Roasted Turkey with Smoked Paprika

This oven-roasted turkey with smoked paprika brings bold, smoky flavors without needing a smoker. Stuffed with fresh herbs, citrus, and root vegetables, plus the smoked paprika rub, all combine to create amazing flavor. A delicious and moist Thanksgiving turkey without a lot of fuss.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Recipe Type Served Hot, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Skill Level Easy

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3 30

Rest Time 20

Total Time 4 20

Servings

Calories 696kcal

Author Angela G.

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry Rub

17 lb whole turkey thawed
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 ½ tablespoon Italian seasonings
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard

Aromatics

2 stalks celery cut into 2" pieces
1 orange quartered
1 yellow onion quartered
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme, and/or sage use any combination you'd like

For Basting

2 cups chicken broth

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Remove upper racks.
Prep the turkey. Remove giblets and pat the turkey dry with paper towels, inside and out.
Make and add the rub. In a small bowl, mix the seasonings; smoked paprika, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, salt, and pepper.
Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the turkey, including under the skin and inside the cavity and rub it.
Add aromatics. Place orange slices, onion, celery, and fresh herbs inside the turkey’s cavity.
Tie the legs. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey to ensure even roasting.
Prep roasting pan. Place the turkey in the roasting pan. Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the turkey moist.
Roast the turkey. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil or the roast pan lid.
After one hour, start basting the turkey with drippings from the pan every 30 minutes.
Roast for approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF in the thickest part of the thigh.
Let rest. Once the turkey reaches the correct internal temperature, remove it from the oven and let it rest loosely covered in foil for 20-30 minutes before carving. Don't skip this step! Resting is key to a moist turkey.

Notes

Be sure to leave enough time for the turkey to rest before you cut into it. This is key to letting the juices redistribute making your turkey perfectly moist.
You might be surprised to learn that 20-30 minutes is ideal for a large turkey to rest. Larger than 17lbs and you should definitely give it 30 minutes, possibly longer! So, be sure to build this into your cook time.

Nutrition