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Beautifully golden Tuscan-style roasted turkey on a bed of parsley and lemon slices, a flavorful centerpiece for Thanksgiving.

3-Step Tuscan-Style Roasted Turkey

The most flavorful, moist Thanksgiving turkey: stuffed with lemon, onion, and sage, coated under the skin with a sage-lemon-garlic herbed butter, and basted with a Dijon and white wine mixture for crispy golden skin.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 10
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Turkey
  • 1 whole turkey about 9-13 lbs, innards removed
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 lemon cut into several pieces
  • 5-8 sprigs fresh sage
Herbed Butter
  • 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage chopped
  • 1 lemon zest only
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Basting Liquid
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
For Serving (optional)
  • fresh parsley
  • 1 lemon sliced

Equipment

  • Roasting pan with rack or use balls of aluminum foil
  • basting brush
  • Meat thermometer

Method
 

Step 1: Clean and Stuff the Turkey
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Set a rack in your roasting pan, or form about six balls of aluminum foil for the turkey to rest on so it stays off the bottom of the pan and air can circulate around it.
  2. Remove the innards, rinse the turkey, and pat it completely dry with paper towels so the skin browns well.
  3. Stuff the cavity with the diced onion, lemon pieces, and sage sprigs, leaving them in large chunks so they are easy to remove later.
Step 2: Prepare the Herbed Butter
  1. In a small bowl, mash together the butter, chopped sage, lemon zest, minced garlic, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes until thoroughly combined.
  2. Gently separate the skin from the meat, working your hands from the neck cavity across the breast down to the wings, then down each drumstick, keeping the skin intact.
  3. Starting at the back toward the neck cavity, press tablespoon-sized amounts of the herbed butter between the meat and skin, patting it down as smoothly as possible. Cover the breast and both legs.
  4. Place the turkey on the rack or foil balls. If you want drippings for gravy, add the neck and innards to the pan. Roast uncovered at 425°F for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F and roast for another 1 hour 30 minutes (for a 9-13 lb turkey).
Step 3: Baste the Turkey
  1. While the turkey roasts, whisk together the water, olive oil, white wine, and Dijon mustard for the basting liquid.
  2. After the turkey has roasted 1 hour 30 minutes total, pull it out and brush generously with the basting liquid, using at least a third of it on the top and sides. Return it to the oven facing the other direction so it cooks evenly.
  3. Baste at least 2 more times, waiting 15-20 minutes between each. After 2 hours 15 minutes total, check the thickest part of the meat with a meat thermometer. Remove the turkey at 160°F; it will rise to 165°F as it rests. A heavier turkey may need more time, so keep checking.
  4. Let the turkey rest 15-20 minutes before carving. Transfer to a platter on a bed of fresh parsley and garnish with lemon slices.

Notes

  • Times are for a 9-13 lb turkey. Total cook time should be about 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes; go by the thermometer, not the clock.
  • Save the onion, lemon, and sage from the cavity along with the drippings to make turkey broth or gravy.