Thanksgiving Day Turkey Choices Barbecue Roast Turkey

Let bottled barbecue sauce do some of the heavy lifting. It’ll contribute sweet, tangy flavor to the turkey as it roasts.

Start to Finish – 3 hours, 30 minutes
MAKES12-14 servings

Barbecue Roast Turkey Ingredients

1 (12-to 14-pound) turkey
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup bottled barbecue sauce,
divided, plus more for basting
1 cup apple cider or juice
2 apples, halved
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 head garlic, halved

Barbecue Roast Turkey Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
Remove organs and neck from turkey cavity; reserve for another use.
Place turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan.
Sprinkle with salt, including inside the cavity.
Gently loosen the skin over the breast, thighs and legs.
Spoon 1/3 cup of the barbecue sauce underneath the skin and inside the cavity.
Stuff cavity with apples, onion and garlic.
Tuck the wing tips beneath the bird and tie the legs.
Spread remaining barbecue sauce on skin.
Pour apple cider or juice into base of roasting pan.

Tent with foil and roast for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
Roast about 2 to 2. hours more (exact times will depend on weight of turkey), periodically turning the pan and basting the turkey with pan juices, until a probe thermometer inserted into the thigh (without touching bone) registers 165 F.
Remove foil for final 30 minutes of roasting to brown skin.
Remove from oven, let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Choices – Cider Brined Apple Butter Roast Turkey

Brining results in extra-plump, and a more flavorful bird.

Start to Finish – 3 hours, 30 minutes

MAKES 12-16 servings

Cider Brined Apple Butter Roast Turkey Cooking Ingredients

Cider-Brined Apple Butter Roast Turkey
For the Brine
2 quarts apple cider
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup maple syrup tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaves
1 quart cold water

For the Turkey
1 (12-to 14-pound) turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup apple butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 apples, halved
1 onion, peeled and halved

Cider Brined Apple Butter Roast Turkey Cooking Instructions

To prepare brine, in a large stockpot over high heat, bring cider to a boil.
Add in salt, maple syrup, peppercorns and bay leaves, stirring about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in cold water, and cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

Remove organs and neck from turkey cavity; reserve for another use.

Place turkey in a brining bag or a large bucket that will fit inside your refrigerator.

Pour cooled brine over turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning occasionally to make sure turkey is fully submerged.

Preheat oven to 425 F.To prepare the turkey, remove from brine (discard), rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Place turkey breast side up on a roasting rack set inside a
large roasting pan.

Gently loosen the skin over the breast, thighs and legs.

In a small bowl, combine butter, apple butter, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and spoon half of the butter mixture underneath the skin and inside the cavity.

Stuff cavity with apple and onion.

Tuck the wing tips beneath the bird and tie the legs.

Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F.

Roast about 2 hours more (exact time will depend on turkey weight), periodically turning the pan and basting turkey with pan juices.

With a rubber spatula, spread remaining butter mixture on skin and roast 30 minutes more, until a probe thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 F.

Tent with foil if the skin begins to become too dark during roasting/basting.

Remove the turkey from the oven, let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving,

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Choices – Cranberry-Glazed Roast Turkey

Maple syrup sweetens the comb111at1on of tangy cranberry and orange.

Start to Finish 3 hours, 30 minutes
Serves 12-16 servings

Cranberry-Glazed Roast Turkey Ingredients

For the Turkey
1 (12-to 14-pound) turkey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 onions, peeled and halved
1 orange, halved
1/2 cup chicken stock

For the Glaze
1 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup

Cranberry-Glazed Roast Turkey Cooking Instructions

Cranberry-Glazed Roast Turkey Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Remove organs and neck from turkey cavity; reserve for another use.
Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
Place turkey, breast-side up, on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, including inside the cavity. Stuff cavity with onion and orange.
Tuck the wing tips beneath the bird and tie the legs.
To prepare the glaze, place cranberry sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-second bursts to loosen.
Whisk together with orange juice and syrup.
Brush 1/3 of the glaze on skin.
Pour stock into base of roasting pan.

Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
Roast about 2 to 2. hours more (exact times will depend on weight of turkey), periodically turning the pan, basting the turkey with pan juices. and brushing with remaining glaze, until a probe thermometer inserted into the thigh (without touching bone) registers 165 F.

Tent with foil if the skin begins to become too dark during roasting/basting.

Remove from oven, let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Choices – Honey & Fall Spice-Brined Roast Turkey

Here, the brine is the key-it imparts wonderful holiday flavors of cloves, cinnamon and star anise to the bird.

Start to Finish 18 hours
MAKES 12-16 servings

Honey & Fall Spice-Brined Roast Turkey Ingredients

For the Brine
2 1/2 quarts water 1 cup kosher salt
1 cup honey
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 (3-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
5 whole cloves 4 star anise 2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
2 onions, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

For the Turkey
1 (10-to 12-pound) turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper

Honey & Fall Spice-Brined Roast Turkey Cooking Instructions

To prepare brine, in a large stockpot, bring water to a boil over
high heat.
Add all remaining brine ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the honey, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (about 3 hours).

Remove organs and neck from turkey cavity; reserve for another
use.
Place turkey in a brining bag or a large bucket that will fit inside your refrigerator.
Pour cooled brine over turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning occasionally to make sure turkey is fully submerged.

Preheat oven to 425 F.
To prepare the turkey, remove from brine (discard), rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Place turkey breast.side up on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan.
Tuck the wing tips beneath the bird and tie the legs.

Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
Brush turkey with melt butter and sprinkle with sea and pepper.
Roast about 2 hours more (exact time will depend on weight of turkey), periodically turning the pan ap turkey with melted butter and pan juices, until a probe thermometer inserted into the thigh (without touching bone) registers 165 F.
Tent with foil if the skin starts to become too dark during roasting/basting.

Remove from oven, and let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Choices – Maple-Chipotle Roast Turkey

Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce give this turkey a spicy, smoky kick

Start to Finish 3 hours, 30 minutes
Makes 12-14 servings

Maple-Chipotle Roast Turkey Ingredients
1 (12-to 14-pound) turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3 heads garlic, halved
1 cup lower-sodium chicken stock

Maple-Chipotle Roast Turkey Ingredients

For the Brine
2 1/2 quarts water 1 cup kosher salt
1 cup honey
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 (3-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
5 whole cloves 4 star anise 2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
2 onions, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

For the Turkey
1 (10-to 12-pound) turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper

Maple-Chipotle Roast Turkey Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
Remove organs and neck from turkey cavity; reserve for another use.
Place turkey, breast-side 1up, on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan.
Gently loosen the skin over the breast, thighs and legs.
In a small bowl, mix butt 1er-, chipotles and adobo, syrup, lime zest and juice, cumin, salt and pepper; spoon half of the mixture underneath the skin and inside the cavity. Stuff cavity with garlic.
Tuck the wing tips beneath the bird and tie the legs.
Spread remaining chipotle mixture on skin. Pour chicken stock into base of roasting pan.
Tent wjth foil and roast for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F.
Roast about 2 to 2. hours ,more (exact times will depend on weight of turkey), periodically turning the pan and basting the turkey with pan juices,
until a probe thermometer inserted into the thigh (without touching bone) registers 165 F. Remove foil for final 30 minutes of roasting to brown skin.
Remove from oven, let turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving.