Reviewed: Dec. 15, 2008

I used this recipe to cook my first turkey and everything turned out perfectly! I didn't have Basil available, so I used Summer Savory spice instead. The turkey tasted amazing and was SOOOO moist!! I will definitely use this recipe again and again! Thanks!

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Lex

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 12, 2008

All I can say is, "WOW"! I used a stick of softened butter & added all of the herbs to it the night before (another member suggested this and it was great!) then put it in the fridge to harden for the next morning. I also added herbs to olive oil and let them sit overnight. I used the pats of butter for in between the skin and meat and used the olive oil mixture for the skin. I cooked the 20-lb turkey in a roaster and it was fantastic! I couldn't believe how moist it was and neither could my family! Thanks so much for a great recipe!

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Nikkib376

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 11, 2008

This recipe makes the most amazing gravy ever! I made it this Thanksgiving (first time at my house= my first turkey), and my mom, who has done Thanksgiving for years, asked me for the recipe!

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DevonG

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 8, 2008

No dry turkey breast here! At least not if you loosen the skin and baste the oil/herb mixture under it. (Just slide your hand between the skin and the meat as much as you can. Then stick the baster tip under the skin in several areas to release that tasty oil/herb mixture.) Best turkey we've ever tasted. My husband couldn't stop eating it!

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zamfam

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Eastlake, Ohio, USA

Living In: New Philadelphia, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2008

1st turkey ever, and it came out perfect. Very simple procedure for lots of flavor and a perfect turkey. I doubled the spices but not the oil. Also used a turkey bag. It came out golden and moist. AMAZING!!!

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Kaitlyn

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Reviewed: Dec. 7, 2008

I mixed this recipe with the "Michangander Way" recipe and it turned out perfectly. It was my first try at Thanksgiving dinner, and it went very well. So, what I did was follow this recipe, plus I cut up a stick of butter and put it in various places under the skin of the bird, concentrating on the breast. It was very moist, and really good.

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Wendy

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Sparta, Wisconsin, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2008

My best turkey yet!!! This turned out AWESOME! I had a 21 1/2 pound turkey, stuffed it, and used chicked broth in place of water in the pan. After about 7 hours of cooking, I took it out, let it rest an hour before starting to pick it apart. I barely needed a knife!! The meat just fell off the bones! And the carcass was totally falling apart as I was picking the meat off too. Move the turkey to a cutting board before cutting it?? Yeah right! Aside from the size of it and being too hot to just pick up with my hands, there's no way it would've moved intact! Soooooo good! Just made it last night, so I still need to make the gravy out of the drippings, but I don't expect that to disappoint either. Too bad I didn't have a houseful of people to impress with this one!

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happiestmama

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Salem, Oregon, USA

Living In: Oregon City, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2008

This was my first turkey ever and it turned out great. (I will say as a vegetarian, it tested my stomach when I was cleaning it!) As suggested by many, I made a few changes. I used two cups of chicken broth and one cup of water instead of just water. I cut back on the garlic powder by about half a tablespoon and added a tablespoon of fresh garlic. I did not have sage, so I omitted the salt and added poultry seasoning. I pulled up the skin on the breasts and placed about half of the seasoning/oil mix under there. I put the rest of the mix on the outside of the turkey. I cut up an apple and a small onion, rubbed them on the bowl that had the seasoning mix in it to scrap up the last of the spices and placed them in the cavity of the bird. They add flavor and moisture while cooking. I cooked it breast down covered for most of the time (so the juices from the dark meat ran into the breast) then uncovered it and flipped it over for the last 45mins-hour of cooking (basting every 10 mins) to let it brown nicely. I made a 20lb turkey, so I multipled the recipe by 1.5. It took about 5 and half hours for it to cook to 175 (I then took it out and covered it till it reached 180). It was litterally falling off the bones when we cut it up the next day. My husband, who is not a huge turkey fan loved it. He also thought the "easy turkey gravy" from this site was my best gravy ever!! Thanks for the amazing recipe!!!!

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JBWalker

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2008

Very easy! Came out perfect!

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Karen

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Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2008

If a 20something grad student who can't tell a knife from a fork in the kitchen can make a Turkey with restaurant-quality taste, ANYONE can! I baked a small 10lb Turkey using this recipie and it turned out absolutely delicious. The skin was crunchy, well-seasoned, but not greasy, and the meat was absolutely unforgetable. Thanks for making my 1st cooking experience a total success!

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Sophy

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Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2008

This was my first turkey and it was so easy. The meat was moist and tender. The meat was falling off the bone. I have never had moist white meat at anyone else's house, so this recipe must be good. I did a 14 pound turkey stuffed with cranberry, sausage, and apple stuffing from this site. It took only 3 1/2 hours to cook. The only thing I changed was instead of olive oil, I melted 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and added all the spices. I used a brush to apply everything as stated. I poured 2 cups of chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. I left the turkey UNCOVERED and basted it every 1/2 hour which gave it a rich brown color. This recipe is a definite keeper. No more dry meat!

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Jillian

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2008

great flavor.

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ARMYCOOKWIFE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Fountain, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2008

This was my first year ever cooking a turkey. This recipe was great & my family & friends enjoyed it. Next time, I may use a turkey bag to cook the turkey.

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momof4

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2008

This is a wonderful turkey recipe and it was the first one I ever made. Everyone loved it! I made some changes and used a lot of butter in addition to the olive oil, and I used fresh herbs and fresh garlic. I put the mixture under the skin and over the skin and basted often. It was great! We had to cut it ahead of time, but reheated it in the original juices and this really made it fabulous. The flavors sunk in even more!

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Jilly

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Wildwood, Florida, USA

Living In: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2008

The best Thanksgiving turkey I've had in years. it was so moist and flavorful. We put some of the herb mixture under the skin. We cooked it breast side up covered for half the time and breast side down uncovered for half the time. Make sure you use a meat thermometer and it will not be overdone!

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smatiszik

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2008

Didn't rave over this one. I had no sage and my Turkey didn't cook all the way through even after 4+ hours (13 lb Turkey). Perhaps my oven runs a bit low. Made an excellent gravy though. Perhaps if I had a Turkey bag or a lid for my roaster the results would have been better. Using foil didn't work super well this year.

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JK

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Waterloo, Iowa, USA

Living In: Iowa City, Iowa, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

for a 12 pound turkey at 325 it would take a lot longer than 3 1/2 hours to cook. I always cook my turkeys at 325. They tend to be alittle less dry. The turkey is basted with the olive oil and herbs not smothered in it. The olive oil should not pour off of the turkey if it is you are putting on too much of the oil and herb mixture. Think about painting a room. You put on enough paint to coat the walls not so much the paint pools on the floor under the walls. Doing this the turkey juices should be flavored with the herbs not oily.

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lobos

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Mendota, Illinois, USA

Living In: Centralia, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

Used this recipe yesterday and got raves from the family and friends. Prepared two 20 lb turkeys and they both came out perfect. Delicious. Glad I tried something different this year.

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Gunny Cooks

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2008

Could it have been any easier??? Followed the directions but just added a bit of melted butter...oh my, soooooooo good! Last year I did the whole brine concoction deal...waste of time. This was 100x's easier and 100x's better tasting.

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