This sage browned butter turkey is so flavorful! It can be made in an oven, on a pellet grill or on a smoker.
This turkey gets rubbed down with a dry rub and cooked mostly through. Towards the end of cooking you will add some sage infused browned butter on top followed by a high temperature sear, so the skin crisps up and the browned butter gives the whole turkey a delicious deep herby flavor.
I always recommend brining your turkey because I feel like it tenderizes the meat and helps flavor penetrate into the turkey. I have cooked turkey’s without a brine as well and while they can be good, they are just better when you brine them.
I have two turkey brines that you may love:
Smoked Turkey Brine
Herb Turkey Brine
What you need to make this sage browned butter turkey:
These measurements will change depending on the size of your turkey, for this reason I will list the seasoning ingredients but not the exact amount, you will be adding a generous sprinkle of each of these ingredients, unless otherwise directed.
Turkey seasoning:
- 1/4 cup salted butter – softened
- salt
- black pepper
- paprika
- ground sage
- dash of cayenne
Sage infused browned butter:
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 6 sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven, grill or smoker to 350 F.
- After turkey has been brined, pat dry and loosen the skin on the turkey breasts.
- Take your softened butter and pack it under the skin of the turkey breast.
- Generously sprinkle your turkey with salt, black pepper, paprika, ground sage and add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Place turkey in a roasting pan with the breasts down for extra moist breasts, it isn’t as pretty this way but I think it tastes better. You can also keep the breasts on top if you want a pretty bird.
- Cook turkey for recommended time for the size of bird you have, about 13 minutes per pound.
- When turkey is just about done, prepare your sage infused browned butter by adding salted butter to a sauce pan with 6 sage leaves.
- Let butter cook until it starts to brown, remove the sage leaves and set aside, you will add those to the turkey when its done cooking and resting.
- Pour hot browned butter over your turkey, you can pour it on the bottom of the turkey or flip the turkey over so the breast are on top again, either way is fine.
- Increase the heat on your oven, grill or smoker to 475 F. and finish cooking for 4-6 minutes or until the skin starts to crisp up, you can use a baster to add the butter and juices on the top while you do this.
- Remove turkey from oven, grill or smoker and cover with aluminum foil and a towel and let it rest for 20-30 minutes so the juices can recirculate.
- Slice and add the crispy sage leaves to the turkey being served.
Sage Browned Butter Turkey
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted butter – softened
- salt
- black pepper
- paprika
- ground sage
- dash of cayenne
- Sage infused browned butter
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 6 sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven, grill or smoker to 350 F.
- After turkey has been brined, pat dry and loosen the skin on the turkey breasts.
- Take your softened butter and pack it under the skin of the turkey breast.
- Generously sprinkle your turkey with salt, black pepper, paprika, ground sage and add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Place turkey in a roasting pan with the breasts down for extra moist breasts, it isn’t as pretty this way but I think it tastes better. You can also keep the breasts on top if you want a pretty bird.
- Cook turkey for recommended time for the size of bird you have, about 13 minutes per pound.
- When turkey is just about done, prepare your sage infused browned butter by adding salted butter to a sauce pan with 6 sage leaves.
- Let butter cook until it starts to brown, remove the sage leaves and set aside, you will add those to the turkey when its done cooking and resting.
- Pour hot browned butter over your turkey, you can pour it on the bottom of the turkey or flip the turkey over so the breast are on top again, either way is fine.
- Increase the heat on your oven, grill or smoker to 475 F. and finish cooking for 4-6 minutes or until the skin starts to crisp up, you can use a baster to add the butter and juices on the top while you do this.
- Remove turkey from oven, grill or smoker and cover with aluminum foil and a towel and let it rest for 20-30 minutes so the juices can recirculate.
- Slice and add the crispy sage leaves to the turkey being served.