Main Dishes

Easy Roasted Turkey

Tender roasted turkey with citrus and aromatics. No basting required!
Recipe by Michigan Fitness Foundation
Wide shot of a dining table with a whole roasted turkey in the center. Turkey is flanked by a bowl of mashed potatoes, tossed salad, and pumpkin pie.
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Cost per servingPer serving$3.67
Makes10 servings
Total timeTotal3 hours 15 minutes
Prep 45 minutes Cook 2 hours 30 minutes
Prep 45 minutes Cook 2 hours 30 minutes
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Equipment

  • Meat thermometer
  • Food-safe plastic bag (for dry brining)
  • Kitchen twine - (optional)

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings. Check items off as you go.
  • One (14 pound) whole defrosted turkey giblets and neck removed

For the Dry Brine:

For the Aromatics:

  • 1 medium orange halved
  • 2 medium yellow onions peeled and halved
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Dry Brining the Turkey

  1. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
  2. Mix dry brine ingredients in a bowl. Rub the turkey with dry brine until fully covered.
  3. Place turkey into a roasting bag, preferably a sealable one, pressing out the air to seal it tight.
  4. Place bag in a roasting pan, breast side up and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning the turkey at least once a day and rubbing the salt into the bird through the plastic bag.
  5. After 2 to 3 days (1 day before your meal) remove the bird from the fridge and out of the plastic bag.
  6. Do not rinse the bird. Pat it dry with paper towels.
  7. Return the turkey to the roasting pan on a roasting rack and refrigerate uncovered for another 24 hours.

Roasting the Turkey

  1. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 500 F. Place the rack in the lower third of the oven. Raise or remove the upper racks so the turkey can fit with room to spare on top.
  3. Place the orange sections, onion, rosemary, and thyme into the cavity of the turkey.
  4. Rub turkey with the butter, covering all of the skin. Season generously with the pepper.
  5. Tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey and secure. Tie the legs closed with kitchen twine (some have a small plastic tie that holds them together).
  6. Pour the chicken broth into the pan around the turkey and place into the oven.
  7. Roast the turkey at 500 F for 30 minutes. Insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
  8. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 ½ hours of roasting. Turkey will continue to cook after removal from oven.
  9. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
  10. Use an internal thermometer to start checking the temperature after 2 hours by sticking it into the deepest part of the thigh, making sure avoid touching the bone.
Cost per serving is an estimate based on average Michigan grocery prices and may vary.
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