Roasted Turkey With Brown Sage Butter

There’s no shortage of roast turkey recipes on this blog, and this roasted turkey with brown sage butter recipe is always a crowd favorite. I roast this turkey on the grill, but you can absolutely do this in your oven.

Using the grill provides a bit more flavor from the charcoal, and it clears up real estate in the oven. More importantly, it’s a built in excuse to “check on dinner” when you have a house full of drunk uncles during the holidays.

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What Is Brown Butter?

Brown butter, also known as “beurre noisette” in French, is regular butter that has been heated until it turns a rich golden-brown color and develops a nutty aroma and flavor.

To make brown butter, start by melting regular butter in a pan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will foam for a period of time.

Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids in the butter turn brown. This process usually takes a few minutes.

The result is a deliciously aromatic and flavorful butter that can be used in a variety of recipes, both sweet and savory. Brown butter adds a depth of flavor and a nutty undertone to pasta, vegetables, and seafood.

Add in some freshly chopped sage and the flavors meld into the butter making it an excellent basting sauce for roasted turkey (or chicken), fish, and even pork.

Why Cut a Turkey In Half for Roasting?

I talk about this topic at length in this roast turkey recipe blog. In short, there are several reasons for cutting a turkey in half before roasting it:

• Faster, and more even cooking
• Ease of moving it on the grill or in the oven
• Crispy roasted skin that doesn’t stick to the grill or roaster
• Ease of carving
• Incredible presentation

What Size Turkey Should You Choose for Roasting?

As turkeys increase in size (and age), the inherent blandness of turkey tends to become more pronounced. I suggest opting for a turkey weighing between 10-12 pounds for any roast turkey recipe.

Require a larger quantity of turkey? Besides offering improved flavor, these smaller birds also allow for quicker cooking times when preparing two within this size range, as opposed to roasting a single 20-pound turkey.

What Causes Turkey to Become Dry?

First, turkey is inherently a lean meat, containing minimal intramuscular fat. This low fat content makes it challenging for the meat to retain moisture, contributing to its dryness in many roast turkey recipes.

Additionally, the dark and white meat portions have distinct optimal cooking temperatures. As a result, when the dark meat is fully cooked, the white meat is often overdone, resulting in a dry texture.

Finally, penetrating the meat with salt for flavor can be difficult. Because salt stimulates saliva production, and many turkeys lack sufficient salt content, a drier mouthfeel is noticeable. Fortunately, I address these challenges in this recipe to ensure a moist and flavorful turkey.

How to Expertly Carve a Roast Turkey Breast

Separate the breast meat from the breastbone by gently peeling it back with your fingers. Slice the breast meat horizontally from side to side.

This ensures that each slice contains a nice portion of the delicious, perfectly seasoned crispy skin, which is a coveted part of the turkey.

Slicing the breast meat in a more traditional manner results in the first slice from each breast receiving most of the skin, which happens to be one of the most flavorful parts of any roast turkey recipe.

How To Make Roasted Turkey With Brown Sage Butter

Serves: 8-10 | Prep Time: 15 mins. | Cook Time: 60 mins.

Ingredients 
1 12-14 lb whole turkey
2 tbsp olive oil

Turkey Seasoning
2 tsp ground dried sage
1 ½ tsp ground dried thyme
1 ½ tsp ground dried rosemary
1 tsp ground dried marjoram
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp finely ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Brown Sage Butter
2 sticks salted butter
¼ cup fresh sage, finely chopped

Step 1: Light your grill and set up for two-zone cooking, allow the grill to preheat and establish temperature at 350°F.

Step 2: While the grill is preheating, combine all ingredients for the turkey seasoning in a mixing bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

Step 3: Remove turkey from wrapping, and rinse under cold water. Divide the turkey in half by removing the spine with kitchen shears, then cut the turkey down the middle of the breast bone to form two equal halves of the turkey. Using the sheers, cut off the wing tips.

*Tip- don’t throw out the spine and wing tips, they can be used to make an amazing turkey gravy.

Step 4: Place the turkey halves on a large baking sheet and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Coat both halves with olive oil, then season them with the turkey seasoning, being sure to get under the wings and ensuring the skin is evenly coated.

Step 5: Place the turkey on the grill skin side up, over indirect heat. Close the lid and allow the turkey to roast for 30 minutes.

Step 6: While the turkey is roasting, melt two sticks of butter over medium heat. Allow the butter to foam and the milk solids to slightly brown at the bottom of the pan. When the foaming has stopped, remove from heat, add the chopped sage and whisk together. Divide the melted butter in half and keep warm, allowing the sage to seep.

Step 7: After 30 minutes of roasting, use a basting brush to lightly baste the turkey skin with half of the brown sage butter. Repeat every 10 minutes until the turkey has reached the desired internal temperature as indicated by a reliable instant read thermometer. About 30 minutes longer.

Step 8: Remove the roasted turkey from the grill. Use a sharp knife to separate the thigh and leg portion, and remove the wings. Then remove the breast meat from the breast bone, and slice it across the breast.

Step 9: Plate the turkey on a large platter, and evenly pour the remaining half of the sage brown butter on the turkey to serve.