Cowboy Butter Turkey
Impress your guests with this mouthwatering Cowboy Butter Turkey recipe! Juicy, tender meat with a golden, crispy skin served with homemade gravy!
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 1173kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large (12-15 pounds) turkey, thawed*
- 4 recipes cowboy butter, room temperature
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 medium lemons, cut into wedges
- 2 large red onions, cut into wedges
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 ribs celery cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120 g) turkey broth
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the lowest position. Then, preheat oven to 450°F. Prepare a large baking pan with a wire rack.
- Remove the giblets and neck from the thawed turkey. Then, pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
- On a work surface, place the turkey breast side down with the backbone facing up. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the backbone to completely remove it. (Reserve the backbone if you’d like to use it for broth or gravy.)
- Flip the turkey so it is breast side up. Turn the legs inward toward the breast. Using your hands, press down on the breastbone to flatten the turkey. You may need to press firmly a few times to flatten it completely.
- In the prepared baking pan, arrange the thyme, parsley, lemons, onions, garlic, potatoes, and celery in an even layer. Pour the turkey broth over the vegetables.
- Place the wire rack on top of the vegetables, then position the turkey on the rack.
- Tuck the wing tips behind the breast. Trim any excess skin or fat around the neck area. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels; this will help the butter adhere to the skin.
- Gently loosen and lift the skin from the turkey breast without detaching it entirely. Rub ½ cup of the cowboy butter under the skin.
- Rub an additional ½ cup of cowboy butter on the outside of the turkey.
- Melt the remaining cowboy butter and use an injector to inject the remaining cowboy butter evenly throughout the turkey. (You may need to strain the melted cowboy butter before injecting it.) For best flavor distribution, aim to inject each large section of meat in at least 2–3 spots.
- Roast the turkey for 60-90 minutes, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the pan and reserve them as a side for serving.
- Pour the pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, discarding any solids.
- Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the drippings. You should have about 1 ½ to 2 cups of liquid for gravy. If needed, add a little turkey broth to reach this amount. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour with a few tablespoons of the reserved pan drippings to form a smooth paste.
- To a saucepan over medium heat, add drippings and paste. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Carve the turkey. Serve with the roasted vegetables and gravy.
Video
Notes
*Thawing A Turkey
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Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator, placing it in a roasting pan or large tray to catch any liquid. Allow approximately 5 hours of thaw time per pound. For a 14-pound turkey, plan on about 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion (with potatoes, vegetables, and gravy) | Calories: 1173kcal