Roasting a whole turkey is an art. With this step-by-step recipe for Southern roasted turkey with bourbon glaze you’ll be the artist.
Southern Roast Turkey with Bourbon Peach Glaze
Servings
22 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 15-pound WHOLE TURKEY, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium orange cut in wedges
- Pickled peaches for garnish as needed
- 1/2 cup peach preserves
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 teaspoons orange liqueur or orange juice
Instructions
- Turkey:
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Reserve for gravy. Blot turkey dry with clean paper towels.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavities of the bird. Insert orange wedges into both cavities.
- Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with skewers. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (no more than 2 1/2 inch deep) roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into thickest part of the thigh, being careful it does not touch the bone.
- Roast turkey in a preheated 325 degree F oven about 3 3/4 hours. Baste with the pan juices.
- During the last 30 minutes of roasting time, baste the bird with the Bourbon-Peach glaze. (See below) Continue to roast until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast.
- Remove turkey from the oven, remove the orange wedges and allow the bird to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
- Place on a warm large platter and garnish with pickled peaches.
- Bourbon Peach Glaze
- 1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine preserves, bourbon and orange liquid. Cook until preserves are melted.
- Note: Provides 22 servings at 6 ounces per portion.
- Source: National Turkey Federation
You stick them in the cavity of the bird, I fixed step 2 in the recipe above, thanks for pointing it out.
This recipe sounds amazing I would love to use it this year! But it doesn’t specify exactly what you need to do with the orange wedges. Please get back to me on that! Thanks 🙂