Chef John's Roast Turkey and Gravy

I was in charge of making the turkey this last Thanksgiving and I came across this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly and I have to say it was the best Turkey we've ever had. Everyone was amazed how moist and flavorful the turkey was. This will be my turkey recipe for now on. It was perfect, I won't change a thing!

This really was easy for a first-time turkey girl! I am not a cook, in fact, I think of myself as a terrible cook and I wanted to simply buy the frozen slab of turkey meat for Thanksgiving last year. But my bossy little sister forced me to try to make a "real" turkey. So she taught me how to search all recipes and we found this. It was FANTASTIC. Everyone loved our turkey, even my fussy "no-processed-food-ever-amazing-cook-sister". I am going to use this every year!!!! The turkey really does stay incredibly moist and it was delicious. Make sure to search the for the video. Last year it was linked right there with the recipe, but this year I had to do a google search to find it. His step by step easy to follow video really helped.

2.10.12 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219079/chef-johns-roast-turkey-and-gravy/ ... Only a partial review, BUT the simple herb coating is FABULOUS! It coats the skin well enough that it doesn't burn or need covering; &, of course, tastes delicious! I combined recipes which basically means, I used olive oil on, & some butter in the turkey. Also put an apple inside - & a T of the seasonings. I used a cup of apple juice & a cup of water in the pan. Gravy was dark, but very good. When turkey time comes again, I'll follow the recipe better. :) Note4Me: Coating: 2T Kosher, 1T freshly ground black pepper, 1T poultry seasoning, 1/2T sage

My husband said this was the best Turkey he ever ate in his life. It smelled so good as it was baking. I did not deviate from the recipe at all but did not make the gravy to make the dinner healthier. I also made Chef John's Mango Cranberry sauce, other recipes from All Recipes: Grecian green beans, green salad with cranberry vinaigrette and pumpkin pots de creme, and Ina's sausage stuffed mushrooms and her glazed carrots. Here is the recipe for the herb butter: 1 stick of softened butter, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of- lemon zest, poultry seasoning, black pepper, rosemary and 1.5 teaspoon of kosher salt.

What an easy, and beautiful, and flavorful, and crispy, *and* moist turkey!(however, I must admit that I did turn down the heat during the last hour thinking we would have to hold the turkey for late comers, but the bird was done 'on time' anyway?!) Made up the butter mixture, the spice mixture, & cut up the veggies ahead of time; helping us get the turkey into the oven so easily come Thanksgiving day. I was shopping for a recipe because it was time to help my daughter learn to roast a turkey, & I want her to learn to cook better than I myself can cook. Yes, my 12 year old daughter & I had prepped a turkey together once before following another method, which didn't work as well as my 'decent' turkeys of the past. So we went shopping together for a new recipe. She was utterly sold on your approach. I let her take the lead. She loved watching your video, and her jaw dropped when she watched you loosen the skin on the breast with a rubber spatula (yes, another thing I'd missed out on in the past, but thanks to you, my daughter will have an easier time of it!). I do plan to obtain a fresh turkey which we can brine next time, but I want to incorporate much of what we learned from you modifying for a brined bird. Will try to remember to let you know how that goes if we proceed as planned..... Either way, thanks so much for helping my daughter's second turkey far exceed anything my mother or I put on the table throughout our entire lives! Gotta love it! Thanks, Chef John!

This is the second time I am making the turkey. One was made for the saturday after thanksgiving, which came out great and the next one was made today. I used all of the ingredients with only one addition to the herb butter, garlic. Just used a small amount. The presentation of the bird is wonderful! the flavors were fantastic and it was so very moist and tender! The steps from the video were spot on and very helpful. Can't wait to try more Chef John recipes!

The vegetable mixture, herbs and spices combined with lots of butter made this the best turkey I've ever made. I'll use this recipe again. Very "Chef-y." Did not make the gravy due to the fact I could not find the bag of giblets. (I DID find the bag after I carved the turkey.) Maybe next time, Chef John. :)

juicy and delicious!!!!

I want to share how I make turkey day less stressful. I roast the turkey 1-2 days ahead along with the neck and giblet, onion, 2-4 cloves of whole garlic, 1 stalkcelery and a sprinkle of anise or fennel seeds. One hour before turkey is done add 2-3 cups water to the pan to create a flavorful broth OR remove turkey from the roaster once done then add about 2-3 cups water to the pan and simmer on low with the neck and giblet and wing tips and veggies about 1/2 hour or till flavorful. Taste for salt. Strain into another container that will hold turkey slices. Slice the breast and dip into broth on both sides . Layer neatly in ovenproof baking dish large enough to hold sliced up turkey breast. You can salt and pepper each layer if needed. You can repeat with the dark meat but it's not necessary since it is juicier than white meat. Slice dark meat and store with white meat or in a separate baking dish. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving either in microwave or in oven covered tighty with foil. By doing this ahead the breast marinates in the broth and stays moist. Use any leftover broth to make gravy. The only thing you need to cook on Thanksgiving day are the accompaniments. Everyone has always raved about the flavor and moistness of the white meat when done this way and I am not exhausted by the time I sit down to eat.

Missing what to mix with butter mixture or I can't see it!

This recipe was amazing! The turkey was moist and FULL of flavor. The aroma in the kitchen was heavenly! This was my first Christmas turkey and we will definitely be repeating this next year and throughout the year. I used my food processor to quickly chop the veggies and it really cut down on the prep time. I also did them in advance to save time on the busy holiday.

I used this recipe for Thanksgiving 2013. I've never made a turkey before. However, Chef John's recipe was the BEST! I received a lot of compliments and I for the first time actually enjoyed eating the turkey because it was soo moist and flavorful. The only did one thing different from the recipe...I injected my turkey the night before I cooked it with seasonings. Other than that the gravy recipe and turkey were on point!

So this was my first time ever making a turkey...and I was scared. Had people coming over for Thanksgiving and I didn't want to mess it up. I saw so many recipes telling you to brine overnight but I settled on this one and it came out PERFECTLY! Juicy, tender and tasty! Buttering the turkey inside and out was key! I was told to add a few slices of bacon under the skin of the turkey and I did. The fat from the bacon gave added flavour and moistness. The only other change I made to the ingredients was to add a cup of white wine to the pan. Other than that I made it exactly as written and it was perfect!

Made this for a 24 lb turkey. Also, brined it for about 18 hours using the "turkey brine" from here. Took about 6 hours. I took the foil off at 5 hours and basted a couple of times. This was the best turkey we've ever had. So juicy and flavorful. Everyone raved about it. We'll be using the every time we host thanksgiving. Didn't do the gravy, but will try it next time.

1.

I'm a novice home cook and this was my first Christmas turkey. It was easy, fun, and the most delicious turkey I have ever tasted. The breast meat was juicy and the fresh herbs made the house smell fantastic for many hours. Can't wait for next year!

Moistest turkey I've ever made...followed the recipe as wrote and it was fantastic! *****'s for sure!

Although I am not much of a cook, this recipe is virtually foolproof! It was perhaps the most tender and moist bird that I have ever cooked. It was also the first time that I used a meat thermometer, so that could have helped too. I think that I made a mistake on the gravy, but it was still very good. Thank you for this great and easy recipe!

Our family made the turkey this year using recipe for the first time. It was a HUGE hit, with several family members saying it was the best turkey they'd ever had. We followed the recipe exactly, with only 1 addition, we put a stick of butter inside...butter makes everything better. :)

This recipe and associated video series were absolutely perfect. Covering the breast till the end allowed the dark meat to be done at the same as the white. Everything was very moist. The gravy came out perfect and was sumptuous! The only change I made was to mix the outside portion of the herb seasoning in an olive oil+butter mixture and then I used a brush to coat the bird. I'm a single dad, my kids said it was the best Turkey they ever had ... 'nough said!

This was one of the best turkeys I have ever delivered to the table! I would have never thought to have placed it on a bed of vegetables instead of a metal rack. The juices from the pan and stock made for a fabulous gravy. The only thing I did differently was I stuffed the bird. Thanks for the great tips, Chef John!

AAA+++

Used this recipe twice now. Juiciest turkey ever made. Absolutely love.

11/27/17: Still making this recipe and it's works every time. Watch the video and see the this link for the compound butter, though whatever herb based butter you choose to use will work great. https://www.thespruce.com/perfect-turkey-compound-butter-recipe-101448 12/22/15: Followed the recipe as is and it was the most flavorful and moist turkey we have ever made. The gravy tasted rather basic, but was a good turkey gravy. We will continue to make this recipe for turkey and gravy for now on! MAKE AHEAD: We make the turkey the day/night before Thanksgiving, carve up the birds, and put the slices in two separate aluminum trays (white meat vs. dark meat). I usually make extra turkey broth to add to the trays to reheat the next day in the oven (@325 or 350 F depending on what other dishes are being made/warmed). We just add a little broth to the trays and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. This will prevent the turkey from drying out when reheated. I reheated the gravy in a saucepan over low heat to continue filling the gravy bowl as needed.

I loved this turkey very much. I used a bag to cook it though instead of just covering the breast with foil. Very tender!

Best Turkey I ever had on Thanksgiving

This is a terrific recipe. I have made many turkeys and was delighted not to have to worry about basting this time. The turkey was moist and flavorful. One thing - the part about tucking the wings under the bird. I could not make this happen, and left the wings in the normal position. I placed foil over the entire bird for all but the last hour in the oven and the wingtips were not burned - overall the color was perfectly golden brown.

Chef John is the bomb! Your videos and recipes for turkey cut through the conflicting advice I've read elsewhere and give clear, easy-to-follow directions with oh-so-good results. Although I didn't make the gravy part of this recipe, the turkey was delicious, made especially so by the compound butter you have posted on your blog. Also tried this with a whole chicken (at 400 degrees), which was equally yummy. Thank you for easing my turkey anxiety!

Our family ruled this the best turkey we've ever made! The turkey was moist and the homemade gravy turned out. We enjoyed it so much at Thanksgiving, we made it again for Christmas Eve. There's a lot of seasoning, so we sprinkled the turkey nicely and had quite a bit left over. I saved that for the next time we bake a chicken. Thanks for sharing!

It was amazing.

This is the best turkey recipe ever! This required no modifications. The seasoning was perfect, the skin was crisp to perfection, and the meat was moist! This is my go to turkey recipe and I will not ever look for another!

A nice basic formula for cooking a turkey. The herb and seasoning choices are very good. The two key things to take away from this recipe is spreading the butter under the breast skin and putting foil on the breast in the beginning. This makes a juicy and moist breast. This was the first time I cooked a turkey and the breast meat was moist. The celery carrot and onion is a nice touch. I feel compelled to add potatoes. Like chef John says the possibilities are endless, experiment with the seasonings.

Thank you Chef John, what a great and relatively easy recipe. The turkey and gravy were AWESOME.

Just wonderful and easy

This recipe would get ten stars from me if I could! I hosted a "Friendsgiving" the weekend after Thanksgiving so I was in charge of the turkey. We had 17 people coming for dinner and I was pretty nervous about making sure it was perfect. I had a 22.5lb bird and followed the recipe exactly. The turkey was picture perfect when it came out of the oven! We did end up letting it rest for about 45 minutes because some of the guests were a bit late. When my husband carved into it, the juices were flowing and it was falling apart to the point where he had a hard time getting it on the serving platter! The only thing that didn't turn out for me was the gravy. I'm not sure what I did wrong but it never thickened up. That was ok because the turkey was so good it didn't need any gravy! I will also admit that the turkey was brined over night in a salt/veggie broth/rosemary/sage/poultry seasoning mixture. I would definitely suggest this recipe to anyone who is a first time turkey cooker! Oh and watch Chef John's video too. The spatula technique he uses to get the butter under the skin was brilliant!

I will never use any other receipe. This turkey was the best turkey I ever had. sooooo moist! I made the stuffing seperate.

My Kosher turkey came without the neck or the giblets. So, I could only use the turkey part of this recipe. The mixture of the veggies and the herbs, really makes this recipe stand out. And to me, the secret to a tender and moist turkey is the steam chamber created by entirely covering the bird with heavy duty aluminum foil for the first 2 hours of cooking (not just the breast). Then uncovering and basting for the rest of the cooking time.

IT WAS AWESOME THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY!!!! I LOVE YOU CHEF JOHN!!!!!!

Turkey was great and moist- It was my first turkey ever so I was very happy it turned out ok, but I would not add balsamic vinegar to the gravy next time. I did not care for the flavor.

Very good and moist. Great flavor.

Absolutely fantastic. Thanks for the easy to follow recipe and the video made it tenfold easier. My family loved it and thought it tasted like chicken, that's how moist it was!! Thanks Chef John!

After following the steps of this recipe, I kept the turkey in the fridge overnight and cooked it for 3 hours. This was my first Thanksgiving turkey.....I never liked turkey before. My family was so impressed and they all gave 5 stars for approval rating goodness!!!! Thank you!

Turned out great! The turkey was moist, the spices and herbs added great flavor.

No changes, just followed the advice to use whatever seasonings I felt like using. The grandchildren now insist that only granddaddy can make Thanksgiving turkey because "he makes the best turkey!" This recipe is how to do it.

Fantastic!! Was a very juicy and flavorful bird. Issues: had to hunt down a garlic herb butter...found one on a different site that was probably close enough to what Chef John used. Also, I plan to pull the wings back out on the last hour when pulling off the foil so that they also get that yummy crispy, but not burnt, skin along with the breast skin.

I've used this recipe two years in a row and both times it came out amazing. Such a simple but great recipe. You can't go wrong!

Perfect Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect.

My wife said, and I agree, that this is the best turkey we’ve ever had - bar none! I was disappointed because I didn’t allow myself enough time for the bird to sit in a brine first. But I needn’t have worried. It was extremely moist all the way through. Cooking time was spot on for our 14 pound bird. Definitely a keeper!!

This is the second time I cooked turkey for Christmas in my life and it came out perfectly. I didn't have the rosemary and sage and no thread. I put the onions. carrots and celeries instead and it still so good. It's very juicy and tender. Thank you so much to put this out here so that a person like me who never cooked turkey before CAN COOK it. Suteera_BKK

Perfect as is!! Would change a thing.

Easy to make....cooked a 23 pound turkey and doubled the ingredients. Turned out moist and seasoned just right. Gravy was good too.

Thanksgiving 2016, was the year of that amazing juicy turkey! I followed this recipe exactly and I watched the video to be sure I didn't miss a thing. This was the best turkey I have ever made . If you want to be a 5 star host , use this recipe for a delicous turkey!

Thank you for giving me the confidence to make my first turkey gravy after years for using the packaged mixes. You made it seem so easy. And it was! My gravy came out so flavorful that I did not feel the balsamic was necessary this time but I might try it in the future.

This year was the first year my husband and I hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the fam- and our first time cooking a turkey. We followed this recipe and the turkey was fantastic! The leftovers are really good too :) Thank you Chef John for another great recipe... I love it when you make me look good!

IT WAS AWESOME THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY!!!! I LOVE YOU CHEF JOHN!!!!!!

This is the best turkey I've ever eaten. Very Moist. And the Gravy is from another planet awesome! I'm now the family Turkey cook because of this recipe. Thanks John :) I followed it to spec and it is amazing. Will never do other recipes. There simply is no better Herb Butter under skin recipe.

For the past 11 years I have tried a different turkey recipe each year, looking for one I liked. This one is not only easy, but absolutely delicious!! And, I have made gravy before, but not turkey gravy. My husband (and the rest of us) love it!! This is one recipe I will use for many years to come.

I had never made a turkey before and was nervous. I followed this recipe to the letter and it came out perfectly. Everyone raved about how good and moist it was. I made this with Chef John's make ahead turkey gravy, which is also absolutely delicious. Never again will I be nervous to make a turkey. Thanks, Chef John!

Yum. We didn't follow the gravy recipe, but the turkey was something special. Best turkey in years.

Fresh food, simply prepared is always best when it comes to any feast. This recipe is just that - simple and delicious.

I made this for Thanksgiving 2016, and it was the best turkey that I had ever made! I bought a fresh (not frozen) 13-1/2 lb turkey, did not brine - and just followed this recipe and ended up with the juiciest turkey we've ever had! When my husband went to check the temp (we cooked it for 4 hours at 325 degrees), when he stuck the probe into the thigh, the juices literally came spurting out. THAT's when you know you're going to have a juice bird! Thanks, Chef John!

Just made this today for Thanksgiving. Came out wonderfully moist, and everybody raved about it. It's a keeper.

Made this last night. Very very moist! Just used salt and pepper mix and didn't stuff turkey. Plain butter under the breast skin and all over turkey -- worked well. The turkey came out great. Rave reviews!

I found the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxjFqtfJlMs Delicious, beautiful, moist turkey, wonderful gravy. No tweaking or changes were needed.

This was the best turkey we've had in a long time, and the gravy was perfect!

Today was my first time ever cooking a turkey and j was nervous! However, this was absolutely as easy as it said and turned out PERFECTLY! I will definitely make this again!

every year i make this recipe and love it! although i do use dry white wine insted of the water

I cooked a 20# turkey in a baking bag, following the recipe that came with the cooking bag. I multiplied the ingredients by 1.5. Other than that, I followed Chef John's recipe. Turkey was incredibly moist and tender. Enjoyed by all.

This was my first time cooking a turkey. I followed the directions exactly as recipe called for and it came out perfect! So juicy and flavorful. Love the video instructions too, huge help for a novice like myself.

Made it exactly as written and I wouldn't change a thing. It was excellent, and the gravy was superb too. I'll just mention it because it took me a bit to find it, but if you Google chef John's blog you'll find the recipe for the compound butter. I've brined turkeys before and they didn't come out this good.

This is now my favorite recipe. I do not choose a different one every year. The only difference I make is to add thyme with the butter under the skin. I've always been a die hard - cook the stuffing inside - but after tasting the fresh herbs permeate this bird - you won't go back either!

I did not make the gravy.

I wasn't strong enough to separate the skin from the bird, so I just rubbed the butter all over the outside. Still came out absolutely perfect. Even the stuffing, which I cooked inside the bird, came out delicious. My first time ever cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving and everyone thought I was a pro.

Flavor was 5 star, but dry turkey and runny gravy brought it down to 3. I followed the recipe the way it was written, excluding the optional Balsamic Vinegar. The flavor was really good, but the turkey's white meat came out very dry, the dark meat was juicy. Next time I'll either wrap the whole thing in foil, instead of just the top or I'll cook it breast side down to start. The gravy also had great flavor but had the consistency of water when I followed the recipe. I ended up having to get another pot and cook the butter, turkey fat and flour again and then poor the first pot of gravy into that one, was perfect after that. If the turkey wasn't dry and I didn't have to make the gravy twice it would've been 5 star.

Great recipe to follow for our second baked turkey. Didn't add the vegetables to the inside of the turkey, just the spices. Otherwise baked the turkey as directed. For the gravy, we didn't follow the directions at all, just the ingredients (minus basalmic vinegar). We ended up needing a lot more flour than stated to thicken it up.

My family loved this turkey!! I made it in a roaster for Thanksgiving and am going to make it again for Christmas! So moist and juicy that we didn't even have to use knives to cut the meat on our plates.

Excellent flavor and texture. Done to perfection!!

I basically followed the recipe. The Turkey was delicious and very juicy. Everyone loved it.

This was by far the easiest and best tasting turkey I ever made. I started with a fresh Amish turkey and made it exactly as written. Even the gravy was delicious and I have always struggled to make a good gravy. Let your turkey sit out a couple hours before you start. This is exactly how I will make turkey from now on.

I made this for a dinner for 15. The turkey was fabulous. The only thing I added was a medium size apple , chunked, to the veg mixture. Rave reviews from the guests. So moist and the gravy was superb!

Actually I did not change a thing. Came out perfect and would make it again. My family absolutely loved it very moist

Wow I’ve prepared turkey in so many different ways. This turkey so far was my favorite. So moist, tender and flavorful. Always enjoy Chef Johns humor and cheerfulness. PS I did add extra seasoning to my butter.

Great taste and I liked the addition of the gravy instructions. This is my turkey recipe from now on. Thanks John!,

This is my go-to turkey for the past few years. Always delicious! No changes.

I cooked my first ever turkey with this recipe....turned out AMAZING. Thank you!!!

I have used this recipe for 2 years already and will be using it again for Thanksgiving this year. The turkey comes out so good and juicy. Last year I had 2 guests that don't really like turkey and never really eat turkey but they were definitely eating some of this one and they were shocked that it came out so juicy , everyone loved it. Always comes out great. I love this recipe and it's so easy.

Absolutely amazing! I'm a very inexperienced chef and was able to pull this off. Heads up, you should only place foil over the breast.

I use this recipe every time I cook turkey. Comes out moist and delicious every time.

This was my first time making a turkey and it turned out amazing! The flavor was so good and it turned out a nice golden brown and was so incredibly tender and juicy. This will be my go to for any turkey.

This was, without a doubt, the very best turkey I have ever fixed. I followed the recipe exactly, seasoning the butter with poultry seasoning. It was perfectly juicy and the taste was wonderful. I'm making it again for Christmas dinner.

I used this recipe for Thankgiving last year, which was my first year hosting the family. It turned out perfectly, nicely browned just like the picture. I'll definitely use this recipe again.

Tastes great and so simple!

I followed this recipe perfect last year! It came out absolutely amazing! I trust and appreciate Chef John and look forward to learning more from him! It was my first time making Turkey and will continue to follow this recipe! Thank you Chef John! You are amazing and you remind me of my father who unfortunately passed! He loved making turkey and so this was so special for me to make! Happy Holidays everyone!

Awesome recipe but a little complicated and hard to make but it was like a journey. It really came out fantastic though, my son and I loved it so thank you, Chef John! Prepare the turkey the night before to let everything melt in. The prep time of one hour is a joke unless you are a chef. It took me two hours to prep but I am a cook, not a chef. Also, the temp and cook time I think are assuming a chef's oven. I had an 18 pound un-stuffed bird that I did for 4.5 hours at 350 in a household oven and it came out great. My advice, skip the gravy recipe at the end, too complicated and how the heck do you separate the onions from the other veggies after cooking? And how do you separate the darn fat when you have to serve it in fifteen minutes? Find a simple gravy recipe and use that but remember that the pan drippings have water in them so they are not just fat so you have to modify most standard gravy recipes. Also, start making the gravy before the bird is done cooking, allow 45 mins. Really great recipe and now that I know it will be fun to play around with.

This made for a delicious and juicy turkey. I did not flavor the butter, just used it plain between the breasts and skin because I was concerned about too much since I had all the fresh herbs in the cavity. It was a hit! This is a keeper! Thank you Chef John!

it's summertime and I was looking for a different recipe from what I use in my normal holiday recipe. This was by far the best recipe and easiest - and I had everything on hand. I used my roaster oven. I added two halved lemons inside the cavity with the other ingredients listed. A 10 pound turkey was done in 2.5 hours but I let it rest inside the roaster for 1 hour with roaster turned off and cover on. Amazing! The gravy recipe I followed as listed but added garlic/onion powder and salted and peppered to taste. I love the idea of taking the onions from the turkey roast pan and saute' in the turkey drippings and butter before adding the flour and Turkey broth. I struggle with making a good homemade gravy- This gravy was superb! I will make this again for my holiday meal.

Followed recipe to the t and it was perfect! Not to mention it was my first time cooking a whole turkey. I will be using tips recipe again!

This is basically what I do every year with following notes: -I use the stock as it is boiling as basting juice, then pull liquid from turkey pan back into basting stock. -I either stuff turkey with sausage stuffing, or include bread in mix with onions/carrots/celery for stuffing. Makes lots of great gravy as well as juicy, flavorful turkey.

This was my first 5-star turkey recipe from Allrecipes.com - rave reviews, looked and smelled and tasted wonderful! I used ground instead of fresh sage and didn't make the gravy per this recipe but everything else was delicious! Served alongside the make-ahead mashed potatoes and crock pot stuffing. Awesome!