Orange Rosemary Roast Turkey
This post has been sponsored by The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch. All opinions expressed here are my own.
The star of your Thanksgiving gathering is the turkey, so make it the best! This Roast Turkey recipe is tender and juicy with golden brown, crispy skin and the flavors of orange and rosemary. It’s dry brined so there’s no messy liquid to deal with and it’s so easy to make!
Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! That phrase is probably either exciting you or making you break out in a cold sweat.
I’m definitely excited — Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Over the years I’ve found ways to make it easier by making things ahead of time like pie crust, turkey stock and even turkey gravy.
But I digress….let’s talk turkey because it is the star of the Thanksgiving show. 🙂
I’m very serious about my turkey — it’s my favorite part about Thanksgiving. Most years I cook a whole turkey and a roast turkey breast because I want leftovers for sandwiches and turkey wild rice soup.
Typically I make my spatchcock turkey recipe because it cooks quickly and evenly, but I turn to this Orange Rosemary Roast Turkey recipe when I want to present it in a beautiful, traditional way.
It’s tender and juicy with the bright, woody flavors of orange and rosemary, and the golden brown, crispy skin makes it a real showstopper.
What really sets this apart is the fact that it’s a Diestel brand turkey. The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch has been my go-to since I discovered it several years ago, and it’s the only turkey that I serve on Thanksgiving.
Sure, you can get organic and natural turkeys anywhere, but you’re not going to have the same experience that you’d have with a Diestel turkey.
Diestel turkeys are slow grown with plenty of fresh air and space to roam freely, both indoors and outdoors.
The turkeys are given time to be turkeys because they’re raised almost twice as long. This results in turkeys with premium texture and flavor.
Since the Diestel Family Turkey Ranch was founded in Sonora, CA in 1949, they’ve been farmers first. Not only do they care for their turkeys humanely, but Diestel is one of the last turkey producers in the Western United States to mill their own grain.
The turkeys are fed the way nature intended, with a 100% vegetarian diet, and the grain never includes antibiotics, growth enhancers, hormones, gluten, animal by-products, etc.
Lastly, Diestel is a sustainable ranch, which is very important to me. They work hard to improve and preserve the environment by composting, eliminating the use of toxic chemicals, fertilizers, and inorganic substances. Composting results in soil that retains moisture, which helps conserve water as well.
Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving either! The Diestel family has a wonderful selection of year-round turkey products like deli slices, chorizo and sausage.
For this particular recipe, I used Diestel’s Organic Young Turkey. It boasts that it’s tender and juicy with real old fashioned flavor, and it really is.
How to roast a turkey
This roast turkey recipe is extremely easy, and there’s no messy liquid brine to deal with.
I chose to dry brine this turkey, which includes one ingredient — salt. The dry brine acts as a wet brine by breaking down the tough muscle proteins, which results in a juicier more flavorful turkey.
- Pat the turkey dry and salt it generously all over, inside the cavity and underneath the skin over the breast meat. Place in the refrigerator uncovered for 1-3 days. The skin will look dry but that’s completely normal!
- Allow the turkey to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
- Place the olive oil, chopped rosemary, orange juice, zest, smoked paprika and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Coat the outside of the turkey with the olive oil mixture evenly. Place the onion, orange, garlic cloves, and remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity of the turkey, then truss the turkey legs using the kitchen twine, and tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the oven and cook for around 3 hours (check for doneness after 2 1/2 hours to be sure), or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees. Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes covered loosely with foil before carving.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: 12-14 lb. turkeys generally take close to 3 hours to cook, so I suggest checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours as all ovens vary.
- Total time includes 1 day to dry brine the turkey, but the turkey may dry brine for a total of 3 days prior to cooking.
- The skin will look dried out after dry brining which is normal — that’s what makes the skin so crispy.
- If using a frozen turkey, make sure to thaw completely and pat dry before dry brining.
- Leftover roast turkey will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
More Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love:
- Cranberry orange sauce
- Green bean casserole
- Pecan pie from Food Network
- Pumpkin pie bars
- Sweet potato casserole
- Thanksgiving recipes
- Yukon gold mashed potatoes
If you try this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
Orange Rosemary Roast Turkey
Ingredients
- 13 lb. Diestel Organic Young Turkey
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus two large sprigs, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion peeled and quartered
- 1 small navel orange or two clementines, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
Equipment
Instructions
Dry brine the turkey:
- 1-3 days prior to cooking, pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt on the outside, inside the cavity, and under the skin over the breast meat, then refrigerate uncovered.
- When you're ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and let stand for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the olive oil, chopped rosemary, orange juice, zest, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Coat the outside of the turkey with the olive oil mixture evenly.
- Place the onion, orange, garlic cloves, and remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity of the turkey. Truss the turkey legs using the kitchen twine, and tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, depending on the size, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees.
- Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes covered loosely with foil, then place on a cutting board. Carve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: 12-14 lb. turkeys generally take close to 3 hours to cook, so I suggest checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours as all ovens vary.
- Total time includes 1 day to dry brine the turkey, but the turkey may dry brine for a total of 3 days prior to cooking.
- The skin will look dried out after dry brining which is normal — that’s what makes the skin so crispy.
- If using a frozen turkey, make sure to thaw completely and pat dry before dry brining.
- Leftover roast turkey will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
59 Comments on “Orange Rosemary Roast Turkey”
I am still in awe that we’re just about two weeks away from Thanksgiving! Where has the time gone?! I am not making the turkey this year, but I definitely need to remember this. Looks so good, Marcie! I’ve never brined a turkey before, so I’m loving the flavors in here, especially the rosemary!
It’s crazy how fast Thanksgiving is coming, right?? Thanks, Gayle!
My family is half vegetarians and the other half will only eat white meat. Can dry brine turkey breasts?
Hi Sharon! Yes, you certainly can dry brine a turkey breast. Just sprinkle evenly with kosher salt!
This is turkey is perfection! Love the flavors!
Thank you so much, Julie!
Orange rosemary???? My goodness that combo sounds good! I only recently learned about Diesel after seeing it on another blog but I am totally thinking about it this holiday .. we can’t get good turkeys where we moved – online it is!
I’m adding orange and rosemary to everything lately so I went for broke here! You’ll love Diestel turkeys Ashley and they have so many wonderful products. It’s so nice they have an online store now!
I probably sound weird saying this but this is such a beautiful turkey! I love flavor combo of orange and rosemary together, so unique yet flavorful! This would for sure be the star at the table!
Thank you for the nice compliment Bethany! I’m definitely making this one again for Thanksgiving. 🙂
This turkey is just gorgeous, Marcie! I loved your spatchcock tureky last year and this orange rosemary combo sounds amazing too! This Diestel turkey would totally take the star of any Thanksgiving table!
You’re so sweet — thank you, Kelly! I thought I was only spatchcocking my turkeys from now on and then I tried this — I’ll be making it again in 2 weeks. 🙂
My mouth is watering – you did a fantastic job with this turkey Marcie!
Yum, Those are some beautiful turkey photos you have there! And I loved the Orange and Rosemary combo..Pinned !
Thank you so much, Akhila!
Hi Marcie, have not heard of dry-brining before, will try this method myself this year. my husband loves the skin crispy, thanks!!
I’m hooked on the dry brine, Cheri — it’s so easy! It will definitely give your husband that crispy skin that he loves!
Hi Marcie, just an update. Over the week-end I followed your dry brined recipe and it was one of the prettiest and tastiest turkeys I have made, thanks!!!!!
I’m SO happy to hear this Cheri — thank you so much for the feedback! You’ve just made my day. 🙂
Time is seriously flying by like CRAZY! I swear it was just July… like, yesterday! 😉 This turkey is GORGEOUS, Marcie!!!! I am ALL about the dry brine, so I love that’s what you used here! The orange and rosemary combination is genius! I bet this turkey is off the charts delicious! Pinned! Cheers, girlfriend!
It does seem like it was just July — I don’t know where the time goes! I’m glad to hear you’re into the dry brine too, Cheyanne, and I hope you’re having a lovely weekend! 🙂
I’ve never tried dry brining – this looks like a fantiastic recipe to start with! I can already imagine all the flavor!
Thank you, Jamie, and I hope you try the dry brine — it’s so easy!
interesting flavors and method of cooking Marcie! Can’t believe Thanksgiving is so close!!
Thank you, Manali, and I can’t believe it either!
Time is just flying — we are only a couple of weeks away from Thanksgiving. Orange and rosemary sound like a lovely pairing. And this turkey looks mouth-watering good, Marcie. This Diestel turkey would be perfect for Thanksgiving dinner! Yummy.
It really is flying, Anu — I can’t believe how fast time is going by! Thank you so much and I hope you’re having a great weekend!
My son is doing the meal this year, I’m doing desserts and homemade rolls. We’ve never brined a turkey because it’s so messy and this is so simple~ Put it on a tray in the fridge for two days. DUH!! I’ll let you know how it is!!
Sounds like you’ve got everything covered Judy! This really is easy and I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
Wow what a stunning bird! Do you deliver? 🙂
LOL! Sure, I’ll deliver to you, Nancy. 🙂
Love the orange rosemary combination! This turkey looks perfect! I’ve tried dry brined turkey before and actually prefer this method. Pinning and sharing!
Thank you Mira! Isn’t dry brining the best?
Thank you so much, Mira!
Such a gorgeous Turkey! Brined turkey is always the best!
Thank you, Rachael! 🙂
SUCH a gorgeous turkey, Marcie! I definitely NEED to try this!
Thank you, Cathy! 🙂
Do you need to add the salt under the skin or will it just penetrate through the skin into the meat? I have dry brined before and the recipe called for separating the skin and apply the salt mixture directly to the meat.
If that is not needed it will save a lot of work.
It’s not necessary to apply the salt under the skin. While I have done that in the past, I didn’t do it for this turkey and this was my favorite turkey ever!
Have you made a gravy from the drippings using this recipe?
Yes I have, and it was wonderful!
Hi Vanessa! Butter under the skin would not defeat the purpose. In the recipe I’ve used olive oil all over, and oftentimes I rub it under the skin, but I chose not to this time and it still came out great. It’s completely up to you! I hope your first turkey is a huge success. ?
I made two turkeys this way and they were excellent!!
I’m so glad to hear that John! Thank you so much for leaving your feedback! ?
Hey Marcie!
I believe this will be my Turkey recipe this year! It looks amazing, and must taste really good!
This recipe was so amazing both times I made it last year. I hope you get to try it! 🙂
I want to try this recipe this year. I always dry brine my turkey but haven’t done it with orange and rosemary. Do you think I should still baste the turkey with butter and olive oil while it is cooking?
Hi Christina! I didn’t baste my bird at all and it came out perfectly. You can certainly do it if you like but it’s really not necessary.
Hi! I will be making my first turkey ever…. Ahhhh! ? This looks great, but, I am concerned about not covering the turkey while roasting. I always saw my mom tent it with foil up until the last hour when she would remove foil to brown the skin. I am afraid of drying out the bird if I don’t cover while roasting.
Hi Michelle! I didn’t baste this turkey once — it was the easiest thing ever and everyone loved it! I normally let my turkey brown first then when it reaches the right color I tent it with foil until it’s finished cooking. If you’re worried you can certainly baste it too!
Looks great! Are the droppings too salty to use for gravy? I want to try this…better get it ready tonight!
Hi Kathleen! The drippings aren’t too salty at all — I make gravy with them all the time. 🙂
I noticed you brined an 11lb turkey. In the case of a 20lb turkey, is it safe to assume the ingredients should be doubled? Brine sounds delicious and we’re really excited to try.
Hi Nancy! Yes, you’ll definitely need more ingredients for a 20 lb. turkey. Dry brining is the best and I hope you love your turkey!
One more question, so you DO tent with foil towards the end of the cook?
I tent with foil when the turkey gets a nice, deep golden brown color. Just keep an eye on it towards the end!
How long would you suggest for a 16lb turkey?
A rule of thumb is 13 minutes per lb or so, but oven temperatures vary. You’re looking for a time frame of 3.5 hours, so I’d suggest checking the temperature after 3 hours and going from there.