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Herb Roasted Turkey
For a FASTER and JUICER turkey, try cooking it with our SPATCHCOCK Herb Roasted Turkey recipe HERE.

Herb Roasted Turkey

Calories 305 (5% from fat)
Fat 1.7 gram
Saturated Fat 0.5 gram
Trans Fat 0 gram
Cholesterol 188 mg.
Sodium 118 mg.
Carb. 0 gram
Fiber 0 gram
Sugar 0 gram
Sugar Alcohol 0 gram
Protein 68 gram

Ingredients


1 10-12 pound turkey

2 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. tarragon leaves, chopped with stems removed

2 Tbsp. oregano leaves, chopped with stems removed

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper, ground

1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

1/2 apple, cut into 4 wedges

1/2 medium sized onion, cut into 4 wedges

8 sprigs of fresh thyme

8 sprigs of fresh sage


Calorie breakdown is based on turkey breast without skin. A 12-pound turkey will provide about 5 pounds of cooked meat. That's 10 servings of 8-ounces each. Make sure to choose an appropriate size for the number of guests you will be serving. The directions and cooking times in this recipe work best on a 10-12 pound turkey.

1. Thaw the turkey. If your turkey is frozen solid, you should buy it at least three to five days before cooking to allow enough time for it to defrost. It's best to defrost the turkey in your refrigerator. Keep it in its original wrapper and put a pan underneath to catch the drippings. If you're cooking a fresh turkey, don't buy it more than two days before cooking or it can go bad.

2. Once it's thawed and you're ready to cook, remove the giblets from inside the turkey.

3. In a small bowl stir together the canola oil, tarragon, oregano, salt and pepper. Then rub 1/3 of it under the skin and the rest over the outside of the turkey.

4. Stuff the inside of the turkey with the lemon, apple, onion, half the thyme sprigs and half the sage sprigs.

5. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey in the back.

Take the wings and tuck them under the bird.

6. Tie the legs together and put the turkey into the roasting pan.

7. Add 3 cups of water to the pan and spread the remaining thyme sprigs and sage sprigs around in the pan.

8. Remove the upper rack in your oven to make sure you have enough room to put the turkey in. Then preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it's ready, put the turkey in and bake for about 45 minutes, until the skin is a golden brown.

9. Remove from the oven. Then cut out a "breast protector" of aluminum foil and cover the breast. That'll let the breast stay moist while the legs continue to cook.

Cut a "breast protector" of foil and cover breast.

10. Return the turkey to the oven with the aluminum breast protector on. Reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue cooking for another hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and forty-five minutes. If the pan dries out, tilt the turkey up to let the juices run out of the cavity. Then add an additional cup of water to the pan.

11. It's done when you can put a thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh and it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure NOT to touch the bone or your temperature reading will be incorrect.

12. Move the turkey to a serving platter, cover with foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. Carve and serve.

13. Carving tips from Real Simple Magazine, April 2019 - Separate wings and legs with a sharp knife. Separate thighs and drumsticks by cutting through the joint. Slice along each side of the breastbone to remove the breasts; slice against the grain. Cut dark meat from the bone.

Yield: 8-10 Servings - Serving Size is 8 Ounces of Turkey Breast


Herb Roasted Turkey 

This is a Freezer Friendly Recipe!

You can freeze individual portions for easy re-heating later.

Microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes. Keep the container open a little to allow steam to escape.

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