Orange-Maple Roast Turkey
This orange-maple roast turkey is a sweet, savory take on the classic Thanksgiving turkey. It is my new go-to for the holidays.
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Servings: 10
Calories: 660kcal
Ingredients
- 12 to 13 pound whole turkey (completely thawed; neck and giblets reserved for gravy)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (per pound of meat)
- ½ teaspoon maple sugar (per pound of meat; or use light brown sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (per pound of meat)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 sprigs sage
Orange-maple glaze:
- 8 clementines (juiced, ½ cup juice; or use store-bought orange juice)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 to 4 star anise pods (see Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
Instructions
Prepare the turkey:
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Combine the salt, maple sugar, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Place a rack inside a deep roasting pan. Use your hands to cover the turkey with the spice mixture. Rub the spices inside the cavity and over the entire exterior of the bird to ensure the skin is completely coated with the spice mixture.
- Place the turkey on top of the rack and transfer to the refrigerator uncovered for at least 12 but no more than 72 hours. See Note 2.
Roast the turkey:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. I recommend lifting the entire rack out of the roasting pan and wiping out any excess spices or liquid from the bottom of the rack. Line it with foil and return the turkey and the rack to the roasting pan.
- Brush the turkey with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and place the thyme, sage, and rosemary inside the cavity.
- Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes per pound of meat. Rotate the pan once midway through cooking for even browning.
Prepare the glaze:
- During the last 45 minutes of the turkey roasting, prepare the glaze. Combine the clementine juice, maple syrup, star anise pods, Dijon mustard, and whole-grain mustard in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer rapidly until it reduces by half. Turn off the heat.
Glaze the turkey:
- During the last 20 minutes of roasting, remove the turkey from the oven. See Note 3. Brush the glaze over it. Return it to the oven until it reaches 165ºF.
Rest the turkey:
- Remove the turkey from the oven and tent with foil. Rest for 30 minutes before carving.
To serve:
- Carve the turkey and serve with your favorite sides and gravy prepared from the neck if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: If you’re unsure about star anise, start with 1 to 2 pods. Alternatively, you can omit them if you’re not a fan of the flavor.
Note 2: If you are concerned about having an uncovered raw bird in your refrigerator, you can loosely cover it with plastic wrap but leave some gaps where air can get in. The goal is to remove as much moisture from the skin as possible.
Note 3: If you want to use the drippings for gravy, I recommend draining them out of the roasting pan before adding the glaze. The glaze will create a very sweet gravy. Carefully transfer the turkey to a cutting board or platter, drain the drippings into a heat-proof bowl, and return the turkey to the pan before glazing it.
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 123g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 887mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin C: 4mg
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