Rosemary and Citrus Roast Turkey
If you are looking for the best roast turkey recipe for your holiday table, I have it right here with this Rosemary and Citrus Roast Turkey. I know roasting a whole turkey can seem intimidating, especially with all the various cooking methods out there. This is a simple recipe without a lot of hassle that produces lots of flavor. I’ll guide you every step of the way to cook a whole turkey seasoned with orange and fresh rosemary that you and your guests will love!
I’ve been cooking with farm fresh veggies and meats for many years now, and when that time of year for turkey rolls around, you can be sure there is one on my family’s table multiple times during the Fall and Winter.
My roast turkey breast is very popular every holiday season, and it is perfect to cook alongside a whole turkey for extra breast meat. I hope you and your guests love this recipe!
This easy roast turkey is great with green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, and pumpkin cheesecake bars. If you have any leftover meat, this turkey salad sandwich is great!
What You’ll Need For A Roast Turkey With Orange and Rosemary
Whole Fresh Turkey- whether you are able to find a pasture raised turkey from a local farm or you buy one from the grocery store, I highly recommend buying one that has not been frozen. Fresh turkey is much easier to work with, and no panicking about defrosting.
Oranges- I use navel oranges, but you can also use mandarins or blood oranges if you like.
Fresh Herbs- We are using rosemary for this recipe. If you’d like to add some thyme or sage, feel free to do so!
Don’t forget to head down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list.
Amy’s Expert Tips For The Best Roast Turkey
Seasoning The Turkey
I cannot stress enough that you should not be afraid to season your turkey! Be sure it has plenty of seasoning outside as well as inside the cavity.
Cooking The turkey
Remove the turkey from the packaging and rinse. Season the turkey and tuck in the wings and tie the leg bones together. Roast the turkey until done.
Resting The Turkey
Once the turkey is out of the oven allow it to rest under foil for at least 20 minutes. If you don’t, your turkey will be dry when you carve it.
There is certainly more to this process, but I wanted to provide a basic overview. The recipe card has all the info you’ll need to make a great turkey!
As I said before, don’t be afraid of seasoning your turkey both inside and out! Adding seasoning to the butter used under the breast skin will add even more flavor to harder to reach areas, ensuring every part tastes great!
I hope you love this roasted farm fresh turkey with rosemary and citrus! If you made this recipe I’d love to hear from you. Simply leave a rating or comment. Recipe questions? Send me an email, I am always happy to help! If you want to receive all the latest updates and happenings right to your email, then don’t forget to sign up for my email list. Happy Cooking!
Orange and Rosemary Roast Turkey
This easy roasted farm fresh turkey is seasoned with rosemary and orange. You’ll love how simple this recipe is, and it makes a great main dish for your holiday table!
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- One Turkey, 10 to 14 pounds (I used a 12 pound turkey for this recipe)
- 4 Navel Oranges
- 10 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
- 3 tsp of Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
- 2 tsp of Paprika
- 1 stick of Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 325 degrees.
- Remove the gizzards and neck from the cavity of the turkey.
- Rinse the turkey well inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Zest two of the oranges and cut them in half and leave two of the oranges whole.
- Place the turkey inside a large roasting pan or large disposable foil pan and season all over inside and out with the 3 tsp of salt, 1 1/2 tsp of pepper and 2 tsp of paprika.
- Soften (but don’t melt) the unsalted butter and stir the orange zest into the butter. Rub it all over the outside of the turkey and up under the skin of the breast, and inside the cavity if there is enough butter.
- Place the two whole oranges inside the cavity along with a couple of springs of the rosemary. If two oranges won’t fit, one is fine.
- Take the two zested oranges that are cut in half and place them inside the roasting pan up next to the turkey and place the remaining rosemary springs around the turkey and up under the breast skin.
- Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.
- Place in the oven (you may need to have the oven rack in the bottom position depending on the size of your oven) and roast 15 minutes per pound until a meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees.
- In the last hour of cooking, tent the breast with foil so it does not dry out, and this helps keep the skin from overcooking as well.
- Once the turkey is cooked, wrap tightly with foil and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes.
- After resting, carve the turkey by cutting off the legs and then cutting the thigh and drumstick meat off the bones.
- Then, cut the breast meat from the bone, and serve.
Notes
Smoked paprika or hot paprika may be used for this recipe.
You can also use lemon along with the orange, and add fresh sage or thyme.
It is important to note that you should check the thigh for doneness starting in the last 15 minutes of cooking for the size of the bird. For example, a 12 pound store bought turkey should take around three hours at 15 minutes per pound, but you’ll want to check the thigh temperature starting at around 2 hours and 45 minutes and keep checking every 10 minutes or so to ensure that it hits the right temp without overcooking.
For a pastured turkey it is similar: 12 pounds would take 2 to 2 1/2 hours, so you would want to check the internal temp of the thigh at around 2 hours of cooking time to see how its coming along.
How Large A Turkey Should You Cook?
One pound to one and a half pounds per person is a good place to start. This helps factor in the weight of the bones to make sure you have enough meat.
I like to cook one turkey plus a turkey breast rather than one very large turkey. Over the years, I have found smaller turkeys easier to roast successfully.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Dishes and Sandwiches
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 586
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 23
