This quick garlic compound butter for turkey is the easiest way to get a juicy, flavorful bird. A few simple ingredients add subtle notes that complement a brined turkey — and this butter also works wonderfully on chicken. Save the recipe to use year-round.
Compound butter is simply softened butter blended with herbs, aromatics and seasonings. It flavors the meat, helps retain moisture and adds a rich, buttery mouthfeel. This recipe is ideal for poultry, especially to keep breast meat juicy and flavorful.
If you plan to dry-brine your turkey first, keep the compound butter simple so the flavors don’t compete. You can easily adapt the herbs and aromatics to your taste, but the combination below — fresh oregano, parsley, orange zest and garlic (or Brazilian sofrito) — delivers a balanced, aromatic result. Feel free to experiment and make it your own.
Ingredients
REMEMBER!
Changing a recipe can lead to different results. Substitutions or tweaks may affect the final outcome, so follow the recipe closely the first time for best results.
- Room-temperature butter — unsalted or salted. If your turkey is brined or heavily salted, use unsalted butter and add salt sparingly.
- Zest from one large orange — about 2 teaspoons.
- 1 tablespoon Brazilian sofrito or 3 cloves garlic, minced. Increase garlic if you love it.
- Fresh herbs — parsley and oregano are used here, but use any fresh herb combination you like.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
This recipe yields enough compound butter for a 10 lb turkey and can be doubled easily.
How to make the compound butter
Mise en place. Leave the butter at room temperature for 30–45 minutes so it becomes soft and spreadable. Zest the orange, mince the herbs and garlic (or prepare your sofrito).
Add the butter to a medium bowl, then mix in the orange zest, minced herbs and sofrito or garlic. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir with a spatula until everything is evenly incorporated.
You can make the butter ahead of time: store it in a small mason jar in the refrigerator. Remove it 1–2 hours before use so it softens and becomes easy to spread under the skin.
How to use the compound butter
If your turkey is not brined or seasoned, salt it well before applying the butter. A general guideline is about 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 pounds of meat. Let the salt rest for at least 20 minutes to penetrate the meat before applying the butter.
Gently separate the skin from the breast and thighs and spread about half of the compound butter under the breast skin. Use the remaining butter under the thigh skin and over the skin across the bird to promote juicy meat and crisp, flavorful skin.
Bake the turkey
Preheat the oven to 375°F for at least an hour so it reaches and holds full heat. Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet set over a rack so heat circulates around the bird for even cooking. Add about 1 cup of liquid (wine, orange juice, or water) to the pan to prevent drippings from burning and to keep the oven moist.
Cooking times vary by method and size. Spatchcocked turkeys roast faster (around 7–8 minutes per pound). A traditional unstuffed turkey is approximately 13 minutes per pound; a stuffed turkey about 15 minutes per pound. Turkey is safe at 165°F; many cooks remove the bird when the breast reads 155–160°F and thighs 160–165°F, allowing carryover heat to finish cooking while the turkey rests.
Other turkey recipes and resources you’ll love
- How to Spatchcock a Turkey
- Dry Brine Spatchcock Turkey
- How to Carve a Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Stock
What to serve with turkey
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Cachaça Cranberry Sauce
- Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon
- Farofa – Toasted Cassava Flour
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
FOR MORE BRAZILIAN FOOD INSPIRATION, FOLLOW THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR ON SOCIAL CHANNELS
Compound Butter for Turkey
A quick garlic compound butter that keeps turkey juicy and adds subtle citrus and herb flavor. Also great on chicken.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- Zest from one orange (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon Brazilian sofrito or 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano leaves, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Stir with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Use on seasoned, salted or brined turkey up to 10 lbs. Spread under the breast skin, under the thigh skin and over the skin all over the bird.
- Bake the turkey according to your preferred method and temperature guidelines.
Bom Apetite!
Notes
You can make this ahead: keep the butter refrigerated in a small jar and remove it 1–2 hours before use so it becomes spreadable.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 · Calories: 832 kcal · Carbohydrates: 7 g · Protein: 2 g · Fat: 91 g