There are certain recipes that become part of Thanksgiving without you really realizing it. You make them one year, everyone loves them, and before long the family expects to see them on the table.
That’s how this Maple Orange Glazed Turkey became one of ours.
I’ve made this turkey for many Thanksgivings, and my kids love it. The maple and orange give the turkey a slightly sweet, fresh flavor without making it taste overly sweet. It still tastes like the Thanksgiving turkey everyone expects, just with a little something extra.
One of the things I especially love about it is how well it goes with everything else we serve. Our Thanksgiving table usually includes mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, corn, stuffing, homemade rolls, glazed carrots, and Dessert Jello.
There’s a lot happening on that plate, which is exactly how I like Thanksgiving dinner!
The maple and orange make the turkey special enough for a holiday, while the sage and thyme keep those traditional savory flavors that taste so good alongside all of our favorite Thanksgiving sides.
And while this Maple Orange Glazed Turkey will probably always remind me of Thanksgiving, there’s really no reason to make it only once a year. It would be just as good for Christmas, Easter, Sunday dinner, or any time you want to make a turkey for your family.
Why Our Family Loves This Maple Orange Glazed Turkey
What I like most about this turkey is the balance between sweet and savory.
Pure maple syrup gives the glaze a subtle sweetness, while fresh orange juice and orange zest brighten everything up. Fresh thyme and sage bring in those savory flavors that make the whole kitchen smell like a holiday dinner is on its way.
I also put an herb butter underneath the turkey skin. It takes a few extra minutes, but I think it’s worth doing because it gets the butter and herbs right next to the meat instead of leaving all of that flavor on the outside.
Then there’s the glaze.
As the turkey roasts, I brush it with a simple combination of maple syrup, fresh orange juice, orange zest, and butter. It adds another layer of flavor and helps give the outside of the turkey a beautiful finish.
The result is a Maple Orange Glazed Turkey that feels special enough to be the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner but familiar enough to go with all those traditional dishes everyone looks forward to all year.
Ingredients for Maple Orange Glazed Turkey
You don’t need anything particularly unusual to make this recipe. Most of the ingredients are things I would already be buying for Thanksgiving dinner anyway.
For the Turkey
- 1 whole turkey, 12 to 14 pounds, completely thawed
- 2 yellow onions, quartered
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 3 celery stalks, cut into large pieces
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Maple Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
For the Pan Gravy
- Turkey drippings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to Make Maple Orange Glazed Turkey
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the neck and giblets from the completely thawed turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Place the onions, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put a roasting rack over the vegetables and place the turkey on the rack, breast side up.
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.
Carefully loosen the skin over the turkey breast with your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Spread some of the herb butter underneath the skin directly over the breast meat. Rub the remaining herb butter over the outside of the turkey.
Lightly brush or drizzle the outside with olive oil.
Place the turkey in the oven and roast for about 1 1/2 hours before you begin adding the glaze.
While the turkey roasts, combine the maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, and melted butter in a small bowl.
After about 1 1/2 hours of roasting, brush the turkey generously with some of the maple orange glaze.
Continue roasting, brushing with additional glaze every 30 to 45 minutes.
Because the glaze contains maple syrup, keep an eye on the skin as the turkey cooks. If your Maple Orange Glazed Turkey reaches that beautiful golden-brown color before the meat is finished cooking, loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
Continue roasting until a food thermometer registers at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing.
For a 12 to 14-pound turkey, I plan on approximately 3 to 4 hours of roasting time. But when it comes to turkey, I trust my thermometer more than I trust the clock.
Once the turkey is finished, transfer it to a cutting board or serving platter. Loosely tent it with foil and let it rest for about 20 minutes before carving.
Make the Pan Gravy
While the turkey rests, make the gravy.
Strain the drippings from the roasting pan and remove as much excess fat as you prefer.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the chicken or turkey stock, apple cider, and some of the strained turkey drippings.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until the gravy reaches the consistency you like. If it gets too thick, simply add a little more stock.
Taste the gravy before adding salt because the stock and turkey drippings may already provide plenty. Add black pepper and additional salt as needed.
My Tips for a Juicy, Flavorful Turkey
Use pure maple syrup. I wouldn’t substitute pancake syrup in this Maple Orange Glazed Turkey. Pure maple syrup gives the glaze its maple flavor without making the turkey overly sweet.
Zest the orange before you juice it. It’s one of those little things that’s much easier to remember before you’re standing there trying to zest an orange you’ve already squeezed.
Don’t skip the herb butter under the skin. Getting that butter, thyme, and sage right next to the turkey meat adds flavor where you really want it.
Keep an eye on the color. The maple syrup helps the turkey skin brown. If it looks perfect before the turkey has reached the proper internal temperature, loosely cover it with foil and continue roasting.
Let your thermometer make the final decision. Roasting times are estimates. The size of your turkey, your roasting pan, and even your oven can affect how quickly it cooks. For food safety, the USDA’s turkey roasting guidelines recommend roasting a whole turkey at an oven temperature of at least 325°F and cooking it to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost portions of the thigh and wing.
Give the turkey time to rest. Let your Maple Orange Glazed Turkey rest for about 20 minutes before carving. That resting time also gives me a chance to finish the gravy and make sure everything else is ready for the table.
The Thanksgiving Dinner My Family Looks Forward To
When I picture Thanksgiving dinner at our house, I don’t picture just the turkey. I picture the whole table.
There’s the Maple Orange Glazed Turkey, mashed potatoes covered in gravy, sweet potato casserole, corn, stuffing, homemade rolls, glazed carrots, and Dessert Jello.
It’s the kind of meal where you start filling your plate and quickly realize you probably should have grabbed a bigger one.
But I think that’s part of what I love about Thanksgiving.
These aren’t just foods we happen to eat together. They’re foods my family has come to associate with the holiday. When the same dishes start appearing on the table year after year, they become part of the memories too.
I don’t remember exactly when I first started making this Maple Orange Glazed Turkey, but I do know I’ve made it for many Thanksgivings since.
And my kids still love it.
I think that’s how a lot of family traditions happen. You don’t announce that something is going to become a tradition. You make something your family loves, they ask for it again, and you keep putting it on the table year after year.
Eventually, you realize everyone would notice if it wasn’t there.
Of course, you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to make this turkey. The maple, orange, and herbs work just as well for another holiday or a family dinner during the year.
But for me, I think it will always taste a little bit like Thanksgiving.
If you make this Maple Orange Glazed Turkey, I’d love to know what you serve with it. And what’s the one dish your family would immediately notice if it were missing from your Thanksgiving table?
Making every house feel a little more like home.
