Best Maple Butter Turkey Recipes

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey nick and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices rum clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• Make gravy:
• Stain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
• Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.
• Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminum foil, and place in the oven.
• In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:.
• Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduces to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375°F Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey nick and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices rum clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• Make gravy:.
• Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
• Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Bring turkey to room temperature before roasting.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Wash and dry turkey. Stuff with lemon, apple, onion and celery. Truss, and season with salt.
• Melt butter in maple syrup over medium heat, and pour over turkey. Place on a rack in a pan. Roast 10 to 12 minutes for each pound. Baste every 20 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh without touching bone. (Pop-up thermometers that come with turkeys are unreliable.) Thigh should register 175 to 180 degrees at thickest part, breast meat 170 degrees. Before carving, let rest out of the oven for at least 20 minutes.

ROAST TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE-MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the packet of neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve for another use. Cut away any fatty pieces near the cavity or neck and discard. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper inside and out.
• Put the butter, maple syrup, chipotle pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mini food processor and pulse until smooth. Loosen the skin over the turkey breast and push half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the breast meat. Rub the skin all over with the rest of the butter mixture. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under the body and put the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast until the turkey begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Loosely tent the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh joint reaches about 155 degrees F. Remove the foil and continue roasting until it reaches 165 degrees F in the thigh joint, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey and rack to a cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes before carving.
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MAPLE-BUTTER TURKEY WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• For maple butter, in a small heavy saucepan, bring cider and syrup to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, thyme, sage, marjoram, salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until set., With fingers, carefully loosen the skin from both sides of turkey breast. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter under turkey skin. Refrigerate remaining maple butter. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and bake at 325° for 2 hours. , Brush top with 1/3 cup maple butter. Bake, uncovered, 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer or until a thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. , Pour drippings and loosened brown bits into a 4-cup measuring cup. Skim and discard fat. Add enough broth to drippings to measure 3 cups. In a large saucepan, combine flour and broth mixture until smooth. Stir in remaining maple butter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with turkey.

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.
• Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper.
• Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go.
• Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine.
• Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered (or do this after putting the turkey in the pan as directed below).
• Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan and cover the turkey with aluminum foil, and place in the oven.
• In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin.
• Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes.
• Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound).
• About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown.
• When done, take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

MAPLE-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER AND SMOKED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack. Combine the butter and sage in a mixing bowl, mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated and the butter has flecks of green in it; season with salt and pepper. Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and legs, and slip pieces of the sage butter underneath; massaging it in as you go. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan, and put into the oven. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. The turkey should take about 3 hours to cook (i.e. 15 to 20 minutes per pound.) If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil. About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste for another hour or so. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat. Skim off all but about 1/4 cup fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles. Serve the gravy with the maple-roasted turkey.

BUTTERFLIED JUNIPER-BRINED ROASTED TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE-MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine the salt, brown sugar, juniper, peppercorns, bay leaves and lemon zest with 1 quart (4 cups) water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Pour the brine into a plastic container or pot large enough to hold the turkey, add 5 quarts (20 cups) ice water and stir to combine. Submerge the turkey, adding more ice water if needed. Weight the turkey down with a plate to keep it submerged and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Drain, rinse and pat the turkey dry. Transfer to a large paper-towel-lined cutting board and let sit out at room temperature until it reaches room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Put the butter, maple syrup, chipotles, garlic and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Pat the turkey skin dry again and rub the compound butter evenly over the surface, also pushing some underneath the skin of the breasts. Lay the turkey in a large roasting pan as flat as possible. If the pan is a bit small, tuck the wings behind the back with the drumsticks resting on the ledge of the pan and place a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil at the bottom of the oven to catch drippings.
• Roast, basting the turkey with the pan drippings every 30 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before serving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE HERB BUTTER

Steps:

• Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup (this should take roughly 20 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in thyme and marjoram with lemon peel. Add butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold (at least 2 hours).
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. After cleaning turkey, pat dry with paper towels. Please turkey on rack set in a large roasting pan.
• Slide hand under breast skin to loosen the skin. Rub about 1/2 cup of the maple her butter over the breast meat under the skin.
• If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity and neck cavity and truss.
• Rub remaining butter mixture all over the outside of the turkey. Make sure there is a generous amount on drumsticks and wings, and wrap them in foil. Leave the rest of the turkey uncovered. Pour broth into pan.
• Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Remove foil from drumsticks and wings. Make a loose tent out of heavy-duty aluminum foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees, or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Baste occasionally with pan juices as the turkey roasts, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey or 2 hours and 55 minutes for a stuffed turkey.
• Transfer turkey to platter, tent with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE-PEPPER BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the glaze: In a food processor, combine the butter, 6 tblsps of the maple syrup, 3 tblsps of the lemon juice, the lemon zest, coarsely ground pepper and salt; process until blended and transfer to a bowll; in another bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tblsp lemon juice and finely ground pepper (can be made 1 day ahead – return to room temperature before proceeding).
• Marinate the turkey: In a 2-gallon plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, olive oil, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper; add the turkey to the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag; distribute the marinade evenly over and inside the turkey (think of this as a therapeutic, turkey massage); set the turkey, breast side down, in a bowl in the refrigerator and marinate for 24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Preaheat oven to 450F; position the oven rack near the bottom of the oven.
• Wipe off the shallots and garlic from the turkey and pat dry; strain the marinade into a bowl, skim off the oil and reserve; set the herbs, garlic and shallots aside separately.
• Using your fingers, carefully loosen the turkey skin over the breast and thighs; put all but 3 tblsps of the softened maple-pepper butter under the breast and thigh skin, patting gently to spread the butter; put 1/3 each of the diced onions and celery in the cavity; tie the legs together with kitchen string and set the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan; rub the breast and thigh skin with the remaining maple-pepper butter and roast for 30 minutes, basting twice; because the sugar in the maple syrup may cause the turkey skin to brown quickly in places, cover loosely with foil; lower the oven temperature to 350F; spread the remaining onions and celery around the turkey and roast for about 1 ½ hours longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, just above the wing-joint reaches 165F, and the juices run clear.
• Transfer to a carving board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes; remove the whole legs from the turkey, cutting them off at the hip joint; cut off the wings from the breast; return the wings and legs to the pan and roast for about 30 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180F and the juices run clear; transfer the legs and wings to the turkey on the carving board, cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Make the gravy: Set the roasting pan over 2 burners over high heat and cook the vegetables, stirring, until golden brown; carefully pour off all but 2 tblsps of the fat; add the flour and whisk for 1 minute; add the reserved marinade and the chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits; simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes; strain the gravy into a saucepan and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper; serve alongside the turkey.
• Note: The standing period before removing the turkey legs and wings, along with the extra roasting time for these parts will have resulted in the main carcass having cooled down considerably; while making the gravy, cover the turkey with foil and pop back into a slow oven to warm up.

MAPLE ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAGE BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven. Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven. In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH CHIPOTLE-MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the packet of neck and giblets from the turkey and reserve for another use. Cut away any fatty pieces near the cavity or neck and discard. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper inside and out.
• Put the butter, maple syrup, chipotle pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mini food processor and pulse until smooth. Loosen the skin over the turkey breast and push half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the breast meat. Rub the skin all over with the rest of the butter mixture. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under the body and put the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast until the turkey begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Loosely tent the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh joint reaches about 155 degrees F. Remove the foil and continue roasting until it reaches 165 degrees F in the thigh joint, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey and rack to a cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes before carving.

MAPLE BUTTER TURKEY

Steps:

• The night before: Take butter and place in bowl to soften. Once the butter has softened to roughly room temperature, put in the bowl the maple syrup, herbs, the zest of the lemon, and juice from 1/2 of same lemon. Stir well until it has an almost whipped consistency. Cover and refrigerate.
• When ready to make the turkey the next day, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Take butter mixture out of fridge and set on counter. Take giblets and etc. out of turkey. Put the gibblets in a saucepan on the stove, adding water to cover. Clean the turkey. After cleaning, take a sharp knife (fillet knife recommended) and carefully slice the membrane right under the skin at the hind end of the bird to separate the skin and the meat. After separating an inch or so if skin from meat, use hand(s) to very carefully continue the process for the rest of the breast sections. If a rip happens, take a metal pin or some other such implement and patch it back together. Be careful not to leave any broken skin patches, no matter how small.
• By this time the butter mixture should be about room temperature. Using about 1/2 to 3/4 of the mixture, mash the butter mixture under the skin (still being careful not to break the skin) covering as much of the meat as possible. Once the meat under the skin has been covered, use the remaining about on hands to smear the rest of the bird with the mixture. Put rest of butter mixture in with the giblet stock on the stove. Place turkey on a rack in your roasting pan.
• Taking a piece (or pieces) of cheesecloth that has had warm water run through it to get it moist, cover every inch of the exposed turkey. If your roasting pan has a cover, use it, otherwise take a couple sections of aluminum foil and use it to cover the turkey. Take turkey and place in hot oven and allow to cook uninterrupted for an hour and a half.
• While the turkey is cooking, prepare the basting sauce/stock by first bringing the giblet/butter mixture to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Leave mixture simmering throughout the process.
• After the first hour and a half is up, take turkey out of the oven, carefully remove aluminum cover (leave cheesecloth on) and baste liberally with giblet/butter mixture. Repeat this process every half hour. If the mixture on the stove runs out, use the drippings that are in the bottom of the pan. Once the turkey is nearing it's last 10-20 minutes of cooking, baste a final time and place back in oven completely uncovered. Take out roughly 3 minutes before done, re-cover with aluminum foil, and place back in oven. This is to have the inner sanctum reheated to keep the bird nice and warm during the resting period.
• After the bird has finished cooking (see Cooking Times below), let the bird rest in pan, covered, for at least a half hour (an hour would be better) before carving.
• Cooking Times: The bird will require approximately 13-15 minutes per pound total cooking time (this includes the first hour and half in oven). These times are approximate, though, and there are only two real methods of telling when the bird needs to come out of the oven: probe thermometer and the little turkey done indicator. The probe thermometer is more reliable but can be more of a hassle. Basically you will want to place the probe into the turkey no less than an hour before your expected done time. The magic temperature that you are looking for is 160 degrees. Once the bird hits that, remove it from the oven. Carryover heat will take it the rest of the way. If using a turkey done indicator, pull out of the oven when you see it start moving or looking like it's going to pop soon.

ROAST TURKEY WITH MAPLE-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Fill turkey body cavity with celery. Onion apple and lemon truss if desired. Sprinkle salt over turkey. In pot melt butter with maple syrup over medium heat. Place turkey on rack in roasting pan. Pour butter mixture over turkey. Roast basting every 20 minutes, until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180F. (2 hours 30 min.- 3 hours 15 min) Tent with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.