Honey-Glazed Turkey

Whether you’re cooking up a holiday feast or enjoying a savory, filling family meal, our honey-glazed turkey is a winner. Combining the rich flavors of roasted turkey with a sweet, sticky honey glaze that caramelizes the bird to perfection, this turkey and honey recipe creates a moisture-rich, flavorful dinner centerpiece that’ll impress your guests. You’ll be making a stuffing alongside the bird, and the result is a sweet-and-savory honey-roasted turkey meal that pairs so well with other favorites, such as creamy mashed potatoes, pearled onions and glazed carrots.

Ingredients for Honey-Glazed Turkey

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• Turkey: This recipe is best with a 14- to 16-pound turkey.

Glaze

• Honey: For a richer taste, use raw, unfiltered honey; otherwise, any honey found at your grocery store will taste delicious.
• Dijon mustard: The mustard helps add a tart, tangy flavor to the honey, balancing the sweetness.
• Herbs and spices: For mouthwatering flavor, we season the glaze with crushed and dried rosemary, onion powder, salt, garlic powder and fresh ground pepper.

Stuffing

• Butter: Rich, velvety butter is the best fat for cooking the stuffing ingredients—it adds unparalleled flavor.
• Vegetables: You’ll chop savory onion and celery, then cook them in the butter until tender.
• Stuffing cubes: We recommend unseasoned stuffing cubes or dried bread cubes.
• Poultry seasoning: Just 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning is required, but don’t skip it—it adds rich flavor that’ll bring the stuffing to the next level.
• Chicken bouillon granules: This is an additional enhancement and will add nice, tender flavor along with the other seasonings.
• Herbs and spices: You’ll use some of the same seasonings in the stuffing as you did in the glaze, including pepper, rosemary and salt, with the addition of lemon-pepper seasoning.

Directions

Step 1: Bake the turkey

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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck the wings under the turkey, and tie the drumsticks together. Bake the turkey for two hours, then remove it to the counter.

Step 2: Prepare the glaze

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In a small bowl, mix the honey, Dijon mustard, rosemary, onion powder, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Brush the glaze over the still-warm turkey.

Bake the turkey for an additional 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170° to 175°. Baste it occasionally with the pan drippings to ensure moist meat, and cover it loosely with foil if it begins to brown too quickly.

Step 3: Prepare and cook the stuffing

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Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, then cook, stirring frequently, until tender. Add the stuffing cubes, poultry seasoning, chicken bouillon granules, pepper, rosemary, lemon-pepper seasoning and salt, tossing to combine. Stir in enough boiling water to reach the desired moistness.

Transfer the stuffing to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake, covered, for one hour. Uncover and bake until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Step 4: Remove the turkey

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Remove the turkey from the oven, then cover it loosely with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes before carving.

If you’d like gravy, skim the fat and thicken the pan drippings over heat. Serve the gravy poured over the turkey and stuffing, or alongside your favorite turkey side dishes, for a hearty, filling feast.

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Honey-Glazed Turkey Variations

• Switch up the spices: Keep the salt and pepper as the base seasonings, but experiment with different spices and seasonings, such as paprika, crushed thyme or dried parsley.
• Swap the sugar: Instead of making turkey and honey, try using molasses for a deeper, richer flavor. Pure maple syrup is another option, or use a blend of the two.
• Make it citrus: Make this a honey-orange glaze by adding some fresh-squeezed orange juice to the honey-glaze for a turkey.

How to Store Honey-Glazed Turkey

One of the best parts about roasting a large bird is enjoying the leftovers. Once the bird has cooled, divide it into smaller portions and place them in covered, shallow containers. Enjoy the leftovers within three to four days.

Can you freeze honey-glazed turkey?

You can freeze honey-roasted turkey. To prevent freezer burn, leave as little extra room as possible in the freezer-safe container or bag. Frozen turkey is best enjoyed within four months. It’s delightful when thawed and added to a warming fall turkey soup.

How do you reheat honey-roasted turkey?

The downfall of turkey is that it’s a meat that can easily dry out. To reheat it well, add a few tablespoons of broth, water or gravy along with the turkey. Reheat it in a baking dish in the oven on low (between 300° and 350°) or on the stovetop in a covered skillet on low. You can reheat it in the microwave, but this is best with just a portion or two, and only when you need to heat it in a pinch. Microwaves will dry out the turkey, so cover it with a damp paper towel and heat it in one-minute intervals on low power.

Honey-Glazed Turkey Tips

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How do I make my turkey golden brown?

Because of the honey in this recipe, you’re well on your way to roasting the perfect turkey: The sugars in the honey glaze will naturally help make the turkey a nice golden brown color. If you’d like a little extra crispiness, we recommend applying a layer of fat (butter is probably the most delicious, but feel free to use olive oil or another oil of your choice). Brush a layer of fat across the skin of the entire turkey prior to baking to help it become golden and to seal in moisture.

How do I thicken or thin the glaze?

A quick and easy way to change the texture of the honey glaze for a turkey is to apply heat. If the glaze seems too thick, place the saucepan over low heat and stir until the consistency is thin enough to brush onto your turkey. If the glaze is too thin, heat the mixture over low to medium heat so it gently bubbles and begins evaporating, being sure to stir constantly, until the liquid is reduced a little and the glaze reaches your desired thickness.

How can I make a gravy with this recipe?

Making a honey glaze for a turkey means that you end up with a sweeter gravy—ideal for this particular recipe. Gather the droppings, all-purpose flour and butter. You can add additional flavorings, such as salt and pepper plus well-crushed rosemary, if you like. You can even make the gravy ahead of time.