Name: roast turkey with citrus & sage
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 2130 min
Ingredients: 12 to 13-pound turkey; 1 orange; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme; 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage and/or rosemary; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 small onion, peeled & quartered; 1 small apple, unpeeled & quartered; 2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into large chunks; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

With just a few days of dry-brining in your fridge, this Roast Turkey with Citrus & Sage is full of moisture and unexpected flavor. It’s all about the pop of freshness from the addition of orange zest.

If you typically roast a giant bird for your Thanksgiving feast, you may want to hold off on this one. This recipe could be just the one for that smaller bonus turkey you earned at your local market. It works well on a not-too-large twelve-pounder.

You can also give it a try on an even smaller scale by using bone-in turkey pieces. Details can be found in the Recipe Notes.

Let’s gather what you’ll need to start on the dry-brine for your Roast Turkey with Citrus & Sage…

Whole turkey – 12 to 13 pounds
Orange – just the zest, save the fruit for stuffing turkey
Fresh thyme
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Two to three days before roasting…

Remove the neck and giblets from the thawed turkey.
Reserve them to cook for giblet gravy or discard.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Zest the orange; reserve the fruit for stuffing the bird.

In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest, chopped thyme, coarse kosher salt and black pepper.
Gently loosen the skin of the turkey.
Rub the turkey all over with the dry brine mixture, including under the skin and inside the cavity.
Place the turkey in a large pan or container and cover with plastic wrap.
Or place it in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag and seal.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours (up to 48 hours), turning occasionally.

One day ahead of roasting, uncover or remove the turkey from the bag.
Pat dry all over with paper towels.

Gather the remaining ingredients…

Fresh chopped sage – or rosemary (can use a combination of both)
Fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
Small onion
Small apple
Celery stalks
Fresh thyme sprigs
Salted butter – at room temperature

Gently stuff the chopped sage and parsley under the turkey skin.
Return the turkey to the pan or container.
Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
This step allows skin to dry so it will be crispy when roasted.

One hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Quarter the reserved orange.
Stuff the turkey cavity with the orange, apple and onion quarters along with the celery and thyme sprigs.
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Twist the wing tips under the back to hold neck skin in place.
Using kitchen twine, tie the drumsticks together.
Gently brush the turkey all over with the softened butter.
If you like, insert an oven-going meat thermometer into center of an inside thigh muscle (not touching bone).

Roast for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Roast for about 2 1/2 hours more or until thermometer registers at least 175°F in the meaty part of the thigh.
About 40 minutes before the end of roasting, rotate the pan.
Cover the turkey loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
When the turkey is done, the juices should run clear and the drumsticks should move easily in their sockets.

Transfer the turkey to a cutting board.
Reserve the drippings in the roasting pan for gravy.
Cover the turkey; let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

If desired, gather some garnishes for your roasted masterpiece.
Use a base layer of kale or chicory along with sprigs of fresh herbs.
Top off with sliced fruit, for a beautiful presentation.

Prepare your traditional gravy with the pan drippings.
Or serve with this delicious Brandy and Cider Pan Gravy.

5 from 1 vote

roast turkey with citrus & sage

Adapted from BH&G Test Kitchen

Enjoy a pop of unexpected flavor from the orange-infused dry-brine.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Brining & Drying Time 1 day 8 hours

Total Time 1 day 11 hours 30 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

12 to 13-pound turkey
1 orange
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage and/or rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small onion, peeled & quartered
1 small apple, unpeeled & quartered
2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into large chunks
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature

Instructions

Two to three days before roasting, remove neck and giblets from the thawed turkey (reserve for gravy, if desired, or discard). Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Zest the orange; reserve the fruit for stuffing the bird.
For the dry brine: In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest, chopped thyme, coarse kosher salt and black pepper. Gently loosen the skin of the turkey. Rub the turkey all over with the dry brine mixture, including under the skin and inside the cavity. Place the turkey in a large pan or container and cover with plastic wrap. Or place it in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag and seal. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours (up to 48 hours), turning occasionally.
One day ahead of roasting, uncover or remove the turkey from the bag. Pat dry all over with paper towels. Gently stuff the chopped sage and parsley under the turkey skin. Return the turkey to the pan or container. Refrigerate, uncovered, overnight for 8 to 12 hours. This step allows skin to dry so it will be crispy when roasted.
One hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Meanwhile, quarter the reserved orange. Stuff the turkey cavity with the orange, apple and onion quarters along with the celery and thyme sprigs. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Twist the wing tips under the back to hold neck skin in place. Using kitchen twine, tie the drumsticks together. Gently brush the turkey all over with the softened butter.
If you like, insert an oven-going meat thermometer into center of an inside thigh muscle (not touching bone).
Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Roast for about 2 1/2 hours more or until thermometer registers at least 175°F in the meaty part of the thigh.
About 40 minutes before the end of roasting, rotate the pan; cover the turkey loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. When the turkey is done, the juices should run clear and the drumsticks should move easily in their sockets. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, reserving the drippings in roasting pan for gravy.
Cover the turkey; let rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Prepare your traditional gravy with the pan drippings or serve with this delicious Brandy and Cider Pan Gravy.

Recipe Notes

Don't want to roast a whole turkey?

You can use about 8 pounds of your preferred skin-on bone-in turkey pieces - breast, thighs, and/or drumsticks. Skip the brining and move on to the flavorful rub. Stir together the thyme, sage, parsley, orange zest, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Rub all over the turkey pieces and under loosened skin.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush the turkey with 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter. Omit the orange, apple, celery, onion and thyme sprigs used to stuff the cavity of a whole turkey. Place the pieces on the greased rack of a roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature 30 to 60 minutes.

Roast the turkey pieces, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Roast for an additional 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until done (165°F for breast, at least 175°F for drumsticks and thighs), covering with foil as needed to prevent over-browning. Let rest and serve as directed.

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