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Whole Turkey with a large fork and oranges.

Orange and Rosemary Roast Turkey

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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

Scale
  • 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

  1. Turn the oven on to 325 degrees.
  2. Remove the gizzards and neck from the cavity of the turkey.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Once the turkey is cooked, wrap tightly with foil and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes.
  12. After resting, carve the turkey by cutting off the legs and then cutting the thigh and drumstick meat off the bones.
  13. 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.

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

Find it online: https://thecoppertable.com/rosemary-citrus-roast-turkey/