This Citrus-Herb Roasted Thanksgiving Day turkey will be the star of the show this Thanksgiving! With wonderful notes of citrus, sage and butter (or ghee), this turkey is ah-mazing and so, SO delicious! I love how the citrus somehow makes the turkey taste lighter, but the herbs and ghee add that extra savoriness. Make sure you determine how big of a bird you will need and then impress your crowd with this super moist turkey!
If you want to a more classic, savory turkey then you should try our Butter & Sage Roasted Turkey!
What You Will Need
- whole fresh turkey – our turkey was around 18 pounds but make sure you get the right size for your gathering.
- olive oil – rub it all over the turkey to help the turkey skin getting perfectly brown and crisp.
- butter or ghee – if you want to keep your turkey Whole30 compliant you will want to use ghee.
- dry rub: Italian seasoning, dry mustard, garlic powder, kosher salt, & ground black pepper – the perfect combination of seasonings that gives the turkey a great depth of flavor!
- stuffing: bay leaves, celery, onion, orange, sage leaves, fresh rosemary, & fresh thyme – light and refreshing aromatics to stuff inside your bird.
- baste: dry white wine, butter or ghee, & orange juice – basting your bird every 30 minutes or so will keep your turkey meat juicy and tender.
Roasted Turkey Prep Tips
First, you will need to calculate how large of a turkey you will need to serve all of your guests on Thanksgiving day. Once that is determined you can grab a frozen turkey from your local grocery store. A few days before you will be cooking the turkey you will want to begin the thawing process. We have a complete tutorial on how to safely thaw your bird.
Best Ways To Add Flavor To Your Thanksgiving Turkey
In the recipe card below we have included the details on how to make a dry rub, stuffing, and baste that will all add flavor and moisture during the cooking process. If you are looking to really take it to the next level, you can also use our Citrus-Herb Brine!
What’s The Best Fruit To Put In A Turkey
We absolutely love the light & refreshing flavor that come with citrus fruits! So fruits like, oranges, lemons, and limes are all great options for stuffing inside your turkey. You are going to love the aromatics that they provide!
How To Make An Herb Citrus Roasted Turkey
First, make sure that your turkey has thawed completely. Then place it on a roasting rack and pat dry with clean paper towels.
Pro tip: use the giblets to make a classic giblet stuffing and/or turkey giblet gravy!
Next, you can place the stuffing ingredients in the turkey cavity and rub down the outside with olive oil and the butter herb mixture.
Next, loosely cover with aluminum foil and roast in the oven at 325 degrees F for 14-16 minutes per pound or until your meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Once it is fully cooked you can remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes.
The Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Everyone loves a delicious, flavorful turkey, but our all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipes are the side dishes! Here are a few of our best side dishes:
- Best Ever Sourdough Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Apple Cranberry Sauce
- Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Turkey Gravy
Looking for more? We have an entire list of 35+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes!!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Citrus Herb Turkey Recipe (so juicy!)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
- Category: Thanksgiving
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Herb-Citrus Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey – The foolproof method for the most delicious Thanksgiving Day turkey!
Ingredients
- 18–22 pound turkey, rinse and remove neck and giblets
- olive oil
- 3–4 Tablespoons butter or ghee
Rub:
- 4 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 Tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
Stuffing:
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 stalks of celery, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 small orange, quartered
- 5 sage leaves
- 1 bunch of rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
Baste Ingredients:
- 2/3 dry white wine (optional – don’t use if you want it to be Whole30 compliant)
- 2/3 cup butter or ghee, melted
- 2/3 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Combine Dry Rub Ingredients in a small bowl and Baste Ingredients in another small bowl; set aside.
- Place the whole turkey in a roasting pan with roasting rack. Ensure it is fully thawed and pat dry with clean paper towels.
- Rub 2 tablespoons of the seasoning inside the cavity along with the stuffing ingredients.
- Rub the outside of the turkey down with olive oil.
- Take the 3-4 Tablespoons of softened ghee or butter and rub all over the turkey (under the skin too, if desired).
- Take the remaining Dry Rub and rub all over the turkey skin.
- Loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Roast for 14-16 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer) in the thickest part of the breast.
- Baste every 30 minutes with pan juices and Baste Ingredients.
- Remove foil for the last 30 minutes to brown the turkey.
- Remove from oven and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
- Carve and serve.
Notes
- No Roasting Rack: you can always make a “rack” out of whole carrots and cut of onions.
- Fully Thawed: Ensure your turkey is fully thawed or it will result in a longer cooking time.
- Leftovers: We love this Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits!
Kristen Maggitti says
5 stars!!!! I’ve made this three years in a row and it tastes better every year!!!
Erin says
Aaaah thank you, Kristen!!! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review – I really appreciate it!
Georige | The Home Cook's Kitchen says
wow! this looks fantastic Erin! love the colour of the photos too! so festive! hope you enjoyed the champagne afterwards 😉
Erin says
Thank you so much, Georgie!!! …. and you know I did ??