Oranges. Lemons. Citrus. Sunshine. I love November.
Wait, what? You thought I was talking about Summer weather? You expected a post about light and bright flavors on a 4th of July picnic table? Well, think again. I’m going to blow your mind. Citrus + Turkey = The Juiciest, Best Roasted Turkey you ever had. Yes, really.
Confession: While I am a traditionalist when it comes to holiday meals like Thanksgiving, I have made some minor adjustments over the years to accommodate health warnings (I don’t stuff my bird with dressing anymore), different palates (my husband’s tastes), as well as learning that some of the old “recipes” weren’t really worth it (ahem, canned cranberry “sauce”). I even have created this great flavor combo using fresh citrus to roast a juicy turkey. Yum.
But I really do try and stick to the flavors and traditions I grew up with as much as possible. In fact, I admit to being a bit of a control freak when it comes to certain flavors being on the holiday table, and certain processes followed. Yes, I admitted it. Yes, I can be a control freak. Moving on…
One of the traditions that I have religiously followed over the years is that I use a good old-fashioned electric turkey roaster. Old school? Yes. But it’s never let me down, so why mess with something that works? And it ensures that my oven is available for all of the other items that usually compete for time in the kitchen.
Another tradition that may seem odd (OK, really, really odd) to some people is that the roaster must be placed on the dryer.
Yes, you read correctly. That dryer. The one in the laundry room. The one that dries your clothes. Why, you ask? I blame it on my parents (I mean, we blame so many other things on our parents, why not include the quirky things, too??).
When I was a kid, our kitchen wasn’t huge. Cooking the turkey in a roaster allowed additional use of the oven, as I mention above. But because the kitchen wasn’t large, there needed to be an out-of-the-way location to place the roaster while it cooked our main course. And in our house, that place was in the laundry room, on top of the clothes dryer. Since my folks weren’t checking it every 10 minutes like they might with other dishes, they could wander out of the kitchen for a little peace & quiet, check the progress of the bird, and regularly baste it with Squeeze Parkay. Yes, another odd thing, but DARN does it do the trick! Hence, my turkey roaster must sit on the dryer each year as it cooks our bird evenly and perfectly.
Oh, and did I mention that our tried-and-true roaster lid has been “ghetto-ized”? During one move in particular, the handle was broken off. But of course we didn’t notice that until we took it out of the box the day before Thanksgiving. My husband, having an engineer’s mind, quickly figured out a way to still use the lid and provide a way for us not to burn ourselves each time we checked the bird. Hence, the “ghetto handle”, fashioned out of a wire hanger. Classy, no?
That roaster has, quite literally, been around the world with us. It is still stored in the same box it came in, albeit held together by packing tape, and is covered with what we call “Easter Eggs”. The little numbered stickers that indicate which part of our household goods inventory the box is designated each time we move. Seeing this goofy little sticker on the roaster top of the box each year has become one of my other traditions that means nothing to the average person. The sticker reminds me of all the great meals the roaster has made in our various homes over the years.
Here’s to another year of cooking my Citrus Roasted Turkey, on the clothes dryer, in our ghetto-ized electric roaster!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10 people | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 2 1/2 hours |
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While there may appear to be many steps to this turkey recipe, the prep really does go quickly once you have all of your ingredients ready to go. The flavors that infuse into the meat as the turkey roasts gives a brightness in each and every bite. Savory, a little sweet, and oh-so-juicy & moist. You won't want to stuff your bird with any other combination once you try this Citrus Roasted version!
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- 1 13 lb. fresh turkey, washed and patted dry
- 3 medium naval oranges, cut into wedges
- 3 medium lemons, cut into wedges
- 3 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Squeeze Parkay, for basting
- Remove the turkey neck and gizzards (if included in the turkey). Rinse turkey thoroughly, and pat dry with paper towels (inside and out).
- Slice oranges and lemons into wedges. Peel onions and slice into wedges as well.
- Peel and mince garlic cloves. Mince fresh herbs. Add garlic & herbs to softened butter, along with salt & pepper.
- Mix butter to incorporate all of the ingredients thoroughly. Set butter mixture aside, keeping it at room temperature.
- Place the bird, breast side up, into the roaster insert. Using your hands, gently separate the skin of the turkey from the meat.
- Also using your hands (it's really the very best tool for the job!), rub herb butter mixture under the turkey skin, making sure to push butter up over the breast, and into the thigh cavities (yes, this is sounding x-rated, I know, but stay with me).
- Salt & pepper the inside of the turkey. Use any remaining butter mixture to coat the inside of the bird as well. Stuff with pieces of oranges, lemon & onion. Any additional whole herbs can also be placed in the cavity. Be sure to also stuff the neck of the bird with citrus and onions; tuck the skin of the neck under the bird to keep the moisture inside.
- Tuck the wings under the body of the bird. Using twine (or a fabric ribbon, 'cause it's pretty!), tie the legs together. Be sure to tuck the tail under the legs (again with the x-rated comments, but c'mon). Sprinkle the bird liberally with additional salt & pepper. Place remaining citrus and onion into roaster insert.
- Cover the breast of the turkey with foil to avoid drying out the meat during roasting.
- Add 2 cups of chicken broth to roaster insert to make sure the bird stays nice and moist during roasting time. Set roaster to 325 degrees and roast for 2.5 hours, or the amount of time recommended for the size of bird you might have.
- After first hour, remove the foil from the bird. Spread Squeeze Parkay (or other butter) over the whole bird. Do this 2 more times during roasting.
- Did the bird not brown up like you wanted? No problem! Once the bird is done per a thermometer reading of 190 degrees F, turn the roaster off and pull the insert out with the bird still in it.
- Place roasting insert into oven and broil for 8 minutes, or until the skin crisps up. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn the skin.
- Tent the bird with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 20-30 minutes. Carve up the bird and serve with all your favorite holiday sides!
What I love about this recipe for Roasted Citrus Turkey is the infusion of juicy flavors that are imparted into the meat as the bird roasts. You get a bright flavor of citrus without the meat tasting like you doused it in orange juice. It's a perfect accompaniment to the other heavier dishes you might be serving. The leftovers make for a fantastic turkey sandwich or turkey salad, and because of that citrus element, it is a nice surprise for your palate after a long-weekend of carb-loading (or is that just me??).
What else have you used to stuff your turkey? I'd love to hear your tricks for adding flavor variety!
Dee Dee,
You had me at the Easter Eggs! One of the unfinished areas of our basement is lined with Ikea shelves filled with empty boxes for all the things upstairs that will go back into them before the next move.
Interestingly NOT my beige Rival roaster because that was a hand me down from my late Grandma in law.
That roaster, today, is on base baking a pan of sweet potatoes for a fellow military spouse’s spouse’s Thanksgiving luncheon BTW. Over the weekend she asked if I had any warmers because she knows I’m a food person, and I offered her both a hot plate to keep her casserole warm *and* the option of just having it bake in the morning in her spouse’s office. I hope it turns out for her!
Now the turkey–I’m a mayo person not squeeze Parkay, but love the flavors of citrus. When Penzey’s had their bicentennial rub as a freebie I never went back!
This looks awesome, and I love the story!
Ah, the military spouse life. LOL I admit that I am SO ready for the moving around part to be over! Hopefully only one more move (hopefully!!). And I love that you have an old family Rival roaster, too! Yay!
Citrus and birds go together so perfectly! This looks divine, and I love the story that goes with it!
You had me at citrus! I love roasting chicken thighs with citrus so I bet this is absolutely divine.
Loving all of that citrus! I bet this tastes awesome!
Oh yum! I love the sound of citrusy turkey! It sounds so delicious!
Citrus Roasted sounds delicious. I always stuff my turkey with apples but may have to try this next time I make a turkey. Luckily for me I am off turkey duty this year so I get the easier job of bringing something to share. Will save this for next time I make a turkey.