Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey

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Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey is the easy way to brine your turkey with no messy liquid and the crispiest skin ever!

This post has been sponsored by The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

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 mashed potatoes.  

But I digress….let’s talk turkey.

We all know that the turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving show, and this Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey lives up to the hype.  

Some of the hype includes the cozy orange rosemary flavors and the fact that you prep it ahead by dry brining it, but what really sets this turkey apart is the fact that it’s a Diestel brand turkey.

The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch has been my go-to for all turkey products 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.

Here’s why:

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 a 100% vegetarian diet, and the grain never includes antibiotics, growth enhancers, hormones, gluten, animal by-products, etc.  Diestel feeds their turkeys the way nature intended.

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, which you can find here.

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.

Last year I made my spatchcock turkey, which I loved, but this year I decided prepare my turkey the old fashioned way so that I could stuff it with aromatics like onion, garlic, orange, and fresh rosemary.  

How to make dry brined roasted turkey

I chose to do a dry brine because it’s the fuss-free way to brine a turkey.  There’s no messy liquid, the turkey is prepped ahead, and it results in really crispy skin.  Need I say more?  

• Simply season the turkey generously with salt (and sugar or herbs if desired) and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days.

How does a dry brine work?  The salt in the brine draws out the juices in the meat, then the salt is absorbed into the meat, basically turning it into a natural brine even though there’s no liquid.  

The dry brine acts as a wet brine by breaking down the tough muscle proteins, which results in a juicier more flavorful turkey.

This Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey will be the star of your Thanksgiving dinner!  It’s so juicy and delicious, you just might want to skip the gravy.

I’m very passionate about Diestel Family Turkey Ranch and can go on and on about it, but I’ve got to stop somewhere.  If you’d like to learn more, visit their website here!  You can also visit their Facebook page and Twitter page to stay up to date.

More Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love:

Cranberry orange sauce

Green bean casserole

Pecan pie from Food Network

Pumpkin pie bars

Roasted turkey breast

Sweet potato casserole

Yukon gold mashed potatoes

Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey

Yield: About 12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Dry Brined Orange Rosemary Roasted Turkey is the easy way to brine your turkey with no messy liquid! Roast it to perfection for a juicy, flavorful turkey with the crispiest skin ever.

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Ingredients

• (1) 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
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• (1) small navel orange or two clementines, quartered
• 4 small cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• kitchen twine, for trussing

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 and inside the cavity and refrigerate uncovered until 2 hours before ready to cook.
2. When you're ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Place the turkey in the oven and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.
7. Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes covered loosely with foil, then place on a cutting board. Carve and enjoy!

Notes

• 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 before dry brining.

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