil to also coat all surfaces of the turkey.
2 tablespoon olive oil
Place the lemon and onion slices inside the cavity of the turkey, leaving plenty of room for air to circulate throughout the cooking turkey. (Optional) Add additional fresh herbs inside the cavity for aroma and flavoring.
½ medium white or yellow onion, ½ large lemon
Leave your turkey uncovered and place the roasting pan with seasoned turkey into the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 13 minutes per pound (without stuffing) or 15 minutes per pound (with stuffing).
Every 40-45 minutes, remove the turkey from oven and baste with the drippings and then return to the oven and allow to continue cooking. Be sure to close the oven while basting, to keep your oven temperature steady for proper roasting time.
Remove your turkey from the oven when it reaches 155-160°F (68-71°C).
Carefully transfer the cooked turkey to a cutting board or your serving platter, then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Save the drippings for gravy (if desired). Allow your turkey to rest for approximately 1 ½ hours before carving and serving.
Notes
Thawed turkey should be brought to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to roasting for even cooking and the best appearance (will minimize shrinkage).
Servings are calculated at 1 ¼ pound of carved turkey per person for each serving.
Poultry should not be cooked at temperatures less than 325°F (163°C) for best food safety practices.
A 20-pound roasted turkey should be rested between 1 ½ hours to 2 hours, however, USDA says not to leave a cooked turkey out for more than 2 hours before refrigerating the leftovers.