Rosemary Citrus Turkey is a delicious way to bake up your Holiday Bird this Season!

The citrus is a little trick my friend, Clare told me about last year… it softens up the meat and make’s for an unbelievably juicy turkey!

Yield: 30

Rosemary Citrus Turkey

Name: Rosemary Citrus Turkey
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 7 h
Total time: 7 h 40 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: 3 oranges, 1/4 in thick slices; 3 lemons, 1/4 inch slices; The evening before place thawed turkey in a turkey baking sack, set citrus slices all over the outside of the turkey and secure with toothpicks if desired. Refrigerate until ready to bake.; Before baking place the following inside the cavity of the bird:; 1/2 onion; 1 apple, quartered; 1 lime, quartered with rind; 1 orange, quartered with rind; 2 sprigs of rosemary; 1 sprig, 12 leaves sage; 2 sprigs thyme; Place a bag of ice on turkey breasts for 20 minutes; white meat is fully cooked 20 degrees lower than dark meat so by doing this it allows them to be finished at the same time which doesn't dry it out!; Pat turkey dry and make butter herb paste for the outside:; 1/2 C butter; 2 Tbsp rosemary, minced; 1 Tbsp sage, minced; 1 Tbsp thyme, minced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over the outside of the turkey and under the skin of the breast area if possible. Place turkey in roasting pan. Bake turkey at 325 degrees according to package directions and breast to 160 degrees and thigh to 180 degrees. Baste every hour, after turkey starts browning tent with foil. Our turkey was 23 pounds and it took approximately 7 1/2 hours to bake.

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 7 hours

Total Time 7 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

3 oranges, 1/4 in thick slices
3 lemons, 1/4 inch slices
The evening before place thawed turkey in a turkey baking sack, set citrus slices all over the outside of the turkey and secure with toothpicks if desired. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
Before baking place the following inside the cavity of the bird:
1/2 onion
1 apple, quartered
1 lime, quartered with rind
1 orange, quartered with rind
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 sprig, 12 leaves sage
2 sprigs thyme
Place a bag of ice on turkey breasts for 20 minutes; white meat is fully cooked 20 degrees lower than dark meat so by doing this it allows them to be finished at the same time which doesn't dry it out!
Pat turkey dry and make butter herb paste for the outside:
1/2 C butter
2 Tbsp rosemary, minced
1 Tbsp sage, minced
1 Tbsp thyme, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and rub all over the outside of the turkey and under the skin of the breast area if possible. Place turkey in roasting pan. Bake turkey at 325 degrees according to package directions and breast to 160 degrees and thigh to 180 degrees. Baste every hour, after turkey starts browning tent with foil. Our turkey was 23 pounds and it took approximately 7 1/2 hours to bake.

Instructions

Big Green Egg directions:
We used 1 C soaked hickory smoke chips but apple would work great too. Turkey absorbs the smoked flavor very well so don't over do it. When cooking with a BGE sometime before the holiday make sure your pan fits on top of your inverted plate setter. We used a disposable aluminum roasting pan. You'll need a space between the hot plate setter and the roasting pan. We used a small circle cake cooling rack to accomplish this. Put a 1/4 inch of water in the roasting pan and cook at 325 degrees for 6 1/2 -7 hours.

So, I realized that tomorrow is Christmas Eve!! WHAT??? I thought I had one more day… SO I guess I’m posting two recipes today! I want you all to see this delicious Rosemary Citrus Turkey recipe before your birds are prepped and ready to bake on Christmas Day.

Tomorrow, I’ll be posting a delicious cookie that’s fun to make with the kids and leave out for good ole Saint Nick on Christmas Eve!

I hope you’re all ready for Christmas… we finally got the last of our list on Saturday! Whew 🙂

Love,

Ruthie