The Best Orange Turkey – Quick Facts
- Ready In: 4 hours (15 pound turkey)
- Serves: 13-16 people
- Dietary Info: dairy-free and gluten-free friendly, high protein, kid-friendly
- Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas
- Recipe Includes: turkey dry rub, roasting pan ingredients, stuffing ingredients, turkey baste, & optional white wine gravy.
- Origin: My mother-in-law first introduced me to a citrus turkey and after tasting that perfectly tender turkey meat, I may never eat turkey another way! The orange citrus works to breakdown the turkey meat to be incredibly juicy. If you have struggled with a dry turkey in the past, you need to try this delicious Orange Turkey!
If your holiday gathering turns into a smaller crowd, then you have to try our citrus butter Instant Pot turkey breast! Same bright flavors but for a smaller turkey breast.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- Turkey – determine the size of turkey needed for your dinner. I typically calculate about 1 pound turkey for every guest. Purchase the turkey needed from the local grocery store and then calculate how to thaw the turkey.
- Naval Orange & Orange Juice – the turkey is stuffed with a quartered orange and basted in orange juice mixed with butter and white wine for a combination that brings so much light & bright flavor to the turkey meat!
- Dry Rub – a combination of 5 spices that will take all of the flavors to the next level.
Orange Turkey Prep Tips
There are a variety of ways to keep your bird from drying out and to add even more flavor:
- Brine – Letting your turkey sit in a citrus-herb brine before cooking is a great way to get the turkey meat as tender as possible with even more citrus flavor!
- Turkey Injection – Using an easy turkey injection is an option for inserting a melted butter and herb mixture directly into the meat to avoid any dryness.
How To Make An Orange Roasted Turkey
Step 1 – Prepare the roasting pan for the turkey.
Step 2 – Mix up the dry rub and basting liquid in separate bowls.
Pro Tip
Keep the basting liquid warm on the stovetop to keep the butter melted and in a convenient spot for basting the turkey every 30 minutes!
Step 3 – Remove any giblets from the turkey, remove the hock lock, and use paper towels to fully pat the turkey dry. Add all of the stuffing ingredients to the turkey cavity and tie the legs with kitchen twine.
Step 4 – Spread very soft butter on the outside of the turkey and then coat in the dry rub seasoning.
Turkey Cook Times During Testing
| Cook Time | Internal Temperature of the Turkey |
| after 1 hour | 80-100 degrees F |
| after 2 hours | 120-130 degrees F |
| after 2.5 hours | 135-140 degrees F |
| after 3 hours | 150 degrees F |
| after 3.5 hours | 160-162 degrees F |
After cooking in the oven for 3.5 hours (160-162 degrees F internal temperature), I removed the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes. During this time the internal temperature will reach a safe 165 degrees F. The turkey tested was 15 pounds. Total cook time is about 14-16 minutes per pound. Therefore a 12 pound turkey would cook for around 3 hours and a larger, 18 pound turkey would cook for about 4.5 hours. Use a meat thermometer!
Step 5 – Bake in the preheated oven until fully cooked and baste every 30 minutes.
Best Ways To Serve Orange Turkey
Everyone loves a delicious, flavorful turkey, but our all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipes are the side dishes, desserts and cocktails:
- Side Dishes: Best Ever Sourdough Stuffing, Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole with Bacon, Apple Cranberry Sauce, & Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Dessert: it doesn’t get much better than an Easy Pumpkin Pie, but I also have a pumpkin pie in a cup if you’re looking for something fun and different.
- Cocktails: keep the pumpkin flavors going with a pumpkin pie martini or try a smoked old fashioned!
Orange Turkey FAQs
Yes, use the giblets to make a classic giblet stuffing and/or turkey giblet gravy!
That beautiful golden brown is all due to the butter rubbed on the outside of the turkey’s skin. First, be sure to FULLY pat the turkey dry. When you think it is dry, pat it again. Second, be sure to use VERY soft butter. It spreads so much easier.
Simply use aluminum foil to cover the parts that are browning too quickly. Option to cover just the turkey wings, legs, or tent a large piece of foil over the whole turkey, if needed.
Once the turkey has rested, transfer it to a large cutting board, and grab a large chef’s knife to begin. Follow our step-by-step photos and instructions for how to carve a turkey!
Other Whole Turkey Recipes You Might Like
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Orange Turkey Recipe (+ optional white wine gravy)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours + 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours + 50 minutes
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our juicy and tender Orange Turkey is roasted to perfection in the oven for your next holiday or special occasion!
Ingredients
Turkey + Roasting Pan:
- 15 pound whole turkey, ensure thawed and remove neck and giblets
- 4 tablespoons butter or ghee (sub olive oil)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 stalks celery, quartered
- 2 carrots, quartered
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
Dry Rub:
- 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Stuffing Ingredients:
- 2 stalks of celery, quartered
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 small orange, quartered
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- 1 bunch of fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
Baste Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup butter or ghee, melted
- 1/3 cup orange juice
Optional White Wine Gravy:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups leftover pan liquid
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Dry Rub: Combine Dry Rub Ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Prep Roasting Pan: Add chicken broth, wine, celery, carrots and onion to the bottom of the roasting pan. Insert the roasting rack.
- Prep Turkey: Place the whole turkey on the roasting rack. Ensure it is fully thawed, giblets removed from the cavity and patted dry with clean paper towels. Rub 2 tablespoons of the seasoning inside the cavity and then add the celery, onion, orange, sage, rosemary and thyme to the cavity of the turkey. Tie up legs with cooking twine. Take the softened butter and rub all over the turkey (under the skin too, if desired). Season the outside of the turkey with the remaining seasoning.
- Basting Liquid: Add the basting liquid to a small saucepan and let sit in a warm spot on the stove.
- Roast + Baste (foil as-needed): Roast the turkey 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 and thigh. Baste every 30 minutes with pan juices and the warm baste on the stove top. Loosely tent with aluminum foil, if skin starts to get too brown.
- Rest + Carve: Remove from oven and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes – this is when you can make the gravy.
- Gravy Prep: Add the leftover pan liquid from the roasting pan to a large measuring cup or fat separator. Remove the top layer of fat and any solid bits that collect in the cup.
- Make Gravy: In a deep skillet or medium saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. This will create a sort of paste (called a roux) and it should have an almost nutty smell. Slowly add in the leftover roasting pan liquid, whisking constantly. Continue adding and whisking until it is all added. Assess the consistency of the gravy – if you like it a little thinner, add broth a little at a time, until you have reached your desired consistency. If you want it a bit thicker, let it simmer (a soft boil) for a little bit and it will continue to thicken. Taste and add salt, as desired.
- Carve + Serve: Carve your turkey (we have a step-by-step tutorial on how to carve a turkey) and serve with your homemade turkey gravy and all of your other delicious holiday side dishes!
Notes
- No Roasting Rack: you can always make a “rack” out of whole carrots and cut of onions.
- Fully Thawed: Ensure it is a fully thawed turkey or it will result in a longer cooking time.
- Leftovers: We love this Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits!
- Storage: any leftover turkey can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and use in your favorite recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 533
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 669.4 mg
- Fat: 24.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.8 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 69.6 g
- Cholesterol: 1272.4 mg
Originally published 11/10/20; updated photos and recipe card on 10/15/25.
Bridget says
Definitely one of the most juicy turkeys I’ve ever had!
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 ??