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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
If I get my turkey spatchcocked, what should I consider? Cooking time? Anything else? Thx!
Hi there! Honestly I’m not too familiar with that, so I’m not sure! I would imagine just the cooking time needs to be changed 🙂 xTieghan
Hello! I am SO excited to host a HBH Thanksgiving this year! Can I brine the turkey before hand still or should I just skip it? also, i have an 18lb bird…suggestions on cooking time?
Hi there! Yes, you can definitely brine beforehand if you’d like! 🙂 xTieghan
What do I need to consider if I’m getting a spatchcocked turkey? (Other post had an error in my email. Sorry!) Thx!
Would anything change if you had around a 20 lb turkey? Cannot wait to use this recipe!!
Hi there! The cook time would maybe be a bit longer, but other than that the recipe should be the same! 🙂 xTieghan
Hi Teighan!
I am excited to make this for thanksgiving dinner this year after so many friends have had rave reviews! I am wondering if you think it could be done on a smoker like a traeger perhaps?
Hi there! I am sure a turkey in the smoker would be amazing 🙂 xTieghan
Thank you. I am going to make your turkey. I haven’t done it in years, but I remember that my mom used to drape butter-soaked cheesecloth over the turkey. Funny how you forget things ….
I’ll probably stick with our tried-and-true gravy w/o wine, but who knows – maybe 2021 is a year to change things up?
Happy T-Day.
Hi Maeve! Thanks so much! Best of luck in all your cooking and baking this holiday season 🙂 xTieghan
Morning Tieghan! This looks ABSOLUTELY amazing but I was wondering if you could do the same thing but with a whole chicken instead? It’s just my husband and 3 yr old and I and there is just no way we’d get through a whole turkey! I was thinking a chicken would be a good size instead? Thank you so much for helping me to feed my family delicious meals every week!
Hi Kyra! I’m so sorry, I haven’t tried this with a whole chicken before so I’m not sure! I would imagine it should work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
I see you have responded to a few other comments that you don’t brine the turkey. Is there any harm in doing so?
i have the same question 🙂
I made turkey using this method last year, but I had a few issues. It was an apartment oven so I think it was too small. The cheese cloth started to brown about 30 minutes in, so I kept rewetting it so it wouldn’t catch on fire. So at the 3 hour mark, one of my legs was still raw and pink ON THE OUTSIDE. I used a thermometer.
Any suggestions? Can I cover the turkey with foil so I don’t have to worry about that?
Also, I’m in a new house this year with a different oven.. Any suggestions on learning if your oven has cold spots or such?
Will probably be doing just a breast this time as planning to have ham. It’s for Friensgiving.
Please help.
Hi Ellen, thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! I would cover the turkey with foil if you don’t want to have to worry about it! xTieghan
Could you do a turkey breast and leg rather than a whole bird for a smaller thanksgiving?
Hi there1 Yes, that would work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
Can you make this in a electric roaster?
Hi there! I haven’t tried this recipe in an electric roaster but I’m sure it would be fine! xTieghan
Looks great. May be time to try something new after 50 years of cooking Tgiving turkeys. I have 2 questions. Turkey in the pan or on a rack? And, I use Better Than Boullion as my broth base. What do you think about using turkey broth rather than chicken broth?
Sorry if this seems like a stupid question but when basting do you baste under or on top of the cheese cloth?
I had the same question! From what I can tell, based on this and similar recipes on google, you baste on top of the cheesecloth and you don’t remove the cheesecloth until you take it out of the oven (step 6).
Thank you!
I’m planning on doing this for Canadian Thanksgiving (next weekend). If you stuff the turkey with stuffing, do you think it’ll turn out the same?
Hey Steph,
I never stuff my turkey, if you do, you will certainly need to increase your cooking time to ensure your stuffing is safe to eat. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
The first time I was tried this at my school friend’s home and I remember at that time I was asked her for the recipe too. And today she sent me this recipe. I will love to try it.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! I am so excited that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try!! xTieghan
Hi! I’ve made this recipe before and it was absolutely delicious but I was wondering if you have ever brined the turkey beforehand and then followed the rest of the steps for this recipe ?
Thanks so much Grace! I actually never brine my turkey:) xTieghan
I have been making this roasted turkey recipe with our homegrown turkeys for a couple years now, and it is beyond our favorite…STILL. We are a big gravy family, so without a doubt this gravy is outstanding and does not disappoint! I have made this recipe after bringing our turkeys for a couple days…amazing! Thanks for the go-to favorite recipe, we will be sharing this with all our turkey customers!
Hey there,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy New Year! xTieghan