Herb-Roasted Turkey

This Herb-Roasted Turkey is as beautiful as it is tasty. Rubbing the outside of the turkey with oil and herbs sets the scene for perfectly browned, crispy skin with an herby scent that fills your house. Also rubbing the oil under the skin and on the breasts ensures moist, juicy breast meat—no more tough, dried-out turkey breasts. But we didn’t stop there—we fill the cavity of the turkey with more flavors and aromatics that will have everyone at the table gobbling this turkey up. Just make sure you save enough for leftovers! Keep reading for our expert tips, including what to look for when purchasing a turkey, food safety tips and more.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• If you buy a fresh turkey, purchase it only a day or two before you cook it and store it in the refrigerator on a tray to catch any liquid.
• Frozen turkeys are typically less expensive than fresh ones and can be just as delicious, but they need to be thawed after purchasing. To determine how long to thaw your turkey, divide its weight in pounds by four; that will give you the number of days needed for thawing in the refrigerator. (Remember to keep the original wrapper on the turkey and place a tray underneath the bird to catch any leakage.)
• If you time your turkey so it's finished cooking an hour before dinner, there will be time for the turkey to rest after cooking as well as time to carve it.

Nutrition Notes

• Turkey is the star of the show on many people’s Thanksgiving tables—and for good reason. It provides lean protein to help fill you up and slow down digestion, which is great for stabilizing blood sugar. It’s also high in several vitamins and minerals, including some B vitamins, which will help your body break down all that food from the meal and effectively use it as energy.
  

How to Make Oven-Roasted Turkey

Let this oven-roasted turkey recipe featuring aromatics and lots of fresh herbs fill your kitchen with the aroma of Thanksgiving. This no-fuss method delivers a perfectly cooked turkey that you'll be proud to share with friends and family. Here are a few tips to help you make your best oven-roasted turkey:

What You'll Need

This easy recipe requires minimal equipment. You'll need a large roasting pan, a roasting rack, kitchen string and an instant-read thermometer. Since you'll be taking the turkey in and out of a hot oven a few times, avoid disposable aluminum pans and opt for a sturdy roasting pan with handles instead. A good roasting pan is not only easier to handle, but also better at collecting the fond—the key to making a good gravy once the turkey is finished roasting.

Turkey Prep Essentials

If your turkey is frozen, make sure that it is completely thawed before it hits the oven. Most turkeys will have the neck and giblets stuffed into the cavity—you will want to remove them before you roast. You can discard the neck and giblets, or save them to make stock and gravy. Note: Thawing the turkey and using the neck and giblets for gravy takes some advance planning, so this step is best addressed a few days ahead.

Add Flavor

We rely on fresh chopped herbs and a few aromatics to flavor the bird. We combine the herbs with canola oil instead of butter to cut down on saturated fat. The oil helps to crisp up the skin, but also remember to rub some of that herb mixture under the skin as well. This flavors the meat itself, so if the skin is taken off, you'll still have flavor underneath. You'll want to place more herbs and a few aromatics (think onion, apple, lemon and/or orange), cut into 2-inch pieces, into the cavity. You should not use more than 1 ½ cups; if you cram too much stuff into the cavity, the turkey may not cook evenly. After you're done filling the cavity, tuck the wing tips underneath the bird and tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. This step keeps the bird compact and prevents smaller pieces like wing tips and leg meat from burning.

Roasting the Turkey

You'll begin roasting the turkey in a pretty hot oven—450°F. This jump-starts the cooking process and lays the foundation for beautiful golden brown skin. To prevent the pan drippings from burning and to help keep the meat moist, we fill the bottom of the roasting rack with 3 cups of water. After 45 minutes, carefully remove the turkey from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350°F. A lower temperature is better for finishing the bird, as it cooks the meat more evenly. Even with temperature adjustments, cooking a turkey without drying it out in parts requires some handiwork. Before the turkey returns to the oven, we cover the breast with a double layer of foil. Because the breast meat is the most exposed in the oven, this step helps slow the cooking process so the breast is finished with the rest of the meat without overcooking.

Let It Rest

It may look perfect the second it's done, but it's best to let the bird stand out of the oven for about 20 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, helping to keep it moist. You can cover it with foil to keep some of the heat in, but even after 20 minutes, it will still be plenty hot. Don't forget to remove the string before carving the turkey!