Cooking Organic Turkey
This Cooking Organic Turkey recipe delivers the perfect balance of flavor and tenderness, creating a juicy, delicious centerpiece for any Thanksgiving feast. The buttery skin is out of this world! This moist, roasted turkey recipe works for both organic and non-organic turkeys!
Here’s how cooking an Organic Turkey, a beautiful, mouthwatering roasted turkey recipe, is sure to be a hit with family and friends around the table this year! We’ve made this recipe many times, and it’s so simple (with simple ingredients). With fresh herbs and a buttery basting, this recipe brings out the turkey’s full flavor, leaving the skin golden and crisp.
Cooking Organic Turkey
What is an organic turkey? Organic turkeys are raised on organic feed, with no antibiotics or synthetic hormones, which adds to their natural, rich taste.
Our kids roasted their first ever turkey this week and followed this recipe to a “T.” They all said it was the moistest, best turkey they’ve ever had (Friendsgiving party of 15).
Read more: Cooking Organic Turkey
Also note, if you don’t want to include the butter at the end, you can omit and continue to baste with the juices at the bottom of the pan. But you will not get the buttery, crisp and golden skin on top. The meat will still be moist and tasty!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s easy, just follow along with the steps below for the most delicious moist bird.
- I love to cook an organic bird, and then have plenty of leftovers.
- The recipe turns out perfect every time!
Gather these ingredients
- Whole organic turkey – [12-15 pounds] – make sure it’s thawed if frozen
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper – ground
- Sugar
- Thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley, or a combination of all
- Unsalted butter
- Chicken, vegetable, or turkey broth
- Baby oranges (tangerines or clementines)
Steps to Cooking Organic Turkey
Prepare the turkey for roasting:
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before roasting – make sure it is completely thawed. Remove any packaging, plastic, pop-up thermometer, neck, and the bag of giblets if present (check in the body and neck cavities). I usually rinse and then pat dry the inside and outside of the turkey with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, remove any racks above it, so the roasting pan fits in the oven.
Prepare the dry rub:
- Add the herbs, Kosher salt, pepper, and sugar to a small bowl and mix together.
- Set the turkey in a roasting pan breast side up on the roasting rack. Pull back the skin of the breast and the neck area and fill with the dry rub. Rub it everywhere with your hands, pushing it under the skin and inside and outside the cavity.
- Fill the cavity with the small orange halves.
- Salt the bird heavily with Kosher salt on all sides. Make sure the bird is breast side up and ready for roasting! TIP FOR BROWNING: We recommend leaving the bird un-trussed and unstuffed because the bird will cook more evenly and it’s just easier to handle. Also, toward the end of roasting time, if the bird gets too brown, lay a sheet of foil lightly over the bird. We do not recommend flipping the bird.
- Add the broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
Roast the turkey:
- Place the turkey in the oven and turn down the heat to 350 degrees F. Roast the turkey for 13 minutes per pound. Start checking the temp a little earlier though to gauge how fast it’s cooking. You do not want to overcook the bird. CHECK THE TEMP: Halfway through baking, you can check the temp of the bird in the breast, inside thigh, and outer thigh. The meat should be 165 degrees F when the turkey is finished cooking. NOTE: We used a 14.72 pound turkey with this recipe and cooked it for 3 hours and 25 minutes.
Basting the bird:
- Baste the bird every 45 minutes with the broth at the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a baster, use a spoon. To make it easier you can remove the whole bird from the oven to do this, then quickly put it back in the oven. For the last 45 minutes of cooking time, it’s optional to melt more butter and baste the bird to get a nice crisp, golden brown skin.
Resting and carving:
- Remove the turkey from the oven when it’s done and tilt the rack a bit so any juices run out of the turkey into the pan. You will want to save these juices to make gravy (optional).
- Transfer the turkey from the rack to a cutting board and cover loosely with a piece of foil. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving. First remove the wings, then remove the legs, then the breast meat. Once you have the meat off, you can cut the legs into thighs and drumsticks and cut the breast meat into individual slices.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- Organic turkeys eat an organic diet free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and GMO’s, leading to healthier, higher-quality meat.
- This recipe works for both organic and non-organic bird.
- You can find an organic bird by visiting local health food stores, farmer’s markets, specialty butchers and even local grocery stores, just make sure to look for the USDA Organic label on the packaging which certifies that the bird meets organic standards.
- If buying a frozen bird, a 20 pound bird will need to defrost in the fridge 4-5 days before cooking.
- Always defrost the turkey in the fridge (never on the counter).
- BASTING WITH BUTTER: This step is optional if you don’t want to use butter, but you won’t quite get the golden skin that you see in the picture.
- Put all turkey meat in the fridge after 2 hours of cooking! Don’t let it sit out for hours on the counter while you are enjoying your feast!
Serving suggestions
Last year we used this recipe several times and it was amazing. The leftovers are so good in a pot pie, for sliders, and an epic sandwich board. You can also make Turkey Tetrazzini which is a great comfort dish that everyone loves.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Place all turkey meat in the fridge after 2 hours of cooking! Don’t let it sit out for hours on the counter while you are enjoying your feast!
Check out these side dishes to serve alongside your Thanksgiving Turkey
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Green Beans
- Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Dates
- Waldorf Salad
- Pumpkin Pie Squares
- Classic Cranberry Sauce
Get the Recipe:
Cooking Organic Turkey
Discover why Cooking Organic Turkey means healthier, flavorful meat, with fresh herbs and basting, for a delicious buttery golden crisp skin.Makes 1 whole turkey. Roast 13 minutes per pound.If you are hosting 12 guests, plan on a 15-pound bird. Usual serving is 1.25 pound per guest.
Ingredients
DRY RUB:
- 4-6 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar
THE ORGANIC WHOLE TURKEY:
- 1 (12- to-15-pound) whole organic turkey, make sure it’s thawed if frozen
- 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable or turkey
- Clementines, or tangerines, cut in half (or whole oranges, quartered)
- 1 cup fresh herbs, thyme, rosemary, or sage, oregano, or a combination of all, plus 1 cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup unsalted butter, for basting last 45 minutes
Equipment
- 1 Roasting pan
- 1 Turkey baster
Instructions
Prepare the turkey for roasting:
- Thirty minutes to an hour before roasting, take the turkey out of the refrigerator. Make sure it is completely thawed. Remove any packaging, plastic, pop-up thermometer, neck, and the bag of giblets if present (check in the body and neck cavities). I usually rinse and then pat dry the inside and outside of the turkey with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, remove any racks above it, so the roasting pan fits in the oven.
- Prepare the dry rub: In a small bowl add the herbs, Kosher salt, pepper, and sugar and mix together.
- Set the turkey in a roasting pan breast side up on the roasting rack. Pull back the skin of the breast and the neck area and fill with the dry rub. Just rub it everywhere with your hands, pushing it under the skin and inside and outside the cavity.
- Fill the cavity with the small orange halves.
- Salt the bird very lightly with a sprinkle of Kosher salt on all sides. Make sure the bird is breast side up and ready for roasting! TIP FOR BROWNING: We recommend leaving the bird un-trussed and unstuffed because the bird will cook more evenly and it’s just easier to handle. Also toward the end of roasting time, if the bird gets too brown, lay a sheet of foil lightly over the bird. We do not recommend flipping the bird.
- Add the broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
Roast the turkey:
- Place the turkey in the oven and turn down the heat 350°F. Roast the turkey 13 minutes per pound.
- Start checking the temp a little earlier though to gauge how fast it’s cooking. You do not want to overcook the bird. CHECK THE TEMP: Halfway through baking, you can check the temp of the bird in the breast, inside thigh, and outer thigh. The meat should be 165 degrees when the turkey is finished cooking.
Basting the bird:
- Bast the bird every 45 minutes with the broth at the bottom of the pan. If you don’t have a baster, use a spoon. To make it easier you can remove the whole bird from the oven to do this, then quickly put it back in the oven. TIP: I set the timer on my phone.
- The last 45 minutes of cooking time, melt the ½ cup of butter (1 cube) and baste the bird to get a nice crisp, golden brown skin. (This can be optional if you don't want to baste with butter.)
Resting and carving:
- When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and tilt the rack a bit so any juices run out of the turkey into the pan. You will want to save these juices to make gravy (optional).
- Transfer the turkey from the rack to a cutting board and cover loosely with a piece of foil. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- First remove the wings, then remove the legs, then the breast meat. Once you have the meat off, you can cut the legs into thighs and drumsticks and cut the breast meat into individual slices. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
TIP: Put all turkey meat in the fridge after 2 hours of cooking!!
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Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I followed your recipe exactly and I have to say it turned out to be one of the most delicious turkeys I’ve ever prepared! My guests were all raving about how tender and moist it was! Super easy recipe to follow. This will be my go to turkey recipe from now on. Thank you!