Butter Roasted Turkey with Herbes de Provence + Citrus has been my traditional Thanksgiving Day turkey recipe since I first began hosting the holiday many years ago. Aromatics are loosely stuffed into the turkey and seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs line the roasting pan – resulting in a tender and succulent turkey with a white wine pan gravy that compares to no other.
For the most delicious results, choose a fresh turkey rather than a frozen one, it will make all the difference. Organic, free-range and heritage turkeys are allowed to roam freely and have a natural diet, which gives their meat unbeatable flavor.
Softened butter is mixed with fragrant Herbes de Provence (a blend of dried herbs consisting mostly of sage and rosemary and a hint of lavender) and is generously rubbed all over the turkey and between the breast meat and skin.
The rack that comes in the roasting pan is removed, and the pan is layered with cut carrots and celery, the turkey neck (don’t worry, it’s just for flavor, we’ll discard it at the end), onion and herbs. The turkey sits atop these ingredients while roasting, releasing its robust flavor and creating the base for the white wine pan gravy.
If you’re curious about approximate roasting times, click here for a helpful guide.
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Hosting for the holidays? This curated guide will help you plan and prepare.
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Servings: 0
Ingredients
- 1 fresh whole turkey (reserving the neck) 18-20 pounds
- 1 orange cut into wedges
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 1 head of garlic, loose outer skins removed and 1/4th of tip of the bulb cut & discarded
- 1 onion cut into wedges
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 fresh sage leaf sprigs
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature or 1 stick
- 1 ½ tbsp Herbes de Provence
Ingredients Needed for the Pan:
- 4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 celery sticks, cut in half lengthwise
- Turkey neck
- 4-6 springs fresh rosemary
- 4-6 springs of fresh sage
- 4 cups organic chicken broth
Ingredients for the gravy:
- 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc, divided
- 4 tbsp butter or 1/2 stick
- 6 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in the minimum amount of broth needed to make a thin paste, about 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup cold broth)
- 1-2 cups organic chicken broth, only as needed
- Kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- To roast the turkey: Preheat the oven to 400 F. (204 C.) and position the rack to the lowest third part of the oven. Plan on approximately 15 minutes of cooking time for every pound of turkey.
How to roast the turkey (steps 1-6 should be done a day ahead of time):
- Mix the Herbes de Provence into the softened butter and set aside.
- Clean the turkey by draining any excess moisture from inside the cavity and removing the giblets (they're usually found in a bag inside the cavity). Reserve the neck, and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Line a roasting pan with all of the pan ingredients except for the chicken broth.
- Place the turkey on top of the pan ingredients (these ingredients will hold the turkey up instead of using a roasting rack). To the inside of the turkey loosely pack with the orange and lemon wedges, the head of garlic, and the onion wedges, alternating the pieces as you go. Lastly, add the sprigs of fresh herbs.
- Secure the legs with twine or tuck them under the fold of skin.
- Generously rub the herbed butter all over turkey and between the breast meat and skin, careful not to rip the skin. (Tent with heavy-duty foil and refrigerate overnight. Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes before roasting).
- When ready to roast, add only 3 cups of chicken broth to the pan and roast for 45 minutes, tented in foil.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F. Pour 1 more cup of broth into the roasting pan. Remove the foil, only re-covering the turkey breast if it begins to roast too much.
- Cook the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165 – 175 degrees F. (74-79 C.) use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey thigh, careful not to touch a bone though; occasionally baste the turkey with the pan juices, not too frequently, as you’ll want to keep the temperature consistent in the oven. Rotate the pan halfway through (see recipe notes #1 and #2 below).
- Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent it with foil. Keep the roasting pan and juices as we’ll use it to make the white wine pan gravy, discard any solids from the pan. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving (Need to keep it hot a little longer? See recipe notes #3 and #4 below).
For the Gravy:
- Strain the pan juices into a fat separator with a sieve-lined lid or into a 4 cup glass measuring cup, skimming off the fat from the top. Discard any solids. Add extra chicken stock to the measuring cup, only if necessary, so that you have a total of 4 cups of liquid.
- Add the wine to the roasting pan. Over two burners on low-medium heat, deglaze the pan by scraping up, and stirring in, any flavorful browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce a bit, about 3-4 minutes.
- Melt the butter into the roasting pan.
- Add the reserved 4 cups of liquid to the roasting pan. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry (see recipe note #5 below) while continuously whisking to blend. Keep whisking until the gravy reaches the desired consistency which should be silky and thick, but not so thick that it isn’t pourable, about 10 minutes – if the gravy isn’t thickening-up, raise the temperature while continuously whisking or make more slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold broth, mixing well to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Strain the gravy and pour into a gravy boat if ready to serve or keep warm until ready to use (see recipe notes #6 – 8 below). Gravy will thicken as it cools.
Notes
PRO TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Cover the breast with foil if it begins to darken too much; plan on 15 minutes of cooking time for every pound of turkey if stuffed.
- Use a meat thermometer! The best way to know your turkey is done is to check the internal temperature of the thigh. The turkey is done at 165 F (74 C.).
- Done a bit ahead of time? If the turkey is done too early or if you make it a bit ahead of time, after the turkey has rested for 30 minutes, you can keep the turkey tented making sure to seal all the edges of the platter with the foil and drape 2 heavy bath towels over the tented turkey. This will create a layer of insulation, keeping the turkey hot for a little longer. However there's two things to consider: keeping the turkey hot for too long can risk drying it out, so don't overdo it. Also, the gravy should be hot when you're serving dinner, so that will help a turkey that has cooled, too. Use your judgment.
- Food safety - Always keep food safety in mind. Don’t make the turkey so far ahead of time that you compromise the integrity of your dinner and the well-being of your guests. Click here for a guide to help you. When in doubt always err on the side of caution;
- Making a slurry - It’s important to make the slurry with cold liquid, then add the slurry to the simmering liquid. To make a slurry, the ratio is always 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of a cold liquid, like water or chicken broth. l prefer to use a jar with a tight lid, making enough slurry to have at the ready, then shake the jar well and slowly add to the pan;
- Lumps in the gravy? If you experience lumps in your gravy, strain through a sieve and no one will be the wiser.
- Gravy too thick? If you need to thin the gravy out, keep extra warm stock on hand and add a little at a time, stirring well, until desired consistency is reached, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Keeping the gravy hot! I prefer to make my turkey and gravy a little ahead of time so that I don’t feel rushed, here’s my go-to tip to keep the gravy hot until you're ready to serve it. If it's just a few extra minutes needed, you can keep the gravy on the lowest simmer setting on the stove. Otherwise, get a heavy-duty insulated thermos and when the gravy is ready and still piping hot, pour it into the thermos and close the lid tightly. It will stay incredibly hot for hours! When you're ready to bring it to the table, pour it into a gravy boat and serve. You’re a superstar!
- Did you overcook the turkey? Keep some warm broth and melted butter on hand and ladle a little bit over the carved turkey to add moisture if you have any mishaps.
- Want to make the turkey a day ahead and serve it the next day? This is a common question I get from people travelling with food. If you're choosing this route, make the turkey a day ahead of time, reserving the pan juices to make the gravy on the big day. After the turkey has rested, and completely cooled, carve it into large pieces—breasts, wings, thighs, drumsticks. Leave the skin intact as best as possible. Place the turkey in a shallow pan, add some chicken broth to cover the bottom of the pan, and cover tightly with plastic and foil, refrigerate overnight. The next day, let the turkey sit at room temp for 20-25 minutes to remove the chill. Cover tightly with foil (make sure you've removed the plastic) and heat at 325 F. degrees until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees, about 45 minutes to an hour. You can bake it along with other items, but check it occasionally as overcooking it will dry it out. The stock will allow the turkey to steam and help keep it moist. The skin won't be crispy at this point, so you can remove it. Before serving, slice and add to a serving platter, spooning just a bit of broth over the turkey. Serve alongside the gravy and other trimmings, as usual.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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9 Comments
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Chad
I made this for Thanksgiving this year! It looks and smells so delicious!! I can’t wait to cut into this and serve it up!
Chasing the Seasons
You just made my holiday! Thank you so much for the feedback. Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hema
Thanks Guys, Your Recipe Was Too Fantastic. Me and My Family Loved it. I Will Share your Rrecipe with my friends. Hope they will love it too.
Chasing the Seasons
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Ari Silva (@AriSilva.Kitchen)
I did this recipe for our Thanksgiving dinner, and it was AMAZING and full of flavor!
I just adored the mixture of aromas from the oranges, lemons and Herbes de Provence. It was so easy to follow the instructions and my family loved the juicy and tender outcome of our turkey.
I cooked it with fresh herbes from my tiny garden in the balcony.
I really enjoy cooking recipes from this beautiful Blog,
Thanks Nikki for bringing to us your wonderful food-
Chasing the Seasons
Ari, what a beautiful review! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy you chose this recipe to inspire your Thanksgiving dinner. The photo you shared on Instagram was stunning. Thank you again!
Diana Gray
This recipe is wonderful! It is easy and full of flavor. In the end the turkey is so moist!
Chasing the Seasons
Happy you agree! Thank you so much for the feedback. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🙂