Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the packaging. Remove the neck and the bag containing the gizzards and the heart. (Keep items if using them in the dressing or making giblet gravy. Otherwise, discard.)

Pat the turkey dry, inside and out, with paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until mixed well.

Lift the skin over the breast and slide your hand under it, separating it from the breast meat.

Slide 2-3 pats of butter under the skin on each side.

Sprinkle the dry rub all over the turkey, covering ALL areas. I use my hands and rub it in to the breast, legs, back and wings and also put some into the cavity of the bird.

Put the rest of the butter (pats) on top of the breast and nestle some down on the legs and wings.

Chop or quarter the onion and put it inside the cavity, then add the minced garlic.

Place the bird in a large roasting pan.

Add about a cup of water, but not too much more, as the turkey will make a lot of its own juices.

Put a lid on the roaster, if you have one. If not, take a large piece of foil and "tent" it over the turkey.

Place the turkey in the oven and cook it for about 2 hours. Remove lid (or foil) and cook for another hour or until the skin is a golden brown & crispy. If you have a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature. It should be 165 degrees in the breast.

Remove the turkey from the oven and let it briefly rest before carving.

Note: For this recipe, the cooking time is for "up to" a 12lb. bird. Add 15 minutes of cooking time for each additional pound. Ex: If bird is 16 lbs., you would add an additional hour to the 2 hours. After that, still remove the lid and continue to cook for an additional 45 minutes to an hour to brown and crisp it.