Herb Butter for Roasted Turkey
Updated Oct 01, 2025, Published Nov 01, 2024
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This quick and easy herb butter for roasted turkey will give your turkey a beautifully aromatic flavor, help it turn golden brown and crisp, and keep the meat juicy. This easy step makes a big difference when you’re trying to make the best roasted turkey ever!
Use this herb butter in my famous juicy roasted turkey recipe. If you love rubs, don’t forget to try my dry rub for pork ribs and prime rib rub for rib roast, too!
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Servings: 12 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian
- Method: Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Technique: Rub the herb butter on top of the turkey and under the skin before roasting to flavor the meat and to help the skin crisp nicely.
- Flavor & Texture: This herb butter has a wonderful flavor from the chopped fresh herbs, which pairs perfectly with turkey, chicken, or steak.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Rubbing butter under the skin of your turkey is a fantastic and easy way to add flavor and help the skin become golden and crispy as it roasts. It is our favorite way to season our turkey for roasting. Here’s why:
- Moist Meat: The butter melts into the meat while it cooks, keeping the turkey juicy and preventing it from drying out.
- Added Flavor: When mixed with herbs and seasonings, the butter infuses the meat with rich, aromatic flavors that permeate through the bird.
- Crispy Skin: Butter helps the skin get beautifully browned and crispy, which many people look for in a perfectly roasted turkey.
It’s a simple but impactful step to enhance your turkey’s overall flavor and texture! You can also use it on roasted chicken or perfectly cooked steak. This turkey recipe pairs well with twice-baked potatoes or best mashed potatoes for your next dinner party!
Made With Amore,
“Made this for Thanksgiving and now again for Christmas, super easy but what a difference it makes!”
– Kim
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Turkey Herb Butter
This easy herb butter adds a unique layer of flavor to your turkey!
- Unsalted Butter: The base of the herb butter, it melts into the turkey, keeping it moist and flavorful, while also helping to crisp up the skin.
- Salt: Kosher salt enhances the natural flavors of the turkey and helps season the meat evenly.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Adds a subtle heat and depth, balancing out the richness of the butter.
- Fresh Herbs: Feel free to use a variety of fresh herbs, especially those from your herb garden. Any combination of herbs makes a tasty herb butter! I love using a blend of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Citrus Herb Butter: Add lemon or orange zest and a splash of juice for a bright, tangy flavor. This works especially well with poultry or fish, like my oven baked cod or baked flounder.
- Garlic Butter: Mix in fresh minced garlic for a more robust, savory flavor. Great for roasted meats (like roasted leg of lamb) and vegetables.
- Spicy Herb Butter: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, or cayenne for a bit of heat.
- Mixed Herb Butter: Use a blend of different herbs like parsley, tarragon, or dill for a unique flavor twist. You can even use my homemade Italian seasoning!
How to Make Herb Butter for Turkey
This easy homemade herb butter comes together in a few easy steps. See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for more instructions.
Making the Herb Butter
- Add all the ingredients for the herb butter to a bowl. Be sure to use softened butter!
- Stir until well combined. The herb butter is ready to use!
How to Put the Herb Butter on a Turkey
For more on turkey baking, see my complete guide for Thanksgiving turkey recipe.
- Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel.
- Gently loosen the turkey skin from the meat and rub a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey.
- This ensures a crispy, golden skin and infuses the meat with flavor.
- Your herb-roasted turkey is ready to bake. Don’t forget to baste it with pan drippings while it cooks for extra moisture! Use the drippings for homemade turkey gravy, and enjoy leftovers in these leftover turkey tacos.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage are classic choices for poultry. You can also experiment with any other herbs like parsley, tarragon, or oregano for different flavors. Use your favorite combinations based on preference.
When substituting dried herbs for fresh herb butter, use this simple guideline: Use one-third the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh herbs since dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor. For example: 1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried. Rub the dried herbs between your fingers before mixing them into the butter to release more of their oils and flavor.
Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the herb butter up to 5 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before using.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze herb butter in an airtight freezer-safe container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before using it.
Roasting a turkey with herb butter on the skin and under the skins ensures it is flavorful and has wonderfully crispy skin. To cook the turkey, roast it at 325°F, basting occasionally with pan juices, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F. This method ensures a golden, crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat!
Serving Suggestions
This herb butter makes the perfect roasted turkey for any special holiday gathering! You can also try using this in this roast whole chicken recipe. Serve the turkey with my family favorite side dishes, like my hasselback sweet potatoes, vegetarian stuffing casserole, red skin mashed potatoes, and fall harvest salad with apple and butternut squash.
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Make sure the butter is fully softened to blend smoothly with the herbs and spread easily under the skin.
- Gently slide your fingers under the turkey skin to create space for the butter, being careful not to tear it.
- Baste the turkey with the pan drippings during roasting to keep it moist and flavorful.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes after roasting to let the juices redistribute, making the meat tender and juicy.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
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Herb Butter for Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, from 1 lemon; optional
Instructions
- Mix the softened butter with minced garlic, chopped herbs, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice (if using). Be sure to stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- Gently loosen the turkey skin from the meat and rub a generous amount of the herb butter under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey. This ensures a crispy, golden skin, and infuses the meat with flavor.
- Roast the turkey according to your favorite recipe. I recommend my roasted Thanksgiving turkey recipe!
Notes
- Make sure the butter is fully softened to blend smoothly with the herbs and spread easily under the skin.
- Gently slide your fingers under the turkey skin to create space for the butter, being careful not to tear it.
- Baste the turkey with the pan drippings during roasting to keep it moist and flavorful.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes after roasting to let the juices redistribute, making the meat tender and juicy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What size turkey is this good for?
About 15 pounds. With that said you can always make a little more for larger, or slather a little extra for a smaller turkey. Here is the recipe I recommend: https://www.cucinabyelena.com/easy-thanksgiving-turkey-recipe. Enjoy!
When i jump to the recipe, under instructions, it says mix the softened butter with minced garlic, and I did add about a teaspoon of minced garlic. I will say, though, that even if I had not added the garlic, the recipe was superb! I tried it on chicken first to see if I would like the flavor for my Thanksgiving turkey and I will definitely be using it for my turkey!
Sorry about that mistake! I am happy you loved it!!
the garlic and the amount was not on the ingredients list
This recipe does not use garlic, this is because it could burn while the turkey roasts. You can use garlic powder if you like!
Made this for Thanksgiving and now again for Christmas, super easy but what a difference it makes!
Yay! So happy you love this method.
that turkey ๐ฆ looks so delicious and tender yummy ๐๐ gotta try that for Christmas ๐