Organic Turkey
Organic turkey 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 too!
This is our tried-and-true Organic Turkey recipe that we’ve made every Thanksgiving for years, and now our kids are making it, too! It’s EASY, beginner-friendly, and turns out beautifully juicy with golden, crispy skin every time. No brining or roasting bags needed! Just a simple herb dry rub, fresh citrus, and herbs for incredible flavor. And the best part? You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving! This delicious turkey is perfect for family gatherings and special dinners any time of year.
What is an organic turkey?
Simply put, organic turkeys are raised on organic feed, with no antibiotics or synthetic hormones, which adds to their natural, rich taste. 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.
For this recipe, I’ve used a salty-sweet herb dry rub and filled the cavity of a whole turkey with a mix of citrus and fresh herbs. Think of it as the traditional holiday turkey made ultra simple: perfect for those who have never roasted turkey before. One of my lovely readers has even mentioned that their guests “were all raving about how tender and moist it was!”.
Why you’ll love this Thanksgiving organic turkey
- It’s incredibly easy, just follow along with the steps below for the most delicious and moist bird.
- I love to cook an organic bird and then have plenty of leftovers for making a pot pie, for sliders, an epic sandwich board, or a Turkey Tetrazzini.
- Fail-proof results. The recipe turns out perfect every time!
- It’s great for Thanksgiving or any big gathering. A 15-pound bird feeds a crowd, and the pan juices are ready for homemade gravy.
Ingredients needed
For the Dry Rub
- Kosher salt: Seasons the meat deeply and helps the skin crisp up. Rub it under the skin as well as on the outside.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Adds a warm, gentle bite that balances the salt.
- Sugar: Just a touch helps the skin brown beautifully and rounds out the savory flavors.
- Fresh herbs: Chopped herbs go right into the rub. Use the same herbs you plan to tuck into the cavity for flavor continuity.
For the Organic Whole Turkey
- Whole organic turkey: A 12-15 pound bird serves a crowd. Make sure it is completely thawed before roasting.
- Chicken broth: Goes into the bottom of the pan to keep the turkey moist and gives you flavorful drippings for basting and gravy. Vegetable or turkey broth works too.
- Clementines or tangerines (baby oranges): Halved and tucked into the cavity, they add a bright, fragrant citrus aroma. Whole oranges, quartered, also work.
- Fresh herbs: Thyme, rosemary, sage, or oregano (or a combination), plus fresh parsley, to stuff into the cavity with the citrus.
- Unsalted butter: Melted and brushed over the bird during the last 45 minutes for crisp, golden skin.
PRO TIP: 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!
How do you make organic turkey for Thanksgiving?
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!
- Add the broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
PRO TIP: I recommend leaving the bird un-trussed and unstuffed because the bird will cook more evenly and it’s just easier to handle.
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!
- 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: I used a 14.72-pound turkey with this recipe and cooked it for 3 hours and 25 minutes.
PRO TIP: Toward the end of roasting time, if the bird gets too brown, lay a sheet of foil lightly over the bird. I do not recommend flipping the bird.
Baste 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.
- Optional: For the last 45 minutes of cooking time, melt more butter and baste the bird to get a nice crisp, golden brown skin.
Rest and carve:
- 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.
- Once rested, remove the wings first, then 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!
Serving
Serve this organic roast turkey as the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving or holiday table, or for any big Sunday dinner.
Use the saved pan juices to make a simple gravy, and round out the meal with pumpkin mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, cheesy green beans, cranberry sauce, and warm dinner rolls.
Leftovers make fantastic turkey sandwiches, turkey lasagna soup, and casseroles the next day!
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- 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!
- Defrosting: 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). A frozen or partially frozen bird will cook unevenly which is why it must thaw fully.
- Baste with a timer: Set a timer on your phone to remember to baste every 45 minutes. A spoon works if you don’t have a baster.
- Save the drippings: Tilt the rack when you remove the turkey so the juices run into the pan, then use them for gravy.
- Let it rest: Resting for 30 minutes keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the cutting board.
Variations:
- Citrus swap: Use whole oranges, quartered, in place of clementines or tangerines, or add a halved lemon.
- Herb choices: Use thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, or any combination in the rub and the cavity.
- Broth options: Chicken, vegetable, or turkey broth all work in the bottom of the pan.
- Skip the butter: The final butter baste is optional if you’d rather leave it out.
- Adjust the size: Roast time is 13 minutes per pound at 350°F, so you can scale the recipe up or down for a different size turkey.
- Non-organic turkey: The cooking steps in this recipe are applicable to organic and non-organic whole turkey.
If you’re looking for more turkey-favorites for your Thanksgiving table this year, check out my Orange Spiced Spatchcocked Turkey, Cranberry Pear Turkey Crescent Braid, and Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meat Loaf. All of these are sure to impress your guests!
Thanksgiving sides you may want to try:
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Dates
- Waldorf Brussels Sprout Salad
- Carrot Souffle
Get the Recipe:
Organic Turkey Recipe
Ingredients
DRY RUB:
- 4-6 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp sugar
- herbs if you prefer (or you can use them for the stuffing the bird with citrus), chopped
THE ORGANIC WHOLE TURKEY:
- 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
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 & more fresh herbs. You can stuff a bundle in with the organges.
- 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
Sandy’s tips:
- 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!
- Defrosting: 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). A frozen or partially frozen bird will cook unevenly which is why it must thaw fully.
- Baste with a timer: Set a timer on your phone to remember to baste every 45 minutes. A spoon works if you don’t have a baster.
- Save the drippings: Tilt the rack when you remove the turkey so the juices run into the pan, then use them for gravy.
- Let it rest: Resting for 30 minutes keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the cutting board.
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!