What herbs go with turkey? - The 5 Best Herbs for Turkey

Turkey is a highly underrated poultry often reserved for parties or important events, but its easy-to-cook, lean meat makes it a great addition to your meal planning.

It is high in protein and mild enough in flavor to work well with many different flavor profiles and herb combinations.

We’ve all likely enjoyed roast turkey at some point in our lives and it’s a truly delicious way to enjoy this meat. But, if you want to get creative, you can use turkey as a base for soups, stews, burgers, sausages, and breakfast patties.

So which herbs go best with turkey? For the roast, you’ll want to try the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, nutmeg, basil, tarragon, savory, oregano, and/or bay leaf. You can also get creative with other mix-ins, such as cilantro, garlic, lime zest, lemongrass, paprika, chili flakes, and many more.

Read on to discover the best herbs for roasting turkey, making turkey burgers, turkey sausage, roast turkey thighs and drumsticks, or making a delicious soup, stew, or chili.

The best herbs for roast turkey

There’s nothing quite as homey as the smell of a turkey roasting in the oven.

It brings to mind memories of holidays and delicious feasts, but if you want to take your turkey roast up a notch, you can try adding some herbs to your repertoire.

Because turkey is so mild in flavor, it pairs so well with many different herbs.

If you want to roast the perfect turkey this holiday season to wow your family and friends with your culinary skills, try one or more of the following herbs.

• Sage
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Garlic (although not technically an herb, its flavor really complements all of these different herbs to create a bright and delicious roast turkey)
• Poultry seasoning
• Herbs de Provence

When I roast my turkey, I use a ton of herbs, special basting liquids, and my secret ingredient: tons of butter! Follow these steps to roast your turkey like a pro.

1. Separate the skin of the turkey breast from the meat to create a small pouch.
2. Cut a few cubes of butter, flatten them and slide them under the skin of the turkey so that the breast meat is completely covered. You can also slide a few cloves of garlic under the skin with the butter.
3. Generously coat the turkey with olive oil and lots of salt. Next, sprinkle it with any of the herbs from the list above. I usually use poultry seasoning and a little parsley.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the rack in its lowest position in the oven.
5. Once heated, put the turkey in the oven and roast it for 1 hour to brown the skin. Once that hour has passed, drizzle the turkey with the juice of 1 lemon combined with 2 cups of apple cider (with or without alcohol, depending on your preference).
6. After the first hour, lower the heat to 300°F and slow roast until the internal temperature reaches 170°F for an unstuffed turkey and 180°F for a stuffed turkey. Keep spraying at 30 minute intervals.
7. Remove it from the oven, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing.
8. Enjoy the juiciest and tastiest turkey of your life!

The Best Herbs to Use in a Turkey Burger or Sausage

When you’re playing around with turkey to make a burger or sausage, you can get a little more creative depending on whether you want a spicy burger, Italian-style sausage, breakfast burger, or a traditional mild flavor.

To make turkey burgers or sausages you will need ground turkey. I recommend using only dark meat or a combination of dark and white meat.

If you use only white meat, burgers and sausages can be dry and unsightly.

You can also combine your ground turkey with chicken, beef, or pork for a more decadent dish. Mind you, keep the base at least two-thirds turkey so it doesn’t get completely overwhelmed by the other flavors. 

To start getting creative with your turkey burgers and sausages, check out some of my favorite herb combinations below.

Basic Turkey Burger:

• Garlic
• Peppers
• Salt
• Pepper

Herb Turkey Burger

• Cilantro
• Green onion
• lime zest
• chili flakes
• lemon grass 

turkey sausage for breakfast

• Brown sugar (or maple syrup)
• Sage
• Thyme
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• Chili (or red pepper flakes)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Marjoram

turkey sausage patties 

• Ginger
• cayenne
• Sage
• White pepper
• Thyme

Italian turkey sausage

• Basil
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Marjoram
• Thyme
• Savory
• Cilantro
• red pepper flakes
• Fennel seeds
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Garlic
• Onion

The best herbs to use in a turkey stew

There is nothing quite as comforting as a delicious stew on a cold day. It’s also a great way to use up leftover turkey after a big party.

You can even use the turkey bones to make a rich and flavorful broth that serves as the base for the stew.

When it comes to using herbs in turkey casserole, there really is no limit to what you can use. You can get really creative and make a spicy turkey casserole, a Mexican-inspired casserole, or whatever takes your fancy.

But when it comes to the classics, here are a few herbs that really stand out:

• bay leaves
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Marjoram
• Oregano
• Basil
• Herbs de Provence 
• Poultry seasoning 
• Tarragon 
• Savory 
• Star anise 

The Best Herbs to Use in Turkey Chili

Many chili recipes call for ground beef or other red meats, but if you want to get creative you can always substitute ground turkey for a lighter option.

Turkey meat soaks up tons of flavor, and when stewed in chili it can develop a delicious richness.

When I make chili, I tend to use a lot of spices for the chili itself, but the herbs really tie it all together when it comes time to serve it. I am sharing my favorite chili mix below.

You can use it with ground turkey and baked beans for a hearty meal.

• 6 garlic cloves 
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup tomato paste

You can add fresh tomatoes, a pound of turkey, sweet potatoes, your favorite beans and any other vegetables you like in your chili and let it simmer in the slow cooker or on the stove for several hours to really take on flavor.

Once you are ready to serve your turkey chili, you can top it with

• chopped fresh coriander
• chopped green onions 
• Lime zest and juice 

The herbs in the chili will cook for a deep, rich flavor, while the fresh herbs added at the end will add a ton of brightness and freshness to your bowl of turkey chili.

The Best Herbs for Roasting Turkey Thighs and Thighs

Sometimes you don’t want to roast a whole turkey. It can take a long time and often there’s so much left over that you’re stuck eating turkey for a week, which can be very boring.

Luckily, many grocery stores sell turkey drumsticks and drumsticks separately.

They’re a great choice as dark meat is juicier and more tender than white and it doesn’t take as long to roast a turkey drumstick and thigh as it does to cook a whole turkey.

Since turkey pairs well with sweet and savory flavors, you can get creative with your mix-ins.

You’ll want to mix the herbs together to make a little dry rub that you can coat the skin with for lots of flavor. I also like to drizzle it with a little honey or maple syrup as it cooks to make it a real treat.

You can use any of the herbs listed above to make a spice mix to coat the thighs and legs. I like a simple mix of poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper, with a squeeze of lemon on top while cooking.

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are many ways to enjoy turkey, so don’t think you have to limit yourself to roasting a whole bird.

You can create flavorful spice blends to make the most delicious sausage patties, turkey burgers, turkey chili, turkey casserole, or roasted turkey thighs.

Do you have a favorite herb that you use to always prepare the perfect turkey? Let us know in the comments.