Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey
Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
I love giving a Thanksgiving turkey a good glaze – not only does it add lots of flavor to the whole bird, but it makes it extra beautiful and shiny when it hits the table.
This glaze, which is a blend of cranberry juice, orange juice concentrate, orange marmalade and rosemary, imparts a lot of seasonal fall flavors and makes the skin extra crispy. Because of that sweet and tangy glaze, every bite of turkey is already so balanced – no need to pile on as much cranberry sauce with this turkey.
I often prefer to roast turkey in pieces like this – it cuts the cooking time in half and each individual piece of turkey can get super golden brown. You can ask any butcher to cut the turkey up into 6 pieces for you – but if you’re feeling ambitious, there are lots of Youtube videos out there that can show you how to fabricate (aka, butcher) it on your own!
Make sure to save extra glaze to brush on right after you plate the turkey. It helps keep it tender even after slicing, and just gives it a stunning sheen that will have everyone grabbing their phones to snap a pic.
Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey
Prep Time
Cook Time
Inactive Time
Total Time
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- One 11-pound turkey cut into 6 pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Cranberry-Orange Glaze recipe follows
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Assorted fresh herb sprigs for garnish
- orange wedges for garnish
- whole cranberries for garnish
For The Cranberry Orange Glaze:
- 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
- 1/2 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate thawed
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rinse the turkey pieces and pat very dry with paper towels. Brush the turkey all over with the oil, and then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Arrange the turkey pieces, skin-side up, on a baking sheet with the thick end of breasts and thighs at the corners and the drumsticks in the center. Roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and brush with the Cranberry-Orange Glaze. Pour the broth onto the baking sheet to prevent the drippings from burning and roast the turkey 20 more minutes, covering loosely with foil if browning too quickly, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh (do not let the thermometer touch the bone).
- Transfer the turkey to a platter. Brush generously with more glaze and let rest 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, scrape all the pan juices and browned bits from the baking sheet into a large measuring cup. Spoon off and discard the fat that rises to the surface. In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat the degreased pan juices over medium-high heat. Whisk 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of the glaze into the pan juices (or more if desired) to make the gravy and bring to a simmer for the flavors to blend.
- Slice the turkey and arrange on the platter. Garnish with the herb sprigs, oranges wedges and cranberries. Serve the turkey with the gravy.
- Cranberry Orange Glaze:
- In a small saucepan, bring the juices, marmalade and rosemary to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the glaze thickens enough to coat a spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter, and then season the glaze with the salt and pepper.
NUTRITION:
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Newman
Just made this for an early thanksgiving dinner, and I must say it was delicious!!!!! I'm a beginner cook and this was an easy recipe to follow. Everyone loved it. Will make it again
This is fabulous. Made for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas. We sent care packages to our single friends and everyone loved it.
I can't find frozen concentrated cranberry juice. Can I use non-frozen concentrated cranberry juice? What is another frozen concentrated juice substitute for this recipe besides cranberry?
I can't find frozen concentrated cranberry juice. Can I use non-frozen concentrated cranberry juice? What is another frozen concentrated juice substitute for this recipe besides cranberry?
I can't find frozen concentrated cranberry juice. Can I use non-frozen concentrated cranberry juice? What is another frozen concentrated juice substitute for this recipe besides cranberry?
I can't find frozen concentrated cranberry juice. Can I use non-frozen concentrated cranberry juice? What is another frozen concentrated juice substitute for this recipe besides cranberry?
I can't find frozen concentrated cranberry juice. Can I use non-frozen concentrated cranberry juice? What is another frozen concentrated juice substitute for this recipe besides cranberry?