Roasting a whole turkey can be a pretty major endeavor, but here’s a breakdown that takes you through the whole process step by step. A citrus brine and cranberries in the glaze add brightness to the turkey, with plenty of spices and a rich, savory stuffing to make the flavor intense.
The brine is optional, and the choice is really a decision between optimal flavor and optimal moistness. Using the brine will give you more tender meat but at a slight flavor cost (since you’re basically “diluting” the meat by adding more water to it). Not bringing it will keep the intensity of the turkey flavor but at extra risk of dryness.
The recipe uses sausage, cranberry, and apple stuffing from this recipe. You don’t need to cook the stuffing separately; just put it into the bird raw, and it’ll cook with the turkey. Alternatively, use any other stuffing recipe that you like.
Time management notes
- If you’re using the brine, the turkey in this recipe needs to start brought the day before the feast – at least 12 or up to 24 hours in advance.
- On the day of cooking, don’t forget to budget time to make the stuffing as well as do all the other turkey-related steps!
- It may help to chop all the vegetables the night before.
- Before cooking, get all the ingredients out and group them according to when you’ll need them.
It's a big cooking project, but planning your time can make it a lot more enjoyable and even fun.
Roasted Turkey With Maple Cranberry Glaze Recipe
SERVES: 10-12 PREP: 1 h + 12-24 h COOK: 3 h
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 lb. turkey
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 8 to 10 bacon slices
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 3 large stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 large onions, quartered
- 2 apples, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing (optional)
- 3 tbsp. tapioca starch
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Kitchen twine
Citrus Brine Ingredients
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 orange, cut into wedges
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cup salt
- Fresh thyme sprig
- Ground black pepper
- 1 ½ gallon cold water
Maple Cranberry Glaze Ingredients
- 12 oz. cranberries
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
(1 day in advance) Make the brine and brine the turkey.
- In a big saucepan or bucket, add the turkey, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste, and fill with water.
- Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
(Day of the feast, 4-5 hours before eating) Put the turkey, stuffing, and vegetables in the oven.
- Remove the turkey, carefully draining off the brine, and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place the carrots, celery, apple, onions, and cinnamon stick in a large roasting pan.
- If you're using the sausage cranberry stuffing, mix up the ingredients. There's no need to cook the stuffing; it will cook inside the turkey.
- Fill the turkey with the stuffing.
- Place the turkey on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan and season to taste.
- Tie up the turkey's legs with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the turkey.
- Place uncooked bacon slices all over the skin.
- Pour the chicken stock over and around the turkey in the roasting pan.
- Place in the oven and roast for about 3 hours, 15 to 20 minutes per pound, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes.
(Day of the feast, 1 hour before eating) Add the glaze to the turkey.
- While the turkey is cooking, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove the cinnamon stick, and star anise.
- During the last 30 minutes of baking, baste the turkey with the cranberry-maple glaze.
- 5-10 minutes before removing the turkey from the oven, turn the oven up to broil to really crisp the bacon.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, cover it with foil, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
- While the turkey is resting, strain the juice from the baking dish into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally.
- Mix the tapioca starch with water in a small bowl.
- Whisk in the tapioca starch into the sauce 1 tbsp. at a time until you reach desired consistency.
- Slice the turkey and serve with the gravy.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Turkey With Maple Cranberry Glaze Recipe
This savory Thanksgiving turkey has a pop of sweet-tart flavor from the cranberries and a bright citrus glaze.
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 lb. turkey
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 8 to 10 bacon slices
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 3 large stalks of celery chopped
- 2 large onions quartered
- 2 apples sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Sausage Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing (optional)
- 3 tbsp. tapioca starch
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Kitchen twine
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 1 orange cut into wedges
- 1 onion cut into wedges
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 cup salt
- Fresh thyme sprig
- Ground black pepper
- 1 ½ gallon cold water
- 12 oz. cranberries
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
(1 day in advance) Make the brine and brine the turkey.
- In a big saucepan or bucket, add the turkey, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste, and fill with water.12 to 15 lb. turkey, 2 large onions, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 5 cloves garlic, 4 bay leaves, Fresh thyme sprig, Ground black pepper, 1 ½ gallon cold water, 1 cup salt
- Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
(Day of the feast, 4-5 hours before eating) Put the turkey, stuffing, and vegetables in the oven.
- Remove the turkey, carefully draining off the brine, and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place the carrots, celery, apple, onions, and cinnamon stick in a large roasting pan.3 large carrots, 3 large stalks of celery, 2 apples, 1 onion, 2 cinnamon sticks
- If you’re using the sausage cranberry stuffing, mix up the ingredients. There’s no need to cook the stuffing; it will cook inside the turkey.Sausage, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup apple cider
- Fill the turkey with the stuffing.
- Place the turkey on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan and season to taste.
- Tie up the turkey’s legs with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the turkey.Kitchen twine
- Place uncooked bacon slices all over the skin.8 to 10 bacon slices
- Pour the chicken stock over and around the turkey in the roasting pan.8 cups chicken stock
- Place in the oven and roast for about 3 hours, 15 to 20 minutes per pound, basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes.
(Day of the feast, 1 hour before eating) Add the glaze to the turkey.
- While the turkey is cooking, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan over medium-high heat.12 oz. cranberries, 1 cup orange juice, 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove the cinnamon stick, and star anise.
- During the last 30 minutes of baking, baste the turkey with the cranberry-maple glaze.
- 5-10 minutes before removing the turkey from the oven, turn the oven up to broil to really crisp the bacon.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, cover it with foil, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
- While the turkey is resting, strain the juice from the baking dish into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally.
- Mix the tapioca starch with water in a small bowl.3 tbsp. tapioca starch
- Whisk in the tapioca starch into the sauce 1 tbsp. at a time until you reach desired consistency.
- Slice the turkey and serve with the gravy.
Nutrition
Calories: 5171kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 9gFat: 553gSaturated Fat: 163gPolyunsaturated Fat: 127gMonounsaturated Fat: 238gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 573mgSodium: 11770mgPotassium: 615mgFiber: 4gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 3242IUVitamin C: 57mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
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