Best 8 Lemon Herb Turkey With Bay Butter And Gravy Recipes

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Tantalize your taste buds with a culinary journey featuring a succulent Lemon Herb Turkey, accompanied by a trio of delectable sauces: Bay Butter, Pan Gravy, and Herb Jus. This symphony of flavors will transform your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast into an unforgettable experience.

1. **Lemon Herb Turkey**: The star of the show, this turkey is infused with a vibrant blend of lemon, herbs, and spices, resulting in a moist and flavorful centerpiece that will leave your guests craving for more.

2. **Bay Butter**: A rich and aromatic sauce crafted from butter, bay leaves, and a hint of lemon zest. This luxurious condiment adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to every bite of turkey.

3. **Pan Gravy**: A classic gravy made from the turkey drippings, enhanced with flavorful ingredients like mirepoix, white wine, and fresh herbs. This gravy is the perfect complement to the turkey, adding a savory richness that elevates the entire dish.

4. **Herb Jus**: A light and herbaceous sauce made from a medley of fresh herbs, chicken stock, and white wine. This flavorful jus adds a touch of brightness and freshness to the turkey, balancing the richness of the other sauces.

Prepare to indulge in a feast that will linger in your memory long after the last bite. These recipes are a testament to the artistry of cooking and are sure to make your holiday gathering an extraordinary occasion.

Let's cook with our recipes!

HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH PAN GRAVY



Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy image

Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat.

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h5m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
6 fresh bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
2 to 3 cups apple cider
Salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.
  • Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.
  • Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.
  • Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.
  • Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

LEMON AND HERB ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY



Lemon and Herb Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey image

Provided by Geoffrey Zakarian

Categories     main-dish

Time P1DT6h30m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

One 12- to 14-pound fresh turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh oregano
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon ground sumac
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon finely minced shallots
Grated zest of 6 lemons (use 3 of the zested lemons below)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 sprigs fresh parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
3 lemons, halved
1 shallot, halved
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
Water or stock, for the roasting pan
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Steps:

  • For the turkey: Twenty-four hours before cooking your turkey, liberally season the inside and outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Using a mini chopper or mortar and pestle, grind the oregano, parsley, tarragon, sumac, thyme, shallots and lemon zest together with some salt and pepper; the salt will help draw the moisture and flavor from the mixture. Add the olive oil to form a paste. Spread the herb mixture all around the inside and outside of the turkey. Refrigerate the turkey, uncovered to dry the skin, for 24 hours.
  • For the roasting: Remove the turkey from the fridge 90 minutes before roasting and allow it to come to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  • Season the turkey again with salt and pepper. Put the parsley and thyme sprigs in the cavity with the lemon and shallot halves.
  • Put the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Add a cup of water or stock to the bottom of the pan. Add the turkey to the rack and roast, adding a little more water or stock to the pan if necessary to prevent the drippings from burning, for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to roast, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes, until the thickest part of the leg registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, another 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Allow the bird to rest, tented with foil, for at least 1 hour before carving. The temperature will rise to about 165 degrees F during resting.
  • Pour the pan drippings into a saucepan, set the pan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by one-half, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Pour the reduced turkey drippings over the carved turkey just before serving.

LEMON-HERB ROASTED TURKEY



Lemon-Herb Roasted Turkey image

Lemon and thyme are the predominant flavors in this golden, tender and moist turkey that has just six ingredients. It's so easy, we guarantee success! -Felicia Smith, Georgetown, Texas

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 2h45m

Yield 16 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 13

1/2 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium lemon, halved
1 medium onion, quartered
14 garlic cloves, peeled
24 fresh thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 turkey-size oven roasting bag

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and minced thyme. Pat turkey dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper over skin of turkey and inside cavity; brush with butter mixture. Place the lemon, onion, garlic and thyme sprigs inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Place flour in oven bag and shake to coat. Place bag in a roasting pan; add turkey to bag, breast side up. Cut six 1/2-in. slits in top of bag; close bag with tie provided., Bake at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°. Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy. Freeze option: Freeze cooled turkey and gravy in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered skillet, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 525 calories, Fat 27g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 230mg cholesterol, Sodium 489mg sodium, Carbohydrate 3g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 64g protein.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY



Simple Roast Turkey image

For all the attention we lavish on Thanksgiving turkeys, the truth is more work does not necessarily yield a better bird. That's right: You can skip brining, stuffing, trussing and basting. Instead of a messy wet brine, use a dry rub (well, technically a dry brine) - a salt and pepper massage that locks in moisture and seasons the flesh. No stuffing or trussing allows the bird to cook more quickly, with the white and dark meat finishing closer to the same time. And if you oil but don't baste your turkey, you'll get crisp skin without constantly opening the oven.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 3h30m

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
Coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 lemon, zested and quartered
1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary
1 bunch fresh sage
12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 bottle hard apple cider (12 ounces)
Dry white wine, as needed
2 onions, peeled and quartered
3 bay leaves
Olive oil or melted butter, as needed

Steps:

  • Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for stock or gravy. Pat turkey and turkey neck dry with paper towel; rub turkey all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt per pound of turkey, the pepper and the lemon zest, including the neck. Transfer to a 2-gallon (or larger) resealable plastic bag. Tuck herbs and 6 garlic cloves inside bag. Seal and refrigerate on a small rimmed baking sheet (or wrapped in another bag) for at least 1 day and up to 3 days, turning the bird over every day (or after 12 hours if brining for only 1 day).
  • Remove turkey from bag and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, uncovered, back on the baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours to dry out the skin (this helps crisp it).
  • When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for one hour.
  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. In the bottom of a large roasting pan, add the cider and enough wine to fill the pan to a 1/4-inch depth. Add half the onions, the remaining 6 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Stuff the remaining onion quarters and the lemon quarters into the turkey cavity. Brush the turkey skin generously with oil or melted butter.
  • Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND GRAVY



Roast Turkey with Maple Herb Butter and Gravy image

Categories     Herb     turkey     Roast     Christmas     Thanksgiving     Fall     Maple Syrup     Bon Appétit

Yield Serves 12

Number Of Ingredients 18

For turkey
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 14-pound turkey, neck and giblets reserved
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
For gravy
3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 small bay leaf
2 tablespoons apple brandy (optional)

Steps:

  • Make turkey:
  • Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
  • Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey nick and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
  • Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices rum clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
  • Make gravy:
  • Stain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

LEMON & HERB-BASTED SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY



Lemon & herb-basted simple roast turkey image

Roast your Christmas turkey with a classic lemon, parsley and thyme butter for juicy, delicately flavoured meat

Provided by Jenny White

Categories     Main course

Time 4h20m

Number Of Ingredients 7

4 ½kg free-range oven-ready turkey
100g softened butter
grated zest 1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 garlic clove , finely chopped
Hazelnut, pancetta & orange stuffing (optional, see 'Goes well with')

Steps:

  • Remove any giblets from the turkey and save for stock, if you are making your own (see 'Tip'). Remove the bird from the fridge 1 hr before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Wipe the turkey inside and out with kitchen paper.
  • Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Starting at the neck-end of the bird, carefully push your fingers between the skin and flesh on the breast, loosening the skin. Mix the butter, lemon zest, herbs and garlic together and season. Push the flavoured butter under the skin and spread over the flesh. Smooth the skin back over the breast.
  • You can now stuff the neck-end of the bird with the stuffing, if you like, and secure the skin underneath with a skewer. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time - it will need 40 mins for every 1kg.
  • Transfer the bird to a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for the rest of the cooking time. Remove the foil for the last 30 mins. Check if the turkey is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear, it's cooked. If they are pink, return it to the oven for another 15 mins, then test again. If using a meat thermometer, it should read 80C for the thighs, and the breast should be 75C.
  • Remove the cooked turkey from the tin, and place on a serving platter (use the tin to make the gravy - see 'Goes well with'). Cover with foil and leave to rest for 30-45 mins before carving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 628 calories, Fat 32 grams fat, SaturatedFat 14 grams saturated fat, Protein 84 grams protein, Sodium 0.9 milligram of sodium

ROAST TURKEY WITH ROSEMARY AND LEMON



Roast Turkey with Rosemary and Lemon image

Flavorful rosemary-lemon oil is great for the turkey-it helps create crispy, golden-brown and an aromatic, earthy flavor. You can also use it to season vegetables before roasting or after steaming, or to dress up a vinaigrette.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Ingredients     Meat & Poultry     Turkey Recipes

Time 3h

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 whole turkey (about 12 pounds), thawed if frozen, neck and giblets removed, and rinsed and patted dry
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
7 wide strips lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cups Mushroom and Walnut Stuffing
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges

Steps:

  • Let turkey sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third. In a small saucepan, heat oil, rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook until garlic is soft and lemon is slightly shriveled, 1 minute. Remove rosemary-lemon oil from heat and let cool.
  • Tuck wing tips underneath body of turkey. Season inside of turkey with salt and pepper. Loosely fill large cavity and neck cavity with stuffing; fold neck skin over opening. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Brush turkey all over with 1/2 cup rosemary-lemon oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Place onion in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Set a roasting rack over onion and place turkey on top. Roast until turkey is golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, add 1 cup water to pan, and roast, brushing turkey with remaining rosemary oil every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (add some water, if pan becomes dry).
  • Transfer turkey to a platter or cutting board and loosely tent with foil; let rest 30 minutes. Reserve pan with drippings for White Wine Gravy. To serve, scoop out stuffing and carve turkey.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 663 g, Fat 33 g, Protein 83 g

RACHAEL RAY'S HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH PAN GRAVY



Rachael Ray's Herb Roasted Turkey Breast With Pan Gravy image

Says Rachael: "Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat."

Provided by CorriePDX

Categories     Turkey Breasts

Time 1h5m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (golf ball sized)
1 lemon, scrubbed clean
12 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 12 stems)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more
extra virgin olive oil, for oiling pan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
6 fresh bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
2 (2 -2 1/2 lb) boneless turkey breast, skin on
fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple brandy (recommended-Calvados) or 1/4 cup regular brandy (recommended-Calvados)
2 -3 cups apple cider
salt and pepper

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.
  • Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.
  • Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.
  • Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.
  • Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 469.5, Fat 26.8, SaturatedFat 8.7, Cholesterol 162.7, Sodium 486.3, Carbohydrate 4.1, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 0.6, Protein 50.3

Tips:

  • Brine the turkey overnight: This will help the turkey retain moisture and flavor during cooking.
  • Use a flavorful herb butter: The herb butter will help to keep the turkey moist and add flavor to the meat.
  • Roast the turkey at a low temperature: This will help to prevent the turkey from drying out.
  • Baste the turkey frequently: This will help to keep the turkey moist and prevent it from burning.
  • Let the turkey rest before carving: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.

Conclusion:

This lemon-herb turkey with bay butter and gravy is a delicious and flavorful dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The combination of lemon, herbs, and butter creates a moist and tender turkey that is sure to impress your guests. The gravy is also delicious and easy to make, and it is the perfect complement to the turkey. If you are looking for a special dish to serve at your next gathering, this lemon-herb turkey with bay butter and gravy is a great option.

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