This herb turkey butter is the secret to a flavorful Thanksgiving turkey, combining creamy butter with fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, and a bright pop of lemon! With a little Dijon mustard for extra depth, this easy compound butter spreads beautifully under the turkey skin for rich, savory flavor in every bite.
Why This Turkey Butter is the Best
- Packed with fresh, savory flavor. Rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, and garlic create the classic holiday flavors you love, while lemon and Dijon mustard add a bright, tangy finish that balances the richness of the butter.
- Easy to make ahead. This herb turkey butter comes together in minutes using a food processor, and you can prepare it before Thanksgiving to make holiday cooking a little less hectic.
- Perfect for getting flavor under the skin. Spreading the softened compound butter directly over the turkey breast meat helps season it as it roasts, while a little butter on the outside adds richness and encourages browning.
Ingredients for Herbs Turkey Butter
With lots of fresh herbs and a few pantry ingredients, you’re well on your way to making this easy turkey butter. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Fresh garlic – Adds a bold, savory flavor that complements the herbs and butter. Coarsely chop the cloves so they blend evenly in the food processor.
- Lemon – Both the zest and juice are important! Lemon zest adds bright citrus flavor, while the juice cuts through the richness of the butter.
- Fresh sage – One of the classic flavors of Thanksgiving! Sage adds an earthy, slightly peppery flavor that pairs beautifully with roasted turkey.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Adds a fresh, clean herbal flavor and little flecks of beautiful green throughout the butter.
- Fresh rosemary – Rosemary has a woodsy, aromatic flavor that works especially well with poultry. Be sure to remove the tough stems before chopping.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Helps the herbs and garlic blend smoothly and makes the compound butter a little easier to spread.
- Dijon mustard – My favorite addition! Dijon gives the butter a subtle tang and savory depth without making the finished turkey taste like mustard.
- Fresh thyme leaves – Adds delicate, earthy flavor that rounds out the stronger rosemary and sage.
- Coarse sea salt – Enhances all the other ingredients and helps season the turkey as the butter melts.
- Ground white pepper – Adds gentle peppery warmth without the dark specks of black pepper.
- Butter – The main ingredient of the whole recipe! Make sure to use unsalted butter, as we will be adding our own amount of salt and seasonings. Room temperature butter, not melted, is easiest to work with.
How to Make Turkey Butter (Step-by-Step)
Making homemade turkey butter couldn’t be easier! A food processor does almost all the work, and you can have this flavorful herb butter ready in just a few minutes.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Zest and juice the lemon, then remove the woody stems from the rosemary, sage, parsley, and thyme.
- Combine the seasonings. Add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, sage, parsley, rosemary, olive oil, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt, and white pepper to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the herbs. Pulse several times until the garlic and fresh herbs are finely chopped and evenly combined.
- Add the butter. Cut the room-temperature unsalted butter into smaller pieces and add it to the food processor.
- Blend until creamy. Process until the butter is smooth and the seasonings are evenly distributed, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Use or refrigerate. Transfer the herb turkey butter to a bowl or airtight container. Use it immediately on your turkey or refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
No food processor? Finely mince the herbs and garlic, then mash everything together in a mixing bowl with a fork or sturdy spatula. Make sure the butter is properly softened so the ingredients mix evenly.
Chef Tips
- Pat the turkey DRY. The skin will brown more evenly and get crispier the drier the skin. If you’ve dry brined or wet brined, you’ll still want to rinse and pat dry using paper towels or let is sit, uncovered, in the fridge to get super dry skin. This will also help the butter spread and stick more easily.
- Test the Flavors. Before you smother the whole turkey, taste test the butter for seasonings. Just slather some on a piece of bread or a cracker and make the adjustments before you’ve covered the whole turkey. See the commonly asked questions below for answers on how to correct seasoning.
- Under skin and Over Skin– Spread the majority of the butter under the skin of the turkey. Loosen it with your fingers and rub it under to lock in the flavors and help keep it juicy and tender. Over the skin will likely melt off, but the leftover fats will brown and crisp. The drippings will be lightly seasoned and perfect for making turkey gravy.
- Even Under the Skin– Some areas are small, but don’t worry! For small areas, use a small offset spatula or put some butter in a small plastic snack bag, snip the corner and squirt it in. Also remember that butter melts and will likely seep into all the nooks and crannies naturally.
- Room Temperature Butter– Not only is room temp butter easier to mix, it will also prevent the skin from tearing and keep your bird looking beautiful.
Variations
There are plenty of ways to change up this turkey butter recipe. Here are a few suggestions.
- Citrus – Instead of lemon juice, try swapping it for orange or lime juice for a different flavor profile.
- Sweetener – Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar for a sweetener and to enhance browning.
- Seasonings – Try adding crushed fennel seeds for a sweet and earthy like flavor profile.
Commonly Asked Questions
My turkey butter is too salty…
The only solution to over salted butter is to add more butter. This is why we suggest using unsalted butter.
My turkey butter doesn’t have any flavor…
Add more aromatics and/or garlic. Sometimes these have more or less flavor, but when you do the taste test, don’t be afraid to add more of the flavors you love!
Can I use turkey butter if I brine the turkey?
Yes! You’ll want to rinse the bird from any brine anyhow, then pat it dry and feel free to rub it down with butter. I would, however, suggest reducing or omitting the salt from the butter since both dry and wet brines tend to be pretty salty.
How much turkey butter per pound of turkey?
In most cases, 1 tablespoon per pound should be good, but you can scale back smaller for turkey breasts or smaller turkeys because there is naturally less surface space.
More Juicy Turkey Recipes
From brines to injections and even a rub, these are our favorite Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
Best Turkey Butter Recipe
Herb turkey butter combines garlic, fresh herbs, lemon and Dijon for a flavorful compound butter that's perfect for Thanksgiving turkey!
Servings: cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic , coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon , zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage , roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat parsley , roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary , roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter , room temperature
Instructions
- In the food processor, combine the chopped 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, 1 lemon zested and juiced, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh sage, 1 tablespoon fresh flat parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper. Pulse until the herbs start to chop further.
- Add the room temperature and chopped 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter to the food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Scrape out of the food processor and use immediately or cover and chill until to use.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 13 tablespoons of compound butter. This is approximately how much you’ll need for each type of turkey.
If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to finely minced the herbs and grate the garlic, then mash it all together using a fork.
- Whole turkeys (8-14 lb): ~1 Tbsp per pound
- Small birds/parts (breasts, 2-7 lb): ~1–1¼ Tbsp per pound (less mass → more surface area to cover)
- Large birds (15-20 lb+): ~¾–1 Tbsp per pound (you don’t need as much per lb)
Roast a Turkey Breast (bone-in)
- Preheat: 350°F. Rack in a roasting pan.
- Position: Breast-side up (skin up).
- Season: Pat dry (the butter will stick better) and rub with compound butter under the skin and over the skin.
-
Roast time: ~18–22 minutes per pound.
Start checking early. - Target temps: Pull when breast hits 160°F; carryover will reach 165°F.
- Rest: 15–20 minutes before slicing (juicier slices).
Roast a Whole Turkey (unstuffed)
- Preheat: 325°F. Rack in a roasting pan.
- Position: Breast-side up (legs/thighs down, cavity opening facing you).
- Season: Pat dry (the butter will stick better) and rub butter under the skin and over the skin.
-
Roast time: ~13–15 minutes per pound (unstuffed).
Stuffed turkeys run ~15–17 min/lb; I recommend dressing baked separately for food safety + crispier skin. - Target temps: Pull when breast is 160–165°F and thigh is 170–175°F using an instant read digital thermometer.
- Rest: 30 minutes before carving (tent loosely with foil) to redistribute juices.
- Rotate the pan once halfway through for even browning.
- If the breast is getting too dark before the thighs are done, tent the breast with foil.
Nutrition
Calories: 1760 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 194 g, Saturated Fat: 118 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 55 g, Trans Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 488 mg, Sodium: 1690 mg, Potassium: 248 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 6165 IU, Vitamin C: 49 mg, Calcium: 136 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
