Whole Roasted Turkey with Herbed Butter

thanksgiving in a bite

This whole roasted turkey recipe will give you confidence when preparing your next Thanksgiving meal. This turkey recipe is super easy to make, loaded with sumptuous flavor and smells as delicious as it tastes. Sweet Potato Dauphinois is a great side to this whole roasted turkey or try Garlic Mashed Potatoes to make your Thanksgiving meal complete.

cooking information

• Yield: 16
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cooking Time: 210 minutes

all ingredients

• 13 Pound Whole Turkey
• 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Apple Butter
• 10 Leaves Fresh Sage
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 6 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 10 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 3 Sticks Butter – salted

recipe instruction

Basting Liquid

1. Combine apple cider vinegar with apple butter, salt and sage. Stir.

2. Put the liquid on the stove and bring to a boil. Once you can start to smell the flavors, turn down to medium low heat and let simmer.

Compound Butter

1. Combine fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and finely chop.

2. Heat butter in microwave in 20 second intervals, or until butter is soft (not melted).

3. With your hands, combine the rosemary and thyme with the butter.

Turkey

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

2. Remove the gizzards and the neck from the turkey.

3. Separate the skin of the bird from the meat by reaching your hands under the skin. Be sure to get all sides of the bird.

4. Take small palm-sized balls of butter, broken into nuggets and put it under the skin. Do this all over the bird, and be sure to spread it in the wings and thighs as well. Put a palm-sized ball of butter in the inner cavity, and be sure to rub any additional butter on top of the bird.

5. Spoon 1/3 of the basting liquid on top of the bird.

6. Cook the turkey for 3 – 3.5 hours. Once every hour, remove the turkey from the oven and apply more of the basting liquid to the turkey. This liquid will make the skin turn dark but do not be alarmed, the bird is not burnt!

7. In the last 1/2 hour, cover the burnt!

8. In the last 1/2 hour, cover the bird with tin foil.

9. Carve and serve (if you need tips, be sure to watch my video on

cooking tips

• Be sure to rub the butter under all parts of the skin! You want every part of the bird to have a lot of flavor.
• Always be sure to check the temperature of the turkey – do not just rely on the pre-inserted thermometers that come with the turkey. You want your internal temperature to be 180 degrees.
• Be sure to watch my video on how to carve a turkey!

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