Herb-Butter Roast Turkey

Steps

1. Set a rack in the lowest position of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. In a bowl, mash the softened butter with the sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest.
3. Pat the turkey very dry inside and out with paper towels. Dry skin browns; wet skin steams.
4. Starting at the cavity end, slide your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it without tearing. Push about two-thirds of the herb butter under the skin and spread it over the breast meat.
5. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the bird, then sprinkle all over with the salt and pepper.
6. Put the onion, lemon halves and thyme sprigs inside the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the body.
7. Set the turkey breast side up on the rack in a roasting pan and pour the broth into the pan. Wash your hands and anything the raw turkey touched.
8. Roast (how to roast)

   Roast Cook food uncovered in a hot oven so the outside browns while the inside cooks through. 1. Heat the oven fully before the food goes in, usually 400 to 450°F for vegetables.2. Toss vegetables with oil and salt; dry and season meat.3. Spread everything out on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan with room around each piece.4. Roast, turning vegetables once halfway, until browned at the edges.5. For meat, check the center with a thermometer. Done when: Vegetables are browned at the edges and tender in the middle; meat reaches its safe temperature. Safety: Use dry oven mitts (wet ones pass heat straight through) and tilt hot pans away from you to avoid the fat and steam.How to roast meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   at high heat to start the browning.
   425°F⏱ Roast at 425°F: 30 min
9. Lower the oven to 325°F (165°C) and keep roasting. If the breast gets dark before the end, lay a loose sheet of foil over it.
   325°F⏱ Roast at 325°F: 2 hr 15 min
10. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh, not touching bone. Keep roasting, checking every 15 minutes, until both read 165°F (74°C). A 12- to 14-lb bird usually takes 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours in all.
    325°F⏱ Check again: 15 min
11. Move the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and

    rest (how to rest)

    Rest Leave cooked meat, baked goods or dough alone for a while before you cut, slice or shape it. 1. Move meat to a board or plate as soon as it is done (a few degrees shy of target for big roasts; it keeps rising).2. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cool.3. Rest steaks and chops 5 minutes, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.4. For dough, cover it so it doesn't dry out while it relaxes. Done when: Meat juices stay in when you slice; dough rolls out without springing back. Safety: Rest at room temperature for under an hour, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.How to rest meat and dough: mistakes to avoid

    so the juices settle.
    ⏱ Rest: 35 min
12. Remove the onion and lemon from the cavity,

    carve (how to carve)

    Carve Cut a cooked roast or bird into neat slices to serve. 1. Let the roast rest first so the juices settle.2. Set it on a board with a groove for juices, and hold it with a carving fork.3. For a bird, take off the legs and wings at the joints, then cut each breast off in one piece.4. Slice across the grain into even slices with long strokes of a long, sharp knife. Done when: The slices are even and hold their juices on the board instead of flooding it. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide. Keep the fork hand behind the knife's path.How to carve a roast or a turkey: mistakes to avoid

    and serve. Save the pan drippings for gravy.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

• Thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, allowing about 1 day for every 4 to 5 pounds. Never thaw it on the counter.
• Cook stuffing in a separate dish. A stuffed bird takes longer, and the stuffing must also reach 165°F.
• For seasoned meat all the way through, dry-brine: salt the bird 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it uncovered; skip the salt on roasting day.

Storage

Refrigerate carved meat within 2 hours of cooking, up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months.

Make ahead

Make the herb butter up to 3 days ahead; soften it at room temperature before using.

Cook once, eat twice: It makes 12 servings: eat half and freeze the rest. It keeps 3 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.