Butterflied Roast Turkey with Easy Orange Spice Rub: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to roasting a turkey, many people opt for traditional methods that can result in long cooking times and less-than-desirable texture. However, with the right techniques and ingredients, you can achieve a deliciously moist and flavorful roast turkey that's sure to impress your guests. In this article, we'll explore the process of butterflying a turkey, brining it to perfection, and seasoning it with a simple yet effective orange spice rub.

The Importance of Brining

One of the key steps in achieving a perfectly cooked roast turkey is brining. Brining involves soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution before roasting, which helps to tenderize the meat, add flavor, and retain moisture. To start, fill a large pot with water and add 1-2 cups of kosher salt, 1/4 cup of black peppercorns, and 1/4 cup of fresh thyme leaves. Stir until the salt and peppercorns are dissolved, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and carefully place the turkey into the brine.

The Brining Process

Once the turkey is submerged in the brine, allow it to cook for 24-48 hours. This will give the meat time to absorb all the flavors and become incredibly tender. Every few hours, remove the turkey from the brine and gently pat it dry with paper towels to prevent excess moisture from accumulating on the surface.

Preparing the Orange Spice Rub

While the turkey is brining, you can start preparing the orange spice rub that will add a burst of citrus flavor to your roast. To make the rub, combine 2 tablespoons of chili powder (you can use ancho or regular), 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.

Applying the Rub

Once the turkey has finished brining, remove it from the pot and pat it dry with paper towels to prevent excess moisture from accumulating on the surface. Next, rub the orange spice mixture all over the turkey, making sure to get some under the skin as well. Use a generous amount of butter cubes – about 1/2 cup should do the trick – and apply them evenly across the breast and thighs.

Oven Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). While the turkey is still wet from the brine, place it in a roasting pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Add some chopped onion and carrot sticks around the turkey for added flavor, then sprinkle some chopped fresh herbs like parsley or thyme on top.

Roasting the Turkey

With the turkey in place, carefully place the roasting pan into the preheated oven. Set the timer according to your desired level of doneness – a good rule of thumb is to cook the turkey for about 20 minutes per pound. When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before carving.

The Magic of Carrying the Temperature

Now comes the clever part: carrying the temperature down to 350°F (175°C) after a few hours into the cooking process. This technique helps to prevent overcooking and ensures that the turkey cooks evenly throughout. To do this, simply turn off your oven's broiler or reduce its temperature to 350°F (175°C). This way, you can let the turkey rest for about an hour or two before carving.

Final Touches

When it's time to serve, carve the turkey and place it on a platter or individual plates. Add some finishing touches like fresh herbs, sliced citrus fruits, or roasted vegetables to create a visually stunning dish that will impress your friends and family.

The Finishing Touches: Orange Glaze

Finally, there's no need to get too carried away with the presentation; all you need is a drizzle of honey-orange glaze to tie everything together. To make this easy-to-make glaze, simply combine 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice in a small bowl. Brush this mixture across the turkey's surface just before serving – it will add an extra layer of flavor and visual appeal to your dish.

A Recipe for Success

By following these simple steps, you'll be able to achieve a deliciously moist and flavorful roast turkey that's sure to become a family favorite. Remember to brine your turkey first, apply the orange spice rub generously, and adjust your oven temperature accordingly.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enbutterflied roast turkey with easy orange spice rub oh so this is our turkey it's a 10 to 14 pounder this is really a perfect size for butterflying which is basically just taking out that breast bone and then splaying it I like to kind of also leave some of the breasts in there when you take the backbone out because it provides some flavor I said breastbone I mean the backbone um so the way I brine this is I get into a big old pot of water some salt whole black peppercorn some thyme sage and a whole orange just in half and then I bring it up to Temp so everything dissolves drop the turkey in there let it sit for 24 to 48 hours and then you're gonna take it out Pat it dry leave it in the refrigerator so the skin can get dry butter cubes they're cold you're just going to get underneath the skin as many places as possible and get those butter cubes in there I like to use salted butter because obviously it's already got the flavor and I'm going to work on the very simple orange spice rub so the first thing I'm going to add to it is a little bit of chili powder you can do ancho chili powder just you know run of the mill a little bit of hot Hungarian peppery so that goes in and then some cumin and then from an orange I just took the zest and then a nice heavy helping of salt remember this is a 10 to 14 pounder and that salt really also helps bring the moisture out of the skin and give us some crispiness all right and then just mix it up now when you make this rub I'm going to reserve a little bit here that's going to go into our glaze and flavor up the glaze but the rest of it it's ready to go for you how you doing with the butter we're doing good I'm I'm just my distribution is pretty darn good I like to keep it more on the apex of the breast so it's going to melt down rather than wasting it since you're going to drop out then so I really like to get it all up in the business I agree so then I'm just gonna soak you up with some olive oil and then if you don't mind rubbing it I'm gonna put it over here and then just rub like this Jeff come on go crazy really quick for the glaze which is going to happen about 30 minutes after we get this bird into the oven and I've got the oven preheated at 400 degrees and I'm going to drop it down to 350 as soon as we put the turkey into it but this is a three ingredient glaze this is honey orange juice and then the other ingredient would be the spice rub here that we just made to get it into the uh roasting tray okay then carbon and throw some water beneath it okay 400 Degrees okay and then Jeff if you don't mind turning it down to 350 for me I love how you change the temp on the oven for about 30 minutes and then I'm gonna go in and start just kind of brushing it with this glaze and then obviously it's going to cook until it comes to about I'd say 155 ish and then it will get tinted and go up to 165 at that carryover cooking when we tint it and because it's butterflied only going to take about an hour to two hours which is a lot faster if we had the whole bird in there we are red tape oh man oh man oh man holy smokes oh this now you're talking in hello look at that I got the uh bones off of the one breast over there and then I'm just sometimes I just get in there with my hands yeah you know like you don't really have to like get a knife engaged and then just pull that bone back out of there that's the best part about butterflying is you get all of the skin and then you still get the carcass so you can come through and pick at it later I make soup out of this or you can make turkey sandwich salad with some green beans that you might have left over in that crisper I'm gonna take this to the table Yeah you gotta taste that nicely look at how tender this is I mean it really cuts down your cooking time when you butterfly take that backbone out flatten it 400 Degrees put in the oven pot it down to 350. 30 minutes then start hitting it with that glaze an hour or so later and you're done but that orange is so subtle I love itbutterflied roast turkey with easy orange spice rub oh so this is our turkey it's a 10 to 14 pounder this is really a perfect size for butterflying which is basically just taking out that breast bone and then splaying it I like to kind of also leave some of the breasts in there when you take the backbone out because it provides some flavor I said breastbone I mean the backbone um so the way I brine this is I get into a big old pot of water some salt whole black peppercorn some thyme sage and a whole orange just in half and then I bring it up to Temp so everything dissolves drop the turkey in there let it sit for 24 to 48 hours and then you're gonna take it out Pat it dry leave it in the refrigerator so the skin can get dry butter cubes they're cold you're just going to get underneath the skin as many places as possible and get those butter cubes in there I like to use salted butter because obviously it's already got the flavor and I'm going to work on the very simple orange spice rub so the first thing I'm going to add to it is a little bit of chili powder you can do ancho chili powder just you know run of the mill a little bit of hot Hungarian peppery so that goes in and then some cumin and then from an orange I just took the zest and then a nice heavy helping of salt remember this is a 10 to 14 pounder and that salt really also helps bring the moisture out of the skin and give us some crispiness all right and then just mix it up now when you make this rub I'm going to reserve a little bit here that's going to go into our glaze and flavor up the glaze but the rest of it it's ready to go for you how you doing with the butter we're doing good I'm I'm just my distribution is pretty darn good I like to keep it more on the apex of the breast so it's going to melt down rather than wasting it since you're going to drop out then so I really like to get it all up in the business I agree so then I'm just gonna soak you up with some olive oil and then if you don't mind rubbing it I'm gonna put it over here and then just rub like this Jeff come on go crazy really quick for the glaze which is going to happen about 30 minutes after we get this bird into the oven and I've got the oven preheated at 400 degrees and I'm going to drop it down to 350 as soon as we put the turkey into it but this is a three ingredient glaze this is honey orange juice and then the other ingredient would be the spice rub here that we just made to get it into the uh roasting tray okay then carbon and throw some water beneath it okay 400 Degrees okay and then Jeff if you don't mind turning it down to 350 for me I love how you change the temp on the oven for about 30 minutes and then I'm gonna go in and start just kind of brushing it with this glaze and then obviously it's going to cook until it comes to about I'd say 155 ish and then it will get tinted and go up to 165 at that carryover cooking when we tint it and because it's butterflied only going to take about an hour to two hours which is a lot faster if we had the whole bird in there we are red tape oh man oh man oh man holy smokes oh this now you're talking in hello look at that I got the uh bones off of the one breast over there and then I'm just sometimes I just get in there with my hands yeah you know like you don't really have to like get a knife engaged and then just pull that bone back out of there that's the best part about butterflying is you get all of the skin and then you still get the carcass so you can come through and pick at it later I make soup out of this or you can make turkey sandwich salad with some green beans that you might have left over in that crisper I'm gonna take this to the table Yeah you gotta taste that nicely look at how tender this is I mean it really cuts down your cooking time when you butterfly take that backbone out flatten it 400 Degrees put in the oven pot it down to 350. 30 minutes then start hitting it with that glaze an hour or so later and you're done but that orange is so subtle I love it\n"