Recipe

Jim Hagy’s Herb Butter–Crusted Roast Turkey

The longtime caterer and restaurateur knows that roasting still rules—but you may be roasting wrong

By Steve Russell
Recipe by Jim Hagy

November 13, 2024

Photo: Mayter Scott

Jim Hagy at Chef’s Market Cafe & Takeaway.

“Roasting, when it’s done right, is the best way to cook a turkey,” says Jim Hagy, who opened Chef’s Market Cafe & Takeaway in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville, in 1997. “And to roast a turkey right, you need to think about locking in heat and moisture.”

Hagy hits that mark by bypassing frequent basting, which he contends actually dries out the meat from repeatedly opening the oven door, in favor of a liberal application of flavorful herb butter under the turkey skin.

He’s also a big believer in letting a meat thermometer determine when a bird is fully cooked. “Folks like to act like they can tell when a turkey is done by looking at it or poking it, but that’s a fast road to disappointment. Guesswork is fine for some things, but not when you’re feeding people during the holidays,” he says. “I’ve been at this long enough to know that shortcuts don’t cut it. We’ve used the same recipe and perfected this method consistently for decades.”

Ingredients

Herb Butter–Crusted Roast Turkey
For the herb butter
- 8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped sage
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
- 4 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. black pepper
For the turkey
- 1 whole turkey (12–14 lb.)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 6 sprigs sage
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme

Preparation

Make the herb butter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, olive oil, minced garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

Make the turkey: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the giblets and pat the turkey dry with a clean paper towel. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Generously season the inside of the turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey cavity with the onion, garlic cloves, lemon, sage sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs.

Using your hands, start at the turkey’s neck and rear and gently separate the skin from the flesh, taking care not to tear the skin. Evenly rub the herb butter mixture beneath the skin, ensuring it’s distributed well for maximum flavor. Apply a thin layer on the outside of the turkey as well. Generously season the top of the turkey with additional salt and pepper to enhance overall taste.

To keep the turkey compact during roasting, tie the legs together with twine and tuck the wing tips under the body. Place the prepared turkey in the preheated oven and roast for approximately 2½ to 3 hours, until a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Once the turkey is done, carefully remove it from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Carve and serve while still warm.

Steve Russell is a Garden & Gun contributing editor who also has written for Men’s Journal, Life, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Tennessee, he resided in New Orleans and New York City before settling down in Charlottesville, Virginia, because it’s far enough south that biscuits are an expected component of a good breakfast.