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Close up image of cooked Thanksgiving turkey in a black roasting pan with fresh herbs on top.
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5 from 1 vote

Garlic Butter Roast Turkey

The absolute best recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, this garlic butter roast turkey turns out so flavorful and tender. Be sure to read the blog post for more tips and tricks on roasting amazing turkey!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Turkey Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 to 12 Servings
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

Injecting Liquid (Optional):

Garlic Butter Roast Turkey:

  • 1 12 to 15-lb turkey
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt*

Instructions

Dry Brine The Turkey

  • One to two days before you roast your turkey, dry brine it to bring out the best flavor. To do so, remove the turkey from its packaging and set it inside of a large roasting pan. Pull anything out of the cavity (neck, organs, etc.) then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
  • Sprinkle the turkey liberally with coarse sea salt, making sure to get the top, bottoms, sides, and drumsticks.
  • Cover the roasting pan with its lid and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Optional Step: Inject the Turkey:

  • Add the ingredients for the injection liquid to a small blender such as a NutriBullet or Magic Bullet and blend until combined.
  • Use your meat injector to suck up the liquid. Inject the liquid into the breast in many different spots until all of the injecting liquid has been used up. Focus the majority of the liquid in the lean meat areas.

Smear Turkey with Garlic Butter:

  • Combine the ingredients for the garlic butter (melted ghee or butter, fresh garlic, garlic powder, and salt) in a small bowl. Allow the butter to cool until it is spreadable (speed up this process by refrigerating it for about 5 to 10 minutes).
  • Spread the butter all over the entire turkey until it is well-coated.

Roast the Turkey:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Stuff the turkey cavity with chopped onion, lemon, apples, carrots, celery, fresh herbs or any combination thereof.
  • Use kitchen twine to tie the legs together so that they don't bow out during the baking process.
  • Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour. Remove the turkey from the oven, discard the foil, and baste it well using the drippings at the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Place the turkey back into the oven uncovered and roast for an additional 45 minutes to 1.5 hours (depending on the size of the turkey), or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Remove the turkey from the oven and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. To do so, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
  • For crispy turkey skin, place the oven on the High Broil setting and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the skin reaches your desired level of crisp.

Let Turkey Rest:

  • Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with your choice of side dishes and enjoy!

Notes

*If you don't dry brine the turkey ahead of time, increase the amount of salt to 1/2 teaspoon in the injecting liquid and 1 teaspoon in the garlic butter mixture.
For Stuffing the Turkey:
  • 1 lemon, chopped
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs rosemary

Nutrition

Serving: 8oz. turkey breast | Calories: 306kcal | Protein: 68g | Fat: 2g