Learn how to make the best-roasted turkey with wonderfully crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. This is an easy recipe that is as delicious as it is beautiful. It will be the star of your holiday dinner.
I have the most beautiful roast turkey recipe to share with you today. I’ve been making it for a long time, and it never fails to impress. It has crispy skin, juicy meat, and fantastic flavor. It also roasts, so it’s perfectly golden. Just the way it should be.
I’ve tried many, many recipes, and most come up a little short. Either they end up dry and flavorless or lack that crispy skin. Or the recipes are so complicated with so many steps it end up being a stressful experience, which is the last thing we need during the holidays.
You will not have any of these problems with my maple-glazed turkey. I’ve made this recipe for the past eight Thanksgivings. it’s so easy to pull off, and it’s stunning! It’s the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
This recipe has evolved since I first made it back in 2008 and it is incredibly delicious.
Easy Roasted Turkey
- This is a no-brine recipe. You can prepare everything the day of – it’s so simple.
- The secret is the easy maple glaze. It gives the meat tons of flavor and works magic on the skin. The sugars in the glaze create a crispy, delicious skin with a deep golden color.
- The meat is incredibly juicy and delicious. All of the flavors from the glaze seep in – you don’t need to worry about dry and bland meat with this recipe!
Remember when I said this recipe is a no-brine recipe? That’s because it’s already bought for you when you buy it! I love a Honeysuckle White® Turkey – the brine adds so much flavor, and the meat is always super juicy. But you can use any turkey that you wish.
Ingredients
- 14-pound turkey
- Lemons
- Mandarin oranges
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Pure maple syrup
- Ground paprika
- Salt
- White pepper
- Garlic powder
- Dried crushed thyme
- Dried rosemary
This recipe is so easy to prep it before it goes into the oven. My simple maple glaze takes minutes to make, giving it so much flavor and skin! Well, it’s so beautiful and crispy when it comes out of the oven.
How to Make the Maple Glaze
Combine the syrup, rosemary, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme in a bowl to make the glaze.
That’s it! So easy.
How to Roast Turkey
You will need to do a few things to get it ready for roasting:
- Remove the plastic and the netting. A bag of giblets will be inside the cavity – remove them and use them to make gravy or stock.
- Since this type of turkey is brined, you don’t need to rinse it. Instead, use paper towels to pat it dry. Removing the excess moisture from the skin will help it brown evenly.
- Put a baking rack in a roasting pan and place the turkey on top.
- I like to stuff mandarin oranges and lemons in the cavity. As the turkey cooks, the fruit will steam and infuse the meat with flavor.
I like to roast it at 325 degrees F. This keeps the skin from browning too fast and helps the meat cook more evenly.
Before you pop it in the oven, brush half of the syrup mixture all over the turkey. After 30 minutes of roasting, baste the turkey with the juices in the bottom of the pan and brush it with half of the syrup.
After one hour, baste it again and brush it with the rest of the maple glaze. Roast it until it’s golden brown, and the internal temperature is 170 degrees F.
Once it’s done, please remove it from the oven and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing it.
Just wait until you bring this beauty to your table. It will wow your family and friends! It’s so juicy and delicious – there’s a reason we make it every year! It’s the best turkey recipe.
FAQs
How long does a turkey need to cook at 325°F?
It will depend on the size of the turkey. A good rule of thumb is to cook it for 15 minutes for each pound. So, if you have a 10-pound one, it will take approximately two and a half hours.
Should I rinse it before roasting?
If you use a brined or pre-basted turkey, you should rinse it. Instead, pat it dry.
How do you know when it’s done?
It’s done when the internal temperature is 170 degrees. It would be best if you used a meat thermometer to check it. Don’t depend on the little pop-up indicator that comes with many turkeys.
How long does leftover turkey last?
Leftovers will be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator.
Now that you have a fantastic roast turkey recipe, don’t forget all the side dishes! Here are some of our favorites we love to make.
Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas
- Best Mashed Potatoes
- Italian Stuffing
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Cranberry Compote
I hope you try this wonderful maple-glazed turkey recipe this year for your holiday dinner – Thanksgiving or Christmas ’tis the season for turkey.
Pin this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Maple Glazed Turkey
Ingredients
- 14 pound turkey neck and giblets reserved for turkey giblet stock
- 4 mandarin oranges, halved optional
- 2 lemons, halved optional
- coarse sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Remove the plastic netting and wrap from the turkey roast, plus the neck and bag of giblets stuffed inside. NOTE: This turkey has already been brined, so once you get it out of the packaging just pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on a baking rack on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Cut oranges and lemons in half and stuff them inside the cavity of the turkey and set aside.
- Mix together the maple syrup, rosemary, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme, in a bowl, stirring to combine well. Brush 1/2 of the syrup mixture all over the turkey roast.
- 30 minutes into baking, baste the turkey with juices in the pan + 1/2 of the maple mixture remaining.
- 60 minutes into baking, baste the turkey with juices in the pan + 1/2 of the maple mixture remaining.
- Place the roast, skin side up, on a baking rack set in a roasting pan. Roast in the preheated oven, basting occasionally until the roast is golden brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast reads 170 degrees F (75 degrees C). Wrap the roast in foil, and let stand 10 minutes before removing the string netting for slicing.
Notes
usually I don’t like sweet stuff on my turkey, but this maple is just perfect – I’ll use the drippings to make an awesome gravy.
What is the butter for? When do you use it?
Sorry that was a typo, there is no butter used in the recipe!
You mentioned soft butter..I looked over and over and did not find anywhere you actually USED the butter lol
Sorry for the confusion! Butter is not used in the recipe and was added by accident.