1stickunsalted butter,softened and cut into 6 pieces
2chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,chopped
1sprigfresh rosemary leaves,chopped
1tablespoonkosher salt
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1/4teaspoondried oregano
1orange,zest and juice divided
zest of 1 lime
2clovesgarlic,minced
For the stuffing
1onion,halved
1sprigfresh rosemary
1orange,quartered
Tools needed
kitchen twine
large roasting pan
meat thermometer
aluminum foil
Instructions
Prepare the seasoning
Add softened butter, chipotle peppers, chopped rosemary leaves, salt, black pepper, oregano, orange zest, lime zest, and minced garlic in a food processor. Pulse until mixture comes together and resembles a paste.
Prepare the turkey
Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove thawed turkey from the packaging and take out the turkey neck and bag of giblets stuffed inside. Discard or keep to use in a different recipe.
Pat turkey dry with a handful of paper towels or a large kitchen towel until completely dry. Place turkey on a baking sheet and set aside.
Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the juice of the zested orange, the juiced orange quarters and 2 cups of turkey stock.
Fill the turkey cavity with the onion halves, the sprig of rosemary and the orange quarters. Tie the turkey legs together with kitchen twine to help the turkey cook evenly and for a beautiful presentation.
Carefully push your fingers under the skin of the turkey breast all the way to the back of the turkey to help separate the skin. Be careful not to tear the skin.
Spread half of the compound butter under the skin and the remaining half all over the outside of the turkey. Secure the edges of the skin with some toothpicks so it doesn’t ride up completely while the bird is roasting.
Roast the turkey
Place turkey breast side up in the roasting pan and insert an in-oven meat thermometer deep inside the breast of the bird. Make sure it’s not touching a bone. Set the in-oven meat thermometer temperature to 165°F. Place the turkey in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes to crisp the skin.
Remove turkey from oven, lower the heat to 350°F, loosely cover the breast with a tent of aluminum foil and return to the oven.
Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the temperature of the meat reaches 165°F.
Carefully remove from oven and check the temperature of the bird in different places to make sure everything is at least 165°F. If there are spots that are under, leave the thermometer in that spot and return it to the oven to roast until it reaches 165°F.
Carefully transfer the turkey to large cutting board and rest for 30 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
Learn how to carve a turkey here.Don’t let all the seasonings and juicy pan drippings from your turkey go to waste – click here to learn how to make turkey gravy from the pan drippings.