Simple Roast Turkey
A pasture-raised Greenacres turkey is seasoned with a fresh herb–garlic butter and roasted over a bed of onions, celery, carrot, and broth or water. After removing the giblets, the herb butter is spread under and over the skin. The turkey can be refrigerated overnight for added flavor if not brined. It’s roasted at 325°F on a rack set over the vegetables, covered for most of the cook time and uncovered at the end to brown. The turkey is finished when the thigh reaches 160°F and should rest 30 minutes before carving. The strained pan juices make an excellent gravy. Cooking times vary by weight, ranging from about 3 to 5 hours.
Ingredients
Greenacres Pasture Raised Turkey
- Chicken or turkey broth, or water
- 2 Large Onions
- 1 Large Carrot
- 3-4 Stalks Celery
- 1 Bay Leaf
For the Herb Butter Mixture:
- 2 Sticks Butter room temperature
- 4 tsp Minced Fresh Rosemary
- 4 tsp Minced Fresh Sage
- 1 tbsp Minced Fresh Thyme
- 3 Fresh Garlic Cloves minced
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepration:
- Remove the giblets and neck from the cavity and set them aside. If you want to brine your turkey (directions on reverse), do it now. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Prepare herb butter: Mince the herbs and garlic. Combine herb butter ingredients in a bowl. Loosen the turkey’s skin on breast and thighs with your hands and rub the mixture over the whole turkey, under and over the skin.
- If you have time and have not brined your turkey, cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors in the butter to marinate the turkey.
- Prepare the vegetables: Set aside one onion. Roughly chop celery, carrot, and remaining onion and place them in the bottom of a roasting pan with the bay leaf and enough broth or water to mostly submerge the vegetables.
Roasting:
- Remove turkey from refrigerator at least 30-60 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 325ºF. If you didn’t apply the herb butter in advance, do it now. Set a rack in the roasting pan over the vegetables. Place turkey on a rack, breast up. Halve remaining onion, place it inside the cavity with any remaining herbs.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil or a lid. Place pan in the oven, cook according to the chart below. Remove foil for the last 30-60 minutes to brown the skin.
- Remove from the oven once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh registers 160ºF. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving. Strain the liquid in the bottom of the roasting pan, and use it to make your gravy.
Notes
Approx. Cooking Time by Weight at 325º
12 - 14lb ....... 3 - 3¾ hours
14 - 18lb ....... 3¾ - 4¼ hours
18 - 20lb ....... 4¼ - 4½ hours
20 - 24lb ....... 4½ - 5 hours
The safe internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh must register 160ºF
