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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!!
Do you use a rack in the roasting pan?
Hi Rebekka,
Yes, I use a rack:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
We always get a heritage turkey. It taste better. How do I modify this recipe to use one.
Hi Jon,
I’m assuming your turkey is going to be bigger, so I would increase the ingredients and cook time for 12 minutes per pound. I hope this helps! xx
Thanks.
Hello! I don’t have a roasting pan. Could you make this on a regular baking pan? If not, what’s a good alternative? I don’t have the room in my kitchen to store a large roasting pan.
Hi Amanda,
I would not use a baking pan, you need something with sides, like a large baking dish, for all of the broth. I hope this helps! xx
Do you brine your
Turkey ahead of time? Butter ball or organic?
Hi Nicole,
I never brine my turkey and I like to use organic:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
We made this last year and plan on making the turkey this way again this year. We live every single recipe we try!!! Thank you so so much. Question: what roasting pan and insert for the turkey did you use. I need a new one that works well on the stove top for the gravy.
Hey Jennifer,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe last year!! Here is the link for a great roasting pan:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/thanksgiving-shop/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can I make this a couple of days early,bring close to room temp and bake on Thanksgiving
Hi Sheri,
Sorry, I would not recommend that, you will want to do everything for the turkey on Thanksgiving. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tieghan! I was to “test drive” this recipe with a whole chicken so that I’m well practiced for Thanksgiving. Any adjustments I should make for the chicken? It’s much smaller than my turkey so will make the time adjustment noted in the comments but anything else?
Hi Kerry,
I have never tried this on a chicken, I’m sure it will be great! I would just adjust the cook time:) I hope it turns out well for you! xx
I’m cooking an additional turkey breast this year. I’m thinking the cheesecloth method would work great for it. Your thoughts? Anything else I should do to keep it from drying out?
Hi Donna,
Here is my recipe for the turkey breast:
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! Any substitutes for the white wine?
Hi Sabrina,
You could use broth in place of the wine:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tieghan,
First time making a turkey this year! How do I adjust for an 8-12lb turkey? Thanks!
Hi Reena,
You will have to reduce by 12 minutes per pound! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xT
Hello! I have made this turkey for the last 3 years and everyone loves it! Things are a little crazy this year and we will be having Thanksgiving on a Friday. Do you think it is possible to make the turkey and carve it ahead of time? Or will it get too dried out (or worse soggy skin!) In the reheating process? Thank you!
Hey Megan,
Love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe for the past few years! I personally wouldn’t carve it ahead of time for the best flavors:) Best of luck!! xx
Hello! My daughter and I are trying your turkey recipe this year. I usually buy a 20/23 lb turkey, I see your recipe is for a 14 lb turkey. How do I adjust the time for this size of turkey? Do I follow the timing directions on the turkey, or do you have directions? Thank you!
Hi Carolyn,
You’ll need to add 12 minutes per pound to the recipe! I would also increase your ingredients, you can do this by adjusting the serving size! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the response, I was wondering the same thing!!
The cheesecloth is genius! Going to try it this Thanksgiving!
Would you mind sharing where is your roasted pan with gold handles from? Thank you!
Thanks so much Tatiana! The cheesecloth really makes such a difference! Here is the link to a similar pan, the one I used in the photos is very old!
https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=535290069&pid=uid3696-43323264-41&aid=45496900&utm_content=productwidget%3A635bffad870c5535ef0047a0&utm_medium=referral
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’m curious about all the broth you put in when roasting the chicken. Does that not make it steam more than roast? I have not heard this method before? I’m so here for the cheesecloth, genius!!
Hi Janet,
Since you are using such a large pan and a big turkey, the broth is the perfect amount, I’ve never had issues with it steaming. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I click the link of your cheese cloth. And bought. Do you use the whole 4 yards on the bird? Or do you cut the cloth to fit the bird? One layer of cheesecloth ?
Hi Jennifer,
You are going to cut the cloth to fit the bird and then fold in half once so there are 2 layers of cloth. I hope this helps! xx
Can you put stuffing inside the bird to cook at the same time instead of the onion, garlic and lemon?
Thanks
Hi Shaina,
If you cook the stuffing inside the turkey, you’ll have to overcook the turkey in order to actually cook the stuffing to a temperature that’s safe to eat. And even then, you end up with soggy stuffing…and dry turkey. Not good. Instead, bake the stuffing separately. You’ll get soft on the inside and crisp on top stuffing that actually tastes good. xx