Hannah Taylor—A.K.A LilyLouTay—Shares Her Butter-Roasted Garlic and Herb Turkey Recipe

The night before: Give that turkey a little love. Pat the turkey very dry all over with paper towels. This matters! We're already starting the work toward that gorgeous crispy skin.

In a small bowl, mix kosher salt, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Season the turkey all over, including the legs and wings, with the mixture. Sprinkle a little inside the cavity as well. Set the turkey, breast side up, on a wire rack fitted inside a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate uncovered for 12–24 hrs. Don't cover it. That cold refrigerator air is going to dry the surface of the skin, which is exactly what we want. By Thanksgiving morning, the skin may look a little dry and almost translucent in places. That's a good thing.

Take the turkey from the refrigerator about 45 min. before you're ready to roast. Heat oven to 425°F, with a rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. In a medium bowl, stir together the softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest, black pepper, paprika and all-purpose seasoning (I use Southern Magic), until everything is beautifully combined. Starting at the neck end of the turkey, very gently slide your fingers between the skin and breast meat, loosening the skin without tearing it. Work your fingers down over as much of the breasts as you comfortably can. Take about two thirds of the herb butter and massage it directly onto the meat underneath the skin, spreading it across both breasts and down toward the thighs. (This is where we're keeping the spirit of that butter-roasted chicken; the meat is essentially roasting beneath a blanket of garlic, lemon and fresh herb butter.) Rub the remaining butter lightly over the outside of the turkey.

Stuff the cavity loosely with a few wedges of Vidalia onion, 2 lemon quarters, half the garlic head and a few sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and sage. Don't pack the cavity tightly; we want hot air to circulate. Scatter remaining onion, lemon, garlic and herbs in the roasting pan. Pour the broth into the bottom of the pan, being careful not to pour it over the turkey.

Tuck the wing tips underneath the bird and tie the legs loosely together with kitchen twine. Finally, drizzle the turkey skin with the olive oil and gently rub it into a very thin layer over the buttered skin. That little bit of fat on the dry surface encourages beautiful browning. Tests of turkey skin have found that a thin coating of fat over dry-brined skin helps produce a crisp, browned exterior. Roast turkey for 30 min. to jumpstart that beautiful golden skin.

Without opening the oven any longer than necessary, reduce the temp. to 325°F and continue roasting until the turkey is deeply golden brown and cooked through, approximately 2–3 hrs. longer, depending on the size of your turkey and your oven. Do not baste it. Every time you spoon liquid over that beautiful drying skin, you're adding moisture back to the very thing we're trying to make crisp. Bon Appétit likewise recommends skipping basting when crispy skin is the goal. If the breast becomes as brown as you want before the turkey is finished cooking, loosely tent just the breast with foil and continue roasting.

Begin checking the temp. early rather than relying solely on time. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh without touching bone. Cook until the turkey reaches 165°F. Transfer the turkey to a carving board or serving platter and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving. And don't you dare throw away what's in that roasting pan. The butter, turkey drippings, garlic, onion, herbs and broth underneath are practically begging to become gravy.