The star of this beautifully roasted turkey is good-quality freshly grated Parmesan. The bird gets its intense Parmesan flavor thanks to the creamy Parmesan-butter under the skin, plus a blanket of grated Parm on top. Spatchcocking the turkey — cutting out the backbone and flattening it — helps it cook faster and more evenly than a traditional whole bird. Ask your butcher to do this for you, since it can be a challenge. The flat surface ensures you can cover the entire turkey in the Parmesan, providing even more nutty, cheesy flavor in every bite.
Level: | Easy |
Total: | 3 hr |
Active: | 25 min |
Yield: | 8 servings |
Level: | Easy |
Total: | 3 hr |
Active: | 25 min |
Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 10- to 12-pound turkey, spatchcocked by your butcher
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Fit a wire rack inside of a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
- Combine the butter, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Pat the turkey dry, then season all over (both the underside/flesh and skin) with 1 tablespoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Place skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
- Work your fingers between the skin and meat on the breast and top of the turkey legs to loosen, then rub the Parmesan-butter evenly under the skin. Rub the olive oil all over the skin, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Parmesan.
- Roast until the Parmesan is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh reaches 165 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
Calories | 862 |
Total Fat | 45 g |
Saturated Fat | 17 g |
Carbohydrates | 4 g |
Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
Sugar | 1 g |
Protein | 104 g |
Cholesterol | 364 mg |
Sodium | 1572 mg |
Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
Calories | 862 |
Total Fat | 45 g |
Saturated Fat | 17 g |
Carbohydrates | 4 g |
Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
Sugar | 1 g |
Protein | 104 g |
Cholesterol | 364 mg |
Sodium | 1572 mg |
Reviews
This was delicious!!! Our turkey cooked so fast and it was super moist! Glad we tried it out and now it’s our new turkey recipe. Thank you
Absolutely delicious! Turkey was a hit this year. Almost 20 lbs bird cooked in 1.5 hours. No more waiting all day for the bird! So juicy and tender, thank you!
I’m so glad we picked this recipe for our turkey this year, it was sooo good. I did 1 1/2 stick and adjusted the herbs accordingly. It came out juicy and delicious! My brother is not a big fan of turkey and for the first time he had seconds!
I had a 10 lb Turkey. This cooked really fast. Just over an hour +. I set the temp at 170 for the breast meat. It was really delicious. Because it cooked so fast, I tented it with foil which may have made some of the skin a little softer. I would do this again.
This turkey was so yummy. My husband never goes back for seconds when it comes to turkey and I mean never. He was skeptical when I said I was going to try this recipe for our Thanksgiving turkey. He went for seconds, thirds, and fourths!!!! It’s very likely I will be making this turkey for the foreseeable Thanksgivings! That herby butter and parmesan crustiness made it sooo good. Thank you!