An herb-infused butter rub goes all over the skin of this juicy rotisserie turkey, which is roasted over the grill, so it frees up your oven for all the Thanksgiving fixins.
You know how there are some things that are just too good not to be shared? Secret ingredients. The best place to get a pedicure. Your opinions. A bicycle built for two. An easy going, laughter-filled dinner with friends. Add this herb butter turkey to the list. It’s one of those things just begging to be shared. I have several turkey recipes I love, like my best juicy turkey (roasted in the oven), buffalo oven roasted turkey, and my roast turkey breast (great for a smaller crowd). And while you definitely can’t go wrong with any of them, I’m here to make a case for cooking your turkey on the rotisserie.
This herb butter turkey recipe isn’t grilled, but it IS cooked on a rotisserie on the grill. The rotisserie spun this turkey right round baby right round, like a record player right round, round, round. Preparing a turkey this way is totally hands off. I let it do all the work. This is the juiciest turkey recipe and the bird is so flavorful thanks to its hours of spinning and an herb-flavored, buttery rub. And let me tell you here and now, Costco’s rotisserie chickens got nothin’ on this bird!
What’s in This Herb Butter Rotisserie Turkey?
This herb butter turkey requires minimal ingredients to achieve a buttery, rich flavor.
Here’s what you need to make this ultra juicy turkey recipe:
- 13-15 lb turkey
- Salted butter
- Fresh herbs
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Paprika
- Apples
- Onion
- Garlic
What Are the Best Herbs for Turkey?
For that classic Thanksgiving turkey flavor, I prefer using a mixture of fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. I think fresh herbs flavor this rotisserie turkey better than dried as they’re not as potent and are more fragrant.
How to Make Rotisserie Herb Butter Turkey
Brine your bird. For an extra juicy bird, I suggest first brining your turkey with my wet turkey brine recipe here before cooking on the grill.
Make the herb butter. In a medium sized bowl, mix the butter and chopped fresh herbs with the salt, pepper, and paprika until well combined.
The flavor builder and juice enhancer continues with a fresh herb-infused butter that’s rubbed under, and over the skin. Be gentle but firm when prying the skin from the meat. The resulting crispy crust is something you don’t want to tear because it’s just too pretty to behold.
Stuff your turkey with aromatics. Next, I loosely stuffed the cavity with apples, onions and more herbs. Like all poultry, flavor exudes from the inside out and these loose ingredients still keep the hot air flowing.
Truss the turkey. Tie the turkey wings back with twine and place the bird on the rotisserie accessory. Let the bird cook over the grill until the juices run clear and the internal temperature registers 165°F.
How Long Does it Take to Rotisserie a Turkey?
The exact turkey cooking time varies depending on how big your bird is. In general, I recommend cooking this herb butter turkey for roughly 15 minutes per pound.
Tips for Making Rotisserie Herb Butter Turkey
When using a rotisserie on the grill, be aware of your rotisserie’s weight limitations. My Saber Grill rotisserie accessory can only hold up to a 20 lb bird, so feeding a college football team with this version of a turkey won’t be in your cards.
I don’t recommend stuffing this bird with dressing or stuffing because it will lengthen the cooking time because it restricts the airflow in the turkey, and by the time the dense stuffing is heated through your turkey will be overcooked. This is just my humble opinion, so if you want to give it a try, let me know how it goes.
The biggest thing with using a rotisserie is one word: BALANCE. Make sure the rod goes through the turkey evenly and the forks of sit evenly too. Make sure the wing nuts that tighten the forks are exactly that — tight! Otherwise, you may lose an end as the bird spins. You may need to wiggle and jiggle a bit to get the turkey tightly into place, so don’t feel like you have to make the love connection on the first try.
Use homemade stock for your gravy. The only drawback to preparing a turkey this way is no drippings for gravy. But homemade chicken stock worked a-okay. It’s the price I paid for a beautiful bird.
Prep Time20 minutes
