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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
Do you cook the turkey upside down like many people recommend? Do you advise against it being upside down?
Hi Kristen,
I’ve never heard of cooking a turkey upside down:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Tieghan, I have cooked a lot of turkeys. I am excited to try the cheesecloth method. The recipe ingredients say 3 tsp Kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper. Does this go in the compound butter or on the bird? In your narrative of how you prepared the turkey, you don’t mention the salt and pepper. But in the written directions you do. I just don’t want any part of the turkey to have too much salt. Thanks in advance. I love how you take the time to answer questions.
Hey Felicia,
You are going to use the 3 tsp of salt and 1 1/2 tsp of pepper in the butter and then just do a sprinkle to your liking in the cavity of the turkey. I hope you love the recipe! xx
What would you recommend to adjust if using this recipe on a 22 pound Turkey?
I’ve made this the past few years and LOVED it, but I have to make a larger one this year and am nervous about the adjustments.
Following
I have used this recipe for a 20+ lb turkey the past few years for our big family Thanksgiving… I increased the recipe to 3 sticks of unsalted butter, 4 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper. For the herbs I didn’t measure, I just used the whole package as they come from the store. I use the same amounts as the original recipe for the onion/garlic/lemon but you definitely could increase those if you want. And the same amount of broth too. Cook for 45 min at 450 then at least 2.5 hours at 350. After that I go by the internal temperature, and take it out when it’s 155 or 160 degrees.
Thanks so much for sharing Beth!!
Hey Lindsey,
You are going to need to add 12 minutes per pound:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I have made this recipe for 3 years and love it! The white wine gravy is a show stopper.
I can never seem to plan ahead and snag a cheesecloth or find one in my small town until this year though! So I alter that part.
So wanted to ask- at what point would you remove your cheesecloth to get the top of your bird that nice browned skin? That’s my fav part!
Hey Desi,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! I never remove the cheesecloth, the turkey will brown with the cheesecloth on top. Happy Thanksgiving! xx
I’m gonna try this recipe this year. Do you think results would be the same with ghee instead of butter?
Hey Carol,
Yes, I think ghee would be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!! xx
Hi! I’m so excited to make this Turkey, it’ll be my first time making the whole shabang of thanksgiving. Do you suggest any day-before prep for the Turkey, like having it soak in some yogurt with lemon, etc? Or any other prep?
Hey Fatima,
You could make the herb butter, but I would save everything else for Thanksgiving!! Have a great holiday! xT
Ahh can’t wait to make this! Would it be ok to prep the turkey the night before you think? And then bake day off? Thank you!!
Hi Joanna,
Sure, that should be okay for you to do! I hope you love the recipe! xT
I have made this recipe for the last 3 years. The turkey is amazing, moist, flavorful I have ever made. The Cheese cloth is the winner.
Going to try the gravy this year.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Trying to decide if we should make our turkey ahead of time to save the stress of cooking in a teeny space with lots of eyes! Love the sounds of this recipe? How does it hold up next day?
Hi Emily,
I would not make the turkey ahead of time:) xx
Hey there,
Happy Friday!!❄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
Hi! I am wondering if you use a roasting rack or cook it directly in the pan. I noticed in the photos you have it both ways.
Thanks!
Hey Michelle,
I like to use.a roasting rack, but if you don’t have one it’s not a big deal:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I’m going to try your turkey recipe this year but I’m nervous about the no-brine situation. Just out of curiosity, why do you skip the brining part? I love the idea of not having to do that…I’m just nervous to skip it because I’ve always brined my turkeys.
Hi Abby,
I’ve never brined the turkey and never felt the need to, this recipe has plenty of flavor as is, it’s just one more thing to have to do:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Help! I ordered the cheesecloth you linked because I really want to make the thanksgiving turkey using your method, but the cloth that came is a LOT of fabric! Do I really use the whole 4 yards? It’s like a curtain’s worth haha. Just want to make sure I’m not adding too much cloth to the bird.
Another Lindsey that is interested in the answer to this question! I’m preparing my list for thanksgiving!
Hi Lindsey,
You are just going to cut it to fit over the turkey and fold in half:) I hope you love the recipe! xT
Hey Teighan!
What fruit/veggies can I stick inside the bird for a little flavor/to make it look pretty? Lol
Hi Karissa,
You are stuffing the bird with lemons, onion, and garlic in step 4:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Lindsey,
Nope do not use the whole thing, you are going to cut it to fit over the turkey and fold in half:) I hope you love the recipe! xT
cut it so enough would cover the chicken.
Hi Tieghan! If making your make-ahead gravy, do you still put the same amount of chicken broth in the roasting pan? Thanks so much!
Hey Amy,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’m excited to try this method and my cheesecloth is in the wash! Would you cook it on Convection and expect it to cook faster/better?
Hi Marca,
Sorry, I’ve never cooked this on convection, just regular bake:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Made this recipe last year and will be doing ago so this year. EVERYONE this is the MVP of turkeys!
Thanks so much Lacy!! So glad you have been enjoying this recipe:) Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Excited to try this with turkey breasts! If I read this correctly, no cheesecloth if I am just doing breasts? And what kind of pan would you roast with if just doing the breasts? I was thinking of just using my Le Crueset Everyday Pan. Do I need the breasts to be raised? And do I need any liquid in the bottom of the pan?
Hi Erin,
Correct, no cheesecloth and no broth for the turkey breasts. Yes, you can go ahead and rinse them and the Le Crueset pans sounds perfect! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can I use this recipe with a dry brine and then spatchcock turkey
Hey Jolene,
I never brine my turkey:) I’m not sure how it would work with a spatchcock turkey, but you could give it a try! xx
Hey Tieghan! I don’t have a roasting pan or a rack, and planned to use a regular baking sheet pan. Do you have a modification for that? With the shallow depth of the sheet pan the broth wouldn’t fit, and do you have any concerns with the turkey sitting directly on the pan instead of a rack?
Made this recipe in 2020 and I also didn’t have a roasting pan or rack! Someone told me to just ball up some aluminum foil and place them under the turkey to elevate it from the bottom and I think it’s about the same as a rack lol. Or even lay some potatoes, carrots, onion, etc under the turkey to elevate it too. I also used one of those standard disposable aluminum pans and it turned out AMAZING!
Thanks so much for sharing what worked well for you Gabbie!!
Hi Mitchell,
It’s totally fine to not have a roasting rack, it’s fine for the turkey to sit on a pan, but I really don’t think I would advise on using a baking sheet. Let me know if I can help in any other way! xT