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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
That picture? It makes you happy and excited, right?? I know, me too!!
This post was originally published on November 2, 2015
This article is awesome!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
Do you recommend brining the turkey or is that unnecessary?
Oops. Just saw the other post. Sorry! Thanks!
CooL! Hope you love the turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!
What times would you need if you had a much larger turkey, say 24 pounds?
Hi! I looked up online and around 4 1/2 hours. Hope you love the turkey and happy Thanksgiving!
Hi. I’m going to attempt this! (Fingers crossed). What do you do with the neck and giblets? Can you throw it in the pan while cooking turkey?
Hey Kristi! I have never done that so I really cannot say. I normally just discard the giblets and then sometimes simmer the neck with the gravy for more flavor, but more often than not I just discard both and cook the turkey without each. Let me now if you have any other questions. Hope you love the turkey!
I like the idea of the cheesecloth just wonder how you were able to get the top of the turkey golden brown being it was covered with the cloth. Can you tell us if you took the cloth off for a period of time to brown? Did the cloth begin to burn once the butter was absorbed by the turkey?
HI!! I leave the cloth on the entire time and it does brown a bit, but it also leaves the turkey’s skin beautifully golden. Just follow the directions as written and you will get the golden skin! 🙂 Let me know if you have other questions.
Hey, I love your blog! Very thank you for sharing awesome posts!
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Hi!
Do you recommend marinating the turkey in the cheese cloth in advance? Or given the technique it would be unnecessary?
HI!! If you want to prep this in advance that will work great, otherwise you can just do it before baking. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any issues an or questions. Thanks!
I would like to prep this the night before…how far would you go? Could I season and fill the cavity, rub the compound butter and place the cheese cloth on top the evening before so I only have to pop it in the oven tomorrow? I have a 20lb turkey…how much cooking time should I add on? Recipe and technique look great! Excited to try. Thank you!
Hey Robin,
Yes, that will all work great. plan on 4-4 1/2 hours for the turkey. Have a great Thanksgiving!! 🙂
Did you brine the turkey?
Hi Catherine,
I did not. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
Did the turkey come brined or did you skip it all together.
I do not brine this turkey. I don’t think it needs it. Thanks!
I was so inspired by your cheesecloth idea that I just went out and bought one for Thanksgiving! Cannot wait to try your method! Quick question, do you brine the turkey on your own and if so which recipe do you use?
YEAH!!! I do not brine the turkey, so I am afraid I can’t help there, BUT I thought this turkey turned out amazing with the brine. Thanks!
My mouth is watering! Would I need to change anything to do this with a chicken?
Just the cooking times, a chicken will cook a lot faster. Thanks!
Thank you! I may have cut it down just a smidgen too much…the thigh wasn’t quite cooked enough, but the breast meat was perfect and juicy and delicious! I am for sure keeping this cooking method in mind. If you want to see how it looked I put pictures up: http://www.tasteneapolitan.com/blog/galsgiving
Looks amazing!! Thanks Hannah!
Can you please share what roaster pan you used? I am in the market and could use some guidance. Thanks.
Hi! I use this: http://www.amazon.com/Mauviel-Stainless-5217-15-11-8-Inch-Rectangular/dp/B004ZH3DV2 Hope that helps!
My mouths watering, this looks really really good!
Thank you so much, Jenny! Happy early Thanksgiving!!
Okay, so for the past six years I have made my turkey following America’s Test Kitchen methods – I brine it for 12+ hours, let it dry out uncovered in the fridge for another 12 hours, then roast it, flipping it 3 times during cooking, slathering with butter each time I flip, in order to fully brown each side of the turkey. I then make a pan gravy with white wine and drippings. It turns out delicious and gorgeous and perfectly moist on the inside with crispy skin, but it’s a TON of work.
Your way looks SO much easier! Quick question – it looks like from the pictures you roasted your bird breast side up, right?
And another vote from me for some drink recipes! I love holiday themed cocktails 🙂
Hey Susan!!
I did roast my turkey breast side up, always do! 🙂 Drinks are coming!
Oh my oh my. That turkey is stunning!! STUNNING. Gah! There are only two of us in our household so far, but I plan on doing this with a chicken! Yum-o!
Also, can I just give a bug and hearty “yes” to the boozy drinks? I always get super excited when I see a new drink post on your blog! 🙂 So creative!
Gah I love how excited you get for the holidays. I feel like I found my thanksgiving/christmas time twin! Starting November 1st I am all holiday all the time. The music, the food, the drinks, the decorations, the movies! I get so excited hahaha. And then I read your blog and get even MORE excited. Just, YES! This turkey looks out of this world and that cheese cloth method is genius. My dad will probably never relinquish his turkey cooking duties but if he did, I would have to try that. Can’t wait to see what you have coming up next!
haha! This totally made me smile BIG! 🙂
Thanks Chelsea!!