Printable Recipe: Simple Roast Turkey Recipe with Maple-Orange Glaze

Simple Roast Turkey Recipe with Maple-Orange Glaze

Sometimes even the tastiest turkeys don't get that shining golden color you want from a perfect turkey. Do you know how to roast a turkey that looks perfectly browned and tastes divine? Use a turkey glaze recipe. The glaze on this wonderful roast turkey recipe is sweet, savory, and oh so good. Plus, it makes an incredible presentation.

You can also make this recipe partially ahead of time. Simply make the glaze up to 48 hours in advance, and use it when ready.

Ingredients:

For turkey:
1 turkey (about 18 pounds)
1 navel orange, halved
Paprika, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 C. butter, softened
2 C. chicken broth

For glaze:
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tbsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 C. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 C. molasses
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. real maple syrup
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. orange zest
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. For the glaze, heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Add orange juice, molasses, tomato paste, maple syrup, honey, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer glaze 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

4. Remove from heat. With an immersion blender, blend sauce slightly to smooth it out. Let cool, then cover and chill until needed.

5. To prepare the turkey, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Rinse turkey inside and out and dry with paper towels. Squeeze the juice of the orange inside the cavity of the turkey, then sprinkle cavity with paprika, salt, and pepper. If desired, stuff turkey with your favorite stuffing recipe. Otherwise, place your used orange halves in the cavity of the turkey.

6. Rub butter all over outside of turkey. Sprinkle outside of turkey with additional paprika, salt, and pepper.

7. Place turkey in a roasting pan (use a rack). Pour chicken broth into the bottom of roasting pan.

8. Oil two sheets of foil to prevent sticking, and cover turkey tightly.

9. Roast turkey 90 minutes. Uncover turkey, return to the oven, and roast turkey another 2 hours and 30 minutes. Baste turkey every 20-30 minutes with juices from the bottom of the pan.

10. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast turkey 45 minutes at this temperature.

11. Brush entire turkey with your maple orange glaze. Return to the oven and cook about 30 minutes more. When a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 degrees F., your turkey is done.

12. Transfer turkey to a carving board. Tent with foil and allow to rest about 30 minutes.

13. Remove stuffing to a serving bowl. Carve turkey and serve.

14. If desired, make the gravy of your choice from the pan drippings. THen watch your guests drool at the site of this wonderful glazed roast turkey recipe.

Note: If not stuffing the bird, overall cook time will be lower. Check here for turkey cooking times.