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It’s finally time for Turkey Talk!! I LOVE this herb and butter roasted turkey with white wine pan gravy.
Like November is here! I have only been waiting for this day since like, the beginning of August! I am such a freak, I mean who starts thinking about the holidays in the heat of the summer? Basically what I’m trying to say is that this post has been a long time coming.
While everybody was enjoying all the things that go along with October, I was roasting turkeys, mashing potatoes and eating Thanksgiving dinner. Or well, at least towards the end of October I was. I try to be on top of things, but then somehow I always fail.
UGH.
But hey! I got the turkey made and um, I am pretty dang happy with it. I mean, come on. Doesn’t it look perfect?!?!
It is!!
Ok, so here’s the deal. When it comes to the holidays, I am all about traditional. I love traditions and to be honest, I don’t like breaking them. That said, I do love to switch little things up just a little with things like side dishes and desserts. But the turkey?
The turkey has to be classic. Herbs and butter. Nothing fancy, nothing overdone. Just classic, simple and delicious flavors.
For as long as I can remember, my mom has always cooked the Thanksgiving bird. Even last year, she cooked the turkey. She is a good turkey roaster and we had a good thing going. I’d do the sides + desserts + apps and she handled the turkey…although last year, I do recall that she and my dad were out hiking for most the time the turkey was cooking leaving me to tend to it.
Actually, as I recall, she and dad were still hiking when people began arriving for dinner. Typical.
Anyway, I love my mom’s classic turkey, so I took inspiration from her, read a whole bunch online and then made some turkeys (yup plural, and I still have three more to make between now and Christmas). And you guys, I swear by this turkey you see here today.
It’s perfection and I could not be more excited about it.
As you can read from the title, Herb and Butter Roasted Turkey with White Wine Pan Gravy, my turkey is simple and traditional. Pretty sure it doesn’t get much more classic than this.
Just the way I like it.
The secret to my turkey is a butter soaked cheesecloth. I read about this method of cooking the bird in this month’s Food and Wine. The second I read about it, I knew I had to try it. It’s flipping genius!
You soak a layer of cheesecloth in melted butter (mine is full of fresh thyme, sage, parsley and lemon zest!) and then drape the butter soaked cheesecloth over the bird. Then you roast the turkey with the cheesecloth ON the bird. The cloth protects the skin from burning all while basting the turkey with butter the entire time it roasts.
Genius I tell you, and the skin comes out perfect, the meat is incredibly moist and the flavor is spot on! You do not even need to tent the bird with foil, the butter soaked cheesecloth works magic guys and it could not be easier.
Soo the gravy though?!? My mom has alway has always had trouble with gravy. Like it was either clumpy, too thin or flavorless. I get it, gravy can be hard, but this pan gravy will make your life simple. Nothing too tricky and it gets made in the very same pan you roast the turkey in. Hello less dishes – YES!
Plus, the flavor is out of this world. It’s all about those pan drippings. 🙂
So are you excited yet?? Are you going to start planning Thanksgiving? It’s T-minus twenty days away and I have then next couple weeks packed with my personal Thanksgiving menu. Think sweet taters, pies, cookies, mashers, casseroles, salad, bread and the works. I may even throw a few drinks your way this holiday season too.
Wait, question: are we into drinks? Like cocktails? With booze? Let me know.
It’s gonna be a really good November. But since Turkey is the star of the show, I figured I would start there.
Next up are the apps, sides, desserts and a couple easy dinners too (you know cause we all gotta eat between now and the big day – duh!).
YUM. Did you break out the stretchy pants yet, cause I think it may be time. I am full-force (like intensely so) in all holiday GO mode, so excited!
SIDE NOTE: My dad asked, since we had turkey in October, if that meant we could skip it at Thanksgiving. I practically looked at him like he was insane. I mean, what??!? Who skips the turkey on Thanksgiving? Guys, he is out of his mind I tell ya. Like losing it BIG TIME.
Or he’s just a giant Scrooge, thinking a combo of both actually.
Herb and Butter Roasted Turkey with White Wine Pan Gravy.
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 671 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 (14-16) pound turkey, giblets and neck removed
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, plus more for stuffing the bird
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus more for stuffing the bird
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 piece large of double lined cheesecloth
- 2 lemons, halved
- 1 garlic head, tips sliced off
- 1 onion, halved
- 7-8 cups low sodium chicken or turkey broth
White Wine Pan Gravy
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- drippings from the turkey
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken or turkey broth, as needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1. Remove the turkey from the fridge one hour before roasting. Remove the giblets + neck and allow to come to room temperature.2. Make the butter. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 stick butter, the sage, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. 3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan.4. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with the, lemons, garlic and onion. Gently lift the skin of the turkey by using your fingers and going in between the skin and body of the bird. Rub the herb butter under the skin of the bird, spreading some of the butter on top of the skin as well. Take the remaining 1 stick butter and melt it over the low heat on the stove or in the microwave. Dampen your cheesecloth with warm water and squeeze dry. Submerge the cheesecloth in the melted butter, making sure all the cheese cloth has soaked up the butter. Lay the cheesecloth over the bird, covering most of the bird. Drizzle any remaining butter over the turkey.5. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting plan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F. After 45 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue cooking for another 2 hours (until the turkey registers 160 F. on a meat thermometer), adding 1-2 cup of broth half way through roasting. I like to baste the turkey with the drippings 2 times throughout cooking and when doing so rotate the roasting pan.6. Remove the turkey from the oven and remove the cheesecloth, transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing.7. Make the gravy. Strain the liquid from the roasting pan, skimming off most of the fat. I like to pour the broth into a 4 cup measuring cup and then place in the freezer for 10 minutes. This helps the fat rise to the top of the surface. Once you have skimmed the fat, add enough broth to equal about 4-5 cups total of drippings/broth.8. Place the roasting pan over two burners and add a splash of wine (about 1/2 cup) to deglaze the pan. You want to scrape up all those brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the pan is throughly deglazed, add the butter and once melted, add the flour whisking to combine. Cook stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, around 5 minutes.9. Increase heat to medium high and add the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine, whisking as you go to let the wine reduce down. Slowly add reserved broth, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the sage and cook, continuing to stir, until the gravy has thickened to your desired thickness, around 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm with the turkey.
Notes
To save a little time, you can prepare the compound butter up to a week in advance. Just store, covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Here is the cheesecloth I use.Â
That picture? It makes you happy and excited, right?? I know, me too!!
Hi Tieghan! I am going to try this recipe out this year- but I am so curious how the skin gets crispy with a cheesecloth over it- do you not brown it all with the cheesecloth off? It looks amazing. Thank you!
E
Hey Eva,
I don’t remove the cheesecloth at all, I promise it will get crispy underneath:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
You said you were doing this with chicken breast and thighs. I see you have given the recipe for turkey breast in the comments, but can you give any guidance on the chicken breasts and thighs (how long to cook, etc)?
Hey Lanie,
I’m going to use this recipe for chicken:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cider-braised-chicken/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tiegan! I am not hosting at my house but am in charge of making the Turkey this year. Do you have any recommendations for traveling with/reheating the bird? Would you make any modifications to the recipe?
Hey Rachel,
Unfortunately, I would not recommend reheating a turkey:) I would travel with it uncooked and ready to be popped into the oven. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi Tiegen! I made this last year and my family was obsessed! Do you normally put the bird directly in the roasting pan or do you use a rack in the pan?
Hey Rachel,
So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed last year! I like to put the turkey on a rack. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thanks Tieghan! Do you add the herbs and zest to the melted butter used for the cheesecloth as well? Or is the compound butter just used for under the skin?
It’s just for the compound butter used under the skin:)
Hi can I make this using a roster oven?
Hi Jessica,
I have never used an oven roaster before, but I think it has worked well for others. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Do you use a grade 90 or grade 100 cheese cloth? The one you link offers both options. Thanks!
Hey Puja,
Either one is just fine to use, I’ve used both:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi Tieghan! I have a similar question. I have a 26lb turkey. Do you also increase than inital 45 min time at beginning of recipe? Do you add more chicken broth initially? Thanks so much
I second this question – you mention on other comments to increase the cook time by 12 minutes per pound, but do you adjust the initial 45 mins at 450??
Hey Karalyn,
You can follow the recipe as written, you won’t need to increase the initial cook time, just the ending by adding 12 minutes per pound. You can add more chicken broth as needed. I hope you love this recipe! xx
I’m gonna try this recipe this Thanksgiving. Besides making the compound butter the night before can I season, fill the cavity and rub butter under the skin turkey as well?
Hi Diana,
Sure, that would work for you! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Hi Tieghan.
The “cheesecloth” that you pictured looks like a solid cotton whereas the cheesecloth I can get in Ontario, Canada, is very flimsy and has many holes – like a fine crochet.
Would I be better served if I went to a fabric store and got a piece of white cotton or unbleached cotton?
At the bottom of your recipe you say, “Here is the cheesecloth I use” bit it didn’t;t seem to be a link.
Advice would be greatly appreciated. Love the recipe and gravy.
Many thanks.
Hi Janice,
The cheesecloth that I use also has many holes, but you are going to fold it so it is double lined, here is the link:
https://rstyle.me/+rEI7EBG6IQk8nFDo56AC5A
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tiegan! You mentioned for this year you will be doing turkey breast and thighs only and I’ve been thinking of doing the same. I was wondering if you are going to stuff with herb butter first and then carve or carve first and then stuff the skin with herb butter? And then does the cheesecloth go on top after? Thank you!
Hey there,
Butter Roasted Turkey Breasts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6
2 skin on, bone in turkey breasts (about 4-5 pounds total)
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
1/3 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, and parsley
zest of 1 lemon
kosher salt and black pepper
1 head garlic, skin left on and head cut in half horizontally
4 shallots, halved
1 cup white wine
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the butter, herbs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
3. Gently loosen skin from the turkey breasts. Rub butter under the skin and all over the outside of breasts. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the thyme sprigs, garlic, and shallots in large roasting pan and then place the turkey breasts, skin side up, on top. Roast turkey breasts, rotating halfway through, until skin is crisp and golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160 degrees F., about 45–55 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey breasts to a platter or cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Carve and serve the turkey breasts with pan drippings and roasted shallots.
Hi Tiegan! I love your recipes. I have made many of them. I want to do this turkey, but I have one question as the last time I made one I was very young. When making the gravy, do you remove the fat and throw it away? or are the drippings considered the fat and if so, do you want the fat to make the gravy?
Hey Andrea,
You really aren’t going to get much fat from a turkey, but you will not need to remove anything for making the gravy, you will use all of the drippings that are in the pan:) I hope you love this recipe! Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This looks amazing. Can you advise how you would use this recipe with a slightly larger bird? I think ours is 20#
Hi Jennifer,
You are going to need to add 12 minutes per pound to the cooking time. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Does the same go for cooking a smaller turkey, but in reverse? e.g. Remove 12 minutes of cook time per pound of turkey? (I’m looking @ cooking a 10-12 pounder.)
Thanks!
You bet!! I hope you love this recipe:)
We usually dry-brine our turkey for 24 hours prior to baking, would you recommend reducing the salt in the compound butter in this case? TIA!
Hey Lindsay,
I’m honestly not sure, I’ve never brined my turkey before!! You can always add salt right?! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Can you roast this turkey in an electric roaster pan?
Hi Phyllis,
Sorry, I’ve never used and electric roaster before, but I think others have said it works well. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Hi there! Super excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving this year! We are going to be making a 18.5 pound Turkey, what temperature/time alterations do you recommend?
Hi Jessica,
You are going to need to add 12 minutes per pound. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I really want to make my turkey your way!! Every single one of your recipes has been amazing!! I have complete confidence this will be too!! But I do have 1 question. Do you put the turkey on a rack in the roasting pan or directly in the roasting pan with no rack? I think I see one pic of the turkey on a rack and one without.
Hey Nicole,
I like to use a rack for the turkey:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
We are doing a full turkey on the grill. We will be at our cabin for Thanksgiving and have to save precious oven space for the sides. I was planning on doing a separate turkey breast in a roaster. Any suggestions or modifications?
Hi Trish,
Butter Roasted Turkey Breasts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6
2 skin on, bone in turkey breasts (about 4-5 pounds total)
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
1/3 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, and parsley
zest of 1 lemon
kosher salt and black pepper
1 head garlic, skin left on and head cut in half horizontally
4 shallots, halved
1 cup white wine
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the butter, herbs, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
3. Gently loosen skin from the turkey breasts. Rub butter under the skin and all over the outside of breasts. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the thyme sprigs, garlic, and shallots in large roasting pan and then place the turkey breasts, skin side up, on top. Roast turkey breasts, rotating halfway through, until skin is crisp and golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breasts registers 160 degrees F., about 45–55 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey breasts to a platter or cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Carve and serve the turkey breasts with pan drippings and roasted shallots.
What changes do you plan to make when making this with chicken instead of turkey?
Hey Brittany,
You could use the same flavoring and techniques with a chicken, but it’s going to cook totally differently than the turkey, you will want to follow a specific recipe for the chicken! xx