Sage Butter Roasted Turkey is a classic but amazing Thanksgiving turkey recipe. A simple sage butter is rubbed all over the turkey, which is stuffed with onions and apples. A unique roasting method gets perfect results every time!

Okay, are we ready for more Thanksgiving turkey?! Earlier this week I posted a turkey breast recipe, which is perfect for a smaller Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving, or even a weeknight dinner.

But today, we’re going big. We’re roasting the entire bird.

Let’s Talk Turkeys

First! Let’s talk turkeys. Specifically, did you know Minnesota is number one in the nation for turkey farming?! AND did you know that the turkeys that Washington D.C. gets for the National Thanksgiving Turkey are coming from Alexandria, MN?! This is the 70th year of following this tradition…so cool!

I actually received an invitation to the farm to meet these famous turkeys, but unfortunately the trip was less than a week from my due date. So my doc didn’t approve the trip. Big bummer! I would’ve loved to meet one of these guys!

Okay, now onto this recipe! I have two words for you: SAGE BUTTER.

Sage Butter

If there’s one herb that just screams “THANKSGIVING!!” to me, it’s sage. It is a must-have in my stuffing, and now, on my turkey. I used it last year in my Garlic Herb Mayonnaise Roasted Turkey (phenom, by the way) and this year it was the star in my Thanksgiving turkey.

This recipe for sage butter roasted turkey also could not be easier. Just mix up the sage butter, give the bird a good rub and dusting of kosher salt and pepper. I like to stuff my turkey with onions and apples for sake of giving the gravy flavor, but honestly this step is somewhat optional. But kind of not. Just do it, for Thanksgiving’s sake!

Also, let’s talk about the method of roasting this sage butter roasted turkey.

Roasting Method

I’ve typically done the roasting for hours and hours at a lower temp, but recently stumbled upon a recipe that cooks it at a higher temp (400 degrees F) and not only that, but starts with the turkey breast side down and flips it over halfway through. This methd intrigued me, so I decided to try it out. OMG so good!

Not only was the meat cooked perfectly (using a meat thermometer of course!) but ALL of the skin was crispy since it was flipped over. I’m a huge fan of the skin, so I loved having more crispy skin to devour.

You can follow the Minnesota Turkey Association on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about the Presidential Turkey and their farming practices!

Sage Butter Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

12-15 lb turkey
8 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion quartered
1 apple quartered

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pat turkey completely dry.
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add sage and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook one more minute.
Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Rub sage butter over the skin of the turkey, as well as pushing it under the skin over the meat.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place quartered onion and apple into the cavity of the turkey.
Place turkey in a roasting pan UPSIDE DOWN (breast side down).
Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Carefully turn turkey over and roast another 60-90 minutes, or until thermometer placed in thick part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let rest for one hour. This ensures the turkey stays super moist so this step is very important!
Carve, serve, and enjoy!