Best Herb Butter Roast Turkey (Easy Thanksgiving Recipe)
The only Thanksgiving recipe guide you'll ever need. Juicy roast turkey, herb stuffing, silky mashed potatoes & pumpkin pie all from scratch, all homemade.
Equipment
- Large roasting pan with a rack
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Kitchen twine
- Pastry brush
- Fat separator or large measuring cup
- Medium saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Fine mesh strainer
- Carving board and sharp carving knife
Ingredients
For the Turkey
- 1 whole turkey 12–16 lbs, fully thawed
- 3 tbsp kosher salt for dry brine
- 1 tsp black pepper for dry brine
- 1 stick ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion halved
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 whole head of garlic halved horizontally
- 1 lemon halved
- Fresh herb bundle rosemary, thyme, sage
- 2 cups chicken or turkey broth for roasting pan
For the Turkey Gravy
- All drippings from the roasting pan
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 –4 cups chicken or turkey stock
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
For the Herb Stuffing
- 1 lb day-old white or sourdough bread cut into ¾-inch cubes and dried
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 4 stalks celery finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp celery salt
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ cup heavy cream or whole milk warmed
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp white pepper
For the Green Bean Casserole
- 1½ lbs fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 can 10.5 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2⅔ cups French-fried crispy onions divided
For the Pumpkin Pie
- 1 can 15 oz pure pumpkin puree
- 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
Instructions
For the Turkey
- Dry brine (24–72 hours before): Pat turkey completely dry inside and out. Mix kosher salt and black pepper. Rub all over turkey and under breast skin. Place uncovered on a rack on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours.
- Prep: Remove turkey from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Herb butter: Mix softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and black pepper until smooth. Push under breast and thigh skin. Rub remaining butter all over outside. Brush with olive oil.
- Stuff cavity: Place onion, celery, halved garlic head, lemon, and herb bundle inside the cavity. Tie legs with kitchen twine. Pour 2 cups broth into roasting pan.
- Roast: Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes. Reduce to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (approximately 3 hours at 325°F for a 14-lb turkey).
- Rest: Transfer turkey to carving board. Tent loosely with foil. Rest for 45 minutes. Do not skip this step.
- Carve and serve.
For the Turkey Gravy
- Strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh strainer into a fat separator. Skim off and reserve 4 tbsp fat.
- Heat saucepan over medium heat. Add fat and butter. Whisk in flour. Cook 2 minutes until golden.
- Gradually whisk in drippings and stock. Add thyme and bay leaf.
- Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy. Add Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Keep warm.
For the Stuffing
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and celery 12 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add sage and thyme, stir 30 seconds.
- Combine bread cubes and sautéed vegetables in large bowl. Whisk broth and eggs together, pour gradually over bread, tossing to coat evenly until moist but not soggy. Season with salt, pepper, and celery salt.
- Transfer to prepared dish. Dot with additional butter. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake 20–25 minutes more until golden and set.
For the Mashed Potatoes
- Place potatoes in large pot with cold, generously salted water. Bring to boil, cook 20 minutes until completely fork-tender.
- Drain thoroughly. Return to pot over low heat, shake for 2 minutes to evaporate excess moisture.
- Rice potatoes into pot. Add butter cubes while hot. Stir in warmed cream gradually until smooth and silky. Mix in sour cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust.
For the Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Blanch green beans in boiling salted water 4 minutes. Transfer to ice bath, drain well.
- Mix mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Combine with green beans and 1⅓ cups crispy onions.
- Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1⅓ cups crispy onions.
- Bake 25–30 minutes until bubbly and onions are golden and crunchy.
For the Pumpkin Pie
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, all spices, and salt until completely smooth. Pour into unbaked pie shell.
- Bake 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce to 350°F and bake 40–50 minutes until edges are set and center has a slight wobble.
- Cool at room temperature 2 hours. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream.
Notes
- Make-ahead plan: Dry brine turkey up to 3 days ahead. Make pumpkin pie up to 2 days ahead. Prepare bread cubes for stuffing up to 1 week ahead. Make cranberry sauce up to 10 days ahead.
- Turkey temperature: Always use an instant-read thermometer. Never guess. The thigh (not the breast, not near the bone) should read 165°F.
- Don't skip resting: A 45-minute rest is not optional. It is what separates juicy turkey from dry turkey.
- Warm your dairy: Always warm the cream or milk before adding to mashed potatoes. Cold dairy makes gluey mash.
- Stuffing moisture: Add broth gradually. Moist but never soggy. Each bread cube should feel damp but hold its shape.