Butter Under The Skin Of Turkey: Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey (+Tips & Tricks)
Should I put butter under the skin of turkey when preparing it for a perfectly delicious Thanksgiving dinner? This post will show you all of the reasons why buttering your bird is a great idea. Plus, I will even walk you through how to stuff the butter under the turkey skin easily!
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Instructions
30 minutes before you begin, remove the turkey from the fridge so that it can come to room temperature. This is also a good time to take out the butter so it can soften.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a roasting rack or tray into a large roasting pan.
Remove the turkey from its packaging as well as the contents of the cavity (neck, gizzards, heart, liver, and sometimes a gravy packet). Rinse both the inside and outside of your turkey and then pat it dry using paper towels.
Transfer it to your roasting rack and generously season the interior of the turkey with salt and pepper. Then, fill the cavity with the onion, garlic cloves, orange, and lemon.
In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and optional poultry seasoning if using. Mix until well combined.
Gently loosen the skin of the turkey with your fingertips and spread half of the herb butter under the skin, covering the breast and legs.
Tuck the wing tips under and use butcher twine to hold the legs together. Spread the remaining herb butter all over the entire outside of the turkey, including all sides.
Leave your turkey uncovered and place it in the preheated oven. Then, reduce the temperature of the oven to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 13 minutes per pound (with no stuffing) or 15 minutes per pound (with stuffing).
Remove your turkey from the oven and baste it using the drippings from the pan every 45 minutes. Keep your oven closed while you are basting the turkey so that the temperature stays steady.
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 about 1 hour before carving and serving.
Allowing your turkey to come to room temperature will help it to cook evenly and minimize shrinkage.
An unstuffed turkey cooks at about 13 minutes per pound. However, since the cavity is stuffed with oranges, lemons, onions, and garlic, it will take slightly longer to cook at about 15 minutes per pound.
Turkey should never be cooked at a temperature that is lower than 325°F (163°C) due to safety.
If the presentation of your turkey is not vital, you can achieve an incredibly moist turkey breast by cooking the bird with the breast side facing down.
The hardest spot to get to cook evenly with your turkey is the thigh joint, to help with this don't tie the legs together, and you can even use a sharp knife to cut deeper into the joint. This will cook your turkey evenly, quickly, and perfectly.
To store: Remove the meat from the turkey and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze: You can place your meat into zip-top freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Place your meat into a baking dish with some chicken broth and butter then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated all the way through.