Easy Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey

Take the turkey out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Prep your ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, stir together softened butter, olive oil, herbs, and lemon zest. Place the salt and pepper in two shallow bowls and lay out all the other ingredients so they’re ready to go.

You’ll probably want to remove any rings and roll up your sleeves at this point because you’re about to get up close and personal with this turkey. Ready?

Rinse the turkey under cold water and make sure to remove any gravy packets and the giblets. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to dry the top, inside the cavity, and the underside of the turkey.

Grab a hunk of the butter mixture and rub it all over the turkey, over the wings and breast, underneath, and in the cavity. Then take your fingers and work more of it under the skin (I told you we were going to get up close and personal, right?). Rub some butter under the skin of the breast as well.

Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly all over the bird and inside the cavity. You probably won’t use all the salt or pepper, but the bird should look like a light snow has fallen all over it.

Stuff the onions, celery, garlic and halved lemon in the cavity, then place the bird in the oven.

Bake the turkey at 450 F for 30 minutes then turn the heat down to 350 F, tent with foil, and continue to cook for 1½-2 hours. Take the bird out after 1½ hours and insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. You want the breast to register 165 F before removing it from the oven. If it’s at 150 F, you know you’re getting close so check every 10-15 minutes from there. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of baking, unless it’s getting too browned.

Once the thermometer registers 165 F, remove the turkey from the oven, and allow to stand for 30 minutes before carving.