Christmas Roast Turkey with Herb Butter and Citrus Marinade
A 13-pound turkey is marinated for a day in a salted orange, lemon, garlic and honey bath. It has sage-thyme butter tucked under the skin and is brushed with a reduced orange glaze as it roasts. The result is seasoned, juicy meat and deep golden, crisp skin with a fresh citrus-herb aroma.
- Prep
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 30 min
- Wait
- 1.1 days
- Total
- 1.3 days
- Makes
- 1 whole turkey (about 10 servings, with some leftovers)
Steps
Before you start
- Thaw a frozen turkey completely in the fridge. Allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg), so a 13-pound (5.9 kg) bird needs about 3 days.
- Start the marinade the day before you want to eat. It needs 24 hours (12 hours at the very least), then about 1 hour of fridge air-drying and 30 minutes at room temperature on roasting day.
- Clear fridge space for the bagged turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. Take the butter out about 1 hour ahead so it is soft.
- This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you only have Morton kosher salt, use half the amount. If you only have fine table salt, use a little less than half.
- Set the oven rack on the lowest position, with nothing above the pan, before you preheat.
Mix the citrus marinade
- In a large bowl or 1-quart (1 L) jug, whisk together 1 cup (240 ml) of the orange juice, the lemon juice, olive oil, 3 tbsp honey and the 3 tbsp kosher salt until the salt and honey dissolve and the mixture looks evenly cloudy.
- Stir in the 4 smashed garlic cloves.
- Pour the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice into a small saucepan or container, cover and refrigerate it for the glaze later.
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Ready when: No grains of salt or streaks of honey remain at the bottom of the bowl.
Tip: Zest the oranges for the butter before you juice them. A juiced orange is almost impossible to zest.
Make the herb butter
- In a medium bowl, mash the softened butter with the sage, thyme, minced garlic, orange zest, 1 tsp kosher salt and the black pepper using a fork or flexible spatula.
- Work it until the herbs are evenly distributed and the butter is smooth and spreadable.
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Ready when: The butter is evenly speckled with green herbs and orange zest, with no visible streaks of plain butter.
Tip: If the butter is too firm to mash, it is too cold to spread under the skin. Let it sit another 15 minutes.
Butter under the skin
- Set the thawed turkey breast-side up on the baking sheet.
- Pat it completely dry with paper towels, inside and out.
- Starting at the cavity end, slide your fingers gently between the skin and breast meat to loosen the skin over both breasts, then over the thighs and drumsticks where you can reach, without tearing it.
- Scoop about two-thirds of the herb butter under the skin and smooth it over the meat from the outside with your palms.
- Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the skin.
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Ready when: The skin is lifted and padded evenly over the breast, with no tears and no large pockets of butter.
Tip: Wash your hands, the sheet pan and any surfaces with hot soapy water after handling raw poultry.
Bag and marinate
- Set the doubled bag on the rimmed baking sheet and open it wide.
- Slide the turkey in, breast-side up, then pour in the citrus marinade.
- Press out as much air as you can and seal the bag tightly, twisting and tying the top.
- Refrigerate on the baking sheet for 24 hours (12 hours minimum).
- Turn the bag over once at the halfway point so both sides soak.
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Ready when: The bag is sealed with no drips and the liquid pools around the bird.
Tip: Do not marinate longer than 24 hours. The acid in the citrus begins to turn the meat mushy after that.
Dry the skin
- On roasting day, remove the turkey from the bag and discard all the marinade and the bag.
- Set the bird on the rack in the roasting pan, breast-side up.
- Pat the skin and cavity very dry with paper towels, scraping off any stray garlic pieces.
- Refrigerate it uncovered for 1 hour.
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Ready when: The skin feels dry and slightly tacky, not wet or slippery.
Tip: Never reuse or boil down the raw marinade for sauce, since it has touched raw poultry.
Reduce the citrus glaze
- Add 1 tbsp honey to the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice in the small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until it reduces to about ⅓ cup (80 ml) and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the 2 tbsp butter pieces until melted.
- Set aside at room temperature.
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Ready when: The glaze is syrupy and drips slowly off a spoon, with a clean line left when you draw a finger across the spoon.
Tip: Watch it closely near the end. Reduced juice with honey scorches fast.
Stuff and trussOven 425°F / 220°C
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven heats.
- Place the rack on the lowest oven position and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Loosely fill the cavity with the orange wedges, onion quarters, sage sprigs and thyme sprigs.
- Tie the drumsticks together with twine and tuck the wing tips behind the back.
- Pour the broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
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Ready when: The legs are tied snugly and the wing tips are tucked under, with the cavity filled loosely.
Tip: Do not pack the cavity. Tightly packed aromatics slow cooking and leave the thigh undercooked.
Roast at high heatOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the pan in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven, breast-side up.
- Roast for 30 minutes without opening the door, to start browning the skin.
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Ready when: The skin has turned pale golden and is starting to crisp.
Lower heat and glazeOven 325°F / 165°C
- Reduce the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Brush the turkey all over with half the citrus glaze.
- Continue roasting for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours more, brushing with the remaining glaze once at about the 1-hour mark.
- If the breast or wings are browning too fast, tent them loosely with foil.
- Start checking the temperature at 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Slide the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone.
- Remove the turkey when the breast reads 160°F (71°C) and the thigh reads at least 175°F (80°C).
- The breast will rise to 165°F (74°C) while it rests.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown, juices run clear, and the breast reads 160°F (71°C) and the thigh 175°F (80°C) or higher.
Tip: Open the oven door quickly when brushing and always check the temperature in more than one spot.
Rest the turkey
- Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board or rimmed platter.
- Tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 45 minutes.
- Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve into a jug and skim off the fat; spoon some over the carved meat or use it as a base for gravy.
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Ready when: The breast reaches 165°F (74°C) and the meat feels firm rather than loose when pressed.
Tip: Do not skip the rest. Carving too soon sends the juices onto the board.
Carve and serve
- Remove the twine and discard the cavity aromatics.
- Cut off each leg at the hip joint and separate drumsticks from thighs.
- Slice down along both sides of the breastbone to remove each breast, then slice the breasts crosswise ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Arrange on a warm platter with the legs and pour over some strained pan juices.
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Ready when: Slices are juicy and white to pale pink-free throughout, and legs move freely at the joint.
Tip: Slice across the grain for the most tender bites.
Good to know
Tips
- Use an instant-read thermometer rather than relying on the clock. Turkey sizes and ovens vary, and the breast overcooks quickly.
- Pat the skin thoroughly dry after marinating. Wet skin steams and turns pale and rubbery instead of crisp.
- If the glaze or skin darkens too quickly, tent the turkey loosely with foil. Honey and orange sugars brown fast.
- Add more broth or water to the roasting pan if it dries out and starts to smoke, so the drippings do not burn.
Make ahead
The herb butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 1 month. Bring it to room temperature before using. The turkey can be buttered and bagged with the marinade up to 24 hours before roasting. The glaze can be made the day before and gently rewarmed.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours. Refrigerate carved turkey in airtight containers with a splash of pan juices for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat covered in a 325°F (165°C) oven with a few tablespoons of broth or pan juices until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C) in the center. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Substitutions
- fresh orange juice → Clementine or tangerine juice. Same quantity; slightly sweeter, so the glaze may brown faster.
- honey → Maple syrup. Use the same amounts in the marinade and glaze for a deeper, woodsy flavor.
- fresh sage leaves → Fresh rosemary, finely chopped. Use half the amount, as rosemary is stronger. Keep the thyme as is.
- unsalted butter → Salted butter. Use 1 cup salted butter and omit the 1 tsp salt in the herb butter.