For a golden, flavorful Thanksgiving bird, compound butter for a turkey is your secret weapon. Soft butter mixed with fresh herbs, citrus zest, and garlic gets tucked under the skin, adding rich flavor and helping keep the meat moist as it roasts. It takes just minutes to prepare, can be made ahead and frozen, and is easy to use on roasting day.
For years, I've made an herbed compound butter for a turkey. The butter helps create beautifully golden skin, while fresh herbs, citrus, and garlic add wonderful flavor to the meat. Most of it goes under the skin, with a thin smear on top-so when you pull that bird from the oven, it gets the rightful oohs and ahhs. Sounds good? It is-and it's surprisingly easy to make.
Compound Butter Recipe Snapshot
- Quick and make-ahead - Mix in minutes; refrigerate for 5-7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Big flavor payoff - Fresh herbs, citrus, and garlic season the turkey as it roasts.
- Beautiful golden skin - Spread most of the butter under the skin and a thin layer over the top for browning.
- Easy to customize - Make it with or without added salt and pepper, depending on how you've seasoned your turkey.
Add a slice of compound butter to each of the roast bone-in chicken breasts while they are finishing in the oven.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Unsalted butter - Best for controlling salt, especially if you dry-brine your turkey. If using salted butter, adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Fresh garlic - Finely grate or microplane the cloves so the garlic distributes evenly throughout the butter.
- Fresh herbs - Choose your favorites: thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, chives, or marjoram. You don't need them all; 2-3 herbs are plenty. Chop finely for even distribution.
- Citrus zest - Lemon is my go-to, but orange zest (or a combination) is delicious too. The zest adds bright citrus flavor without extra liquid.
See the recipe card for measurements and optional salt and black pepper.
Chef's note: What is a compound butter? Compound butter is simply butter blended with flavorful ingredients such as fresh herbs, spices, citrus zest, garlic, or honey. Also called flavored butter, it's an easy way to add extra flavor almost anywhere you'd use plain butter. Compound butters can be savory, like this compound butter for a turkey, or sweet, like my maple vanilla butter. Other delicious variations include blue cheese butter, truffle butter, and miso butter, which is terrific on fish and seafood.
For the best turkey, brine baby brine, and then use your compound butter. If you've never done it, here's my turkey dry brine tutorial. It's super easy and way easier than wet brining for sa flavorful turkey.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbs and citrus - Mix and match your favorites: thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, chives, or marjoram. Use lemon or orange zest, or skip the citrus entirely.
- Garlic options - Substitute ¼ teaspoon garlic powder for each fresh garlic clove.
- Classic lemon-herb - Combine lemon zest, parsley, and dill for a bright, fresh flavor that's delicious with turkey.
- Southwestern - Try cumin, coriander, and chili powder or smoked paprika, with lime zest instead of lemon.
- No fresh herbs? - Substitute dried herbs, using about one-third the amount of fresh. Crush them finely and let the butter stand for 30 minutes before using or refrigerating to allow the flavors to develop.
Use a slice of this butter to dress up simple boiled green beans. They take 5 minutes!
Chef's Tip: Salt Strategy
- Dry-brined turkey: Use unsalted butter and skip additional salt. The turkey is already seasoned.
- Wet-brined turkey: Skip the salt in the butter to avoid overseasoning.
- Unbrined turkey: Add ¼-½ teaspoon kosher salt per stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, depending on how you're seasoning the bird.
- Taste before using: Taste a little of the finished butter and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Black pepper: Add a pinch to the butter, if desired.
How to Make a Compound Butter for Turkey
Start with very soft, room-temperature butter for easy mixing, but don't melt it. Have a sheet of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap ready, along with kitchen twine or rubber bands to secure the butter log. Avoid aluminum foil, which tears easily and can react with acidic ingredients such as citrus.
Chef's Tip: Be sure your fresh herbs are completely dry before chopping. Wet herbs are harder to chop finely and can add unwanted moisture to the butter. Wash them ahead of time and let them air-dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Chef's tip: How to get very fine garlic. Biting into a piece of raw garlic is not pleasant. Rather than simply chopping garlic, use one of three techniques: use a microplane zester and zest the garlic fine, chop fine and smear into a paste with the back of your chef's knife, or use a garlic press and chop it finer by hand. Either way, you're creating a fine garlic paste that easily incorporates into butter. No biting into a piece of raw garlic.
How to Use Compound Butter for Turkey
As a general rule, allow the turkey to stand unwrapped at room temperature for one hour to get the chill off before applying compound butter, then apply herb compound butter for turkey before roasting. The flavors from the butter melt in during roasting and self-baste the meat.
For best application, work with room temperature butter. Use it for a whole turkey or for a turkey breast.
With dampened hands, gently insert fingers between the turkey skin and meat to loosen the skin. Slowly work your fingers as far back under the breast skin and near the legs as possible. The skin stretches a fair amount but be careful not to tear it.
When skin is loosened, spread some of the compound butter in three places:
- Under the skin of the turkey.
- On top of the turkey breast and legs.
- A little inside the cavity of the turkey, rubbing it on the inside walls.
How much you use depends on the size of your turkey. You won't use it all (save the extra). Don't over-do it for delicious a golden, delicious roast turkey. Save the rest for more delicious dishes. Once applied, the turkey is ready to roast.
Serving Suggestions
There are many ways to use a compound butter for turkey beyond turkey!
- Not just for turkey - Use this butter beyond the bird.
- Roast chicken - Slide under the skin or melt over sliced breast.
- Steak - Finish grilled steak with a coin for that steakhouse gloss.
- Fish - Melt over grilled or baked salmon, halibut, or cod.
- Mashed potatoes - Stir into riced potatoes or whipped sweet potatoes.
- Vegetables - Toss with hot green beans, carrots, or roasted broccoli.
- Bread/rolls - Spread on warm dinner rolls or toasted bread.
- Grilled corn - Slather on hot grilled corn on the cob in summer.
- Cornbread - Smear on a slice of your naturally gluten-free cornbread.
If the compound butter is cold and solidified, allow it to soften at room temperature to use for the best flavor.
Storage & Freezing
Compound butter lasts 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator when stored properly rolled and wrapped or in an airtight container to keep it fresh and prevent it from absorbing refrigerator odors.
For longer storage, freeze butter for up to 3 months. Slice off just what you need when ready to use.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If using salted butter, reduce added salt elsewhere and taste the mixture before spreading-especially if you dry- or wet-brine.
Not really. When most of the butter goes under the skin (with a thin smear on top), the turkey essentially self-bastes. Opening the oven often drops the heat. If you like, spoon pan juices over the bird once in the last 30-45 minutes; tent with foil if browning too fast.
Yes. Use a stick-style plant butter (not whipped/light tubs). Salt levels vary, so adjust. Browning may be less than dairy butter.
Recipes to Use Compound Butter With
Use compound butter for turkey for more than turkey! Add some to potatoes dishes. Place a sliver on chicken breasts before oven roasting. Use for a whole roast chicken. Use over simple steamed or blanched vegetables for flavor. It's really versatile.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Compound Butter for a Turkey
Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter or salted butter 2 sticks, half pound.
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 large fresh garlic cloves zested or chopped fine and smeared into a paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
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Instructions
- Be sure the butter is very soft before you start blending. Allow it to stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Do not melt the butter if you try to speed up the process.
- Chop the herbs very fine so the blend into the soft butter well. Zest the garlic fine or chop fine then smear into a paste with the back of your chef's knife, into a paste. Add the butter and all herbs, garlic, and zest if using to a small bowl. Blend well with a flexible spatula until ingredients are evenly distributed.
- See photos in the post for help! To make a butter log, place the herbed butter on a full size (12"x16") piece of parchment paper or waxed paper. Using a spatula, spread it into a log shape in the bottom third of the paper with the short edge at the top. Fold the bottom of the paper over the top of the butter, then with your fingers or the spatula, gently pull the paper back against the butter to tighten it into a log. Roll the log the entire length of the parchment. Twist end the opposite way from each other and tie them to secure.
- Compound butter lasts 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. Wrap the log in plastic film for more protection if desired. Freeze for up to 3 months. Slice off just what you need to use.
Notes
Nutrition
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