Hey you. Yes, you. Come closer. I have a secret for you. Want to impress your mother-in-law, Aunt Gertrude, or the know-it-all next door neighbor this holiday season? Just make this Roast Turkey with Cranberry Bourbon Glaze for your holiday dinner. Yep. Cranberry Bourbon Glaze + turkey = Awesomeness! This turkey recipe is all you need to wow everyone at your holiday dinner, even if you have never cooked a holiday meal before.

{Note: This recipe has been updated from the original recipe published 11/4/16}

Holiday entertaining can be stressful, especially if you don’t cook often. I get it, I really do. Even those of us who are seasoned cooks feel the stress when it comes to holiday entertaining. It’s a lot of pressure to put together a picture-perfect gourmet dinner with all the fixings when you only have 4-5 hours to get it all done and get it done right! (Gulp.)

Roasting the turkey, peeling potatoes, making the stuffing, mashing the potatoes, making the gravy, making dessert. Ahhhh! Just thinking about it makes me tired. I’m not complaining, I love to make Thanksgiving dinner, but all this cooking does take a lot of time, a lot of sweat…and maybe even a few tears?!? While your family and friends sit around watching the games and enjoying their day, you are slaving (and stressing) away in the kitchen. Not fair!

This scrumptious turkey recipe for Roast Turkey & Cranberry Bourbon Glaze makes holiday cooking a little less stressful because the vegetables roast with the turkey, and the glaze/gravy is made while the turkey cooks. Seriously, go make yourself a cocktail and relax, because dinner is done! Even better? This recipe will knock everyone’s socks off, and they will think you slaved all day. Shhh. No one needs to know, it’s our little secret. 😉

Roast Turkey with Cranberry Bourbon Glaze

1 Large Thawed Turkey (14-18 lbs)
2-3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
1 Medium Red Onion
4-5 Full size Carrots
2 c. Fresh Brussels Sprouts
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2-3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
1 – 1 1/2 c. Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cranberry Bourbon Glaze

2/3 c. Minced Red Onion
4 Tbsp. Butter
1 Can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
2 c. Bourbon
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
1 Sprig Fresh Sage
2 c. Chicken Broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray. Remove the thawed turkey from the outer package, wash and dry it (including removing the innard bags) and set in the roasting pan.

Clean and trim the carrots and Brussels Sprouts, cut into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Slice the garlic and red onion into thin slices and place in the bowl. Toss with the olive oil, rosemary, and thyme, then mix in the chicken broth.

Cover the turkey with aluminum foil or roasting pan lid and roast in the oven according to package directions. When the turkey has roasted about half of its suggested time, remove the turkey from the oven and carefully spoon the vegetables in the pan around the turkey. Replace the aluminum foil and put the turkey back in the oven.

About 45 minutes before the turkey is done, remove the aluminum foil (or lid) and allow the turkey to brown. Make sure the vegetables have enough liquid so they do not burn, and if they need more, add more chicken broth and lightly mix. When the turkey is done, remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the turkey to sit about 15 minutes. Carefully pour the turkey drippings into the cranberry bourbon glaze, then spoon the vegetable in a serving dish before carving the turkey.

Cranberry Bourbon Glaze

About 30 minutes before the turkey is done roasting, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute about 4 minutes. Add the can of cranberry sauce, bourbon, chicken broth, and spices, mix to blend. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until the cranberry sauce dissolves, about 20 minutes.

When the cranberry jelly has melted and the glaze is fully blended, remove from the heat and set aside. When the turkey drippings are added to the glaze, put the sauce pan back on low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with the turkey.

How easy is this Roast Turkey with Cranberry Bourbon Glaze? Turkey, vegetables, and sweet tangy glaze that tastes great drizzled on everything! By the way, the cranberry bourbon glaze is so good, your guests will want to lick their plates. I would gently remind them licking plates is poor manners…or you could just join them!

Note: Other vegetables that would taste delicious added to your roast vegetable medley are sweet potatoes, white or red potatoes, green beans, and/or squash. The more you roast, the less you have to make for sides!

Other Thanksgiving recipes:

Maple Sage Glazed Turkey Legs
Cranberry Apple Cider Mimosas

Save

Poultry

Julie Cohn

Julie is a food, travel, and luxury lifestyle writer/photographer/publisher for A Cork, Fork, & Passport. Julie has 35+ years in the travel business as a writer, travel advisor, and traveler. She is an accomplished home chef, recipe developer, and mixologist, but her proudest job is wife and mom. She loves board games, 80's New Wave, and chasing dachshunds! Julie lived in the Phoenix, Arizona area for 25 years but recently moved back to upstate New York.