Go Back
+ servings
Overhead view of a whole sous vide turkey on a serving board garnished with fresh green herbs and lemon slices.

Garlic and Herb Sous Vide Turkey

With a garlic herb butter, this juicy, flavorful turkey recipe will quickly become a family favorite - especially around the holidays!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 hours 30 minutes
Total: 12 hours 50 minutes
Yield:12 servings

Equipment

  • Large pot or other large, heat-resistant container
  • Sous vide immersion circulator
  • Small bowl
  • mixing spoon or silicone spatula
  • Cutting board
  • 2-gallon vacuum sealing bag or other 2-gallon sealable food-safe storage bag; see Notes
  • vacuum sealer optional, see Notes for alternative
  • Paper towels
  • Basting Brush
  • Oven
  • roasting pan

Ingredients

  • 1 whole turkey 8-12 pounds, see Notes
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 2 quarts chicken stock or turkey stock
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil or melted butter

Instructions

  • Set sous vide to 150° Fahrenheit.
  • Mix the softened butter, garlic, and fresh thyme in a bowl then carefully peel skin away from the turkey breast and rub butter mixture under the skin.
  • Place turkey in a large zip-top freezer bag along with the salt and chicken or turkey stock.
  • Seal bag and remove as much air from the bag as possible before dropping turkey into the sous vide water bath. Cook for 12 hours.
  • Remove turkey from bag, pat dry with a paper towel then leave to rest on the counter for 30 minutes before brushing with avocado oil or melted butter.
  • Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit then transfer turkey to the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Notes

  • Anything smaller than a 2-gallon bag likely won't hold the whole turkey. You need to be able to remove all the air from the bag and seal it tight, so when in doubt, size up!
  • Not sure what size turkey you'll need? We've got a handy formula and conversion chart in our How Much Turkey Per Person? post.
  • Water Displacement Method: Place your ingredients in an appropriately-sized sealable food-safe bag (not a vacuum sealing bag) and seal the bag halfway across the top. Heat the water with the sous vide immersion circulator as instructed, then slowly lower the half-sealed bag into the heated water. The temperature difference will force the air out of the bag – you should see the plastic cling to the food. Once the food is entirely submerged and all the air is out of the bag, seal the bag completely and continue with the instructions.
  • Make it Paleo: Use ghee instead of softened butter.
 

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 615cal | Protein: 74g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 257mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 917mg | Total Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Net Carbs: 6g | Vitamin A: 588IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg
Recipe By:Sam Guarnieri