Garlic Bacon Butter Turkey Recipe
The most delicious and aromatic holiday and Thanksgiving turkey recipe with garlic butter spread with herbs, smoky bacon bits, and loads of garlic!
Ingredients
- 12 to 20 lbs whole turkey, defrosted
For Bacon Garlic Butter:
- 8 slices smoked bacon
- 8 to 10 pieces garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temp
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried onion
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For Stuffing & Roasting Pan:
- sea salt, as needed
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 large orange, chopped
- 1 large lemon, chopped
- 10 pieces garlic cloves
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock
For Turkey Gravy:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- additional chicken stock, as needed
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Preparing for the Recipe:
- If using a frozen turkey, make sure to defrost it ahead of time. Remove the turkey from the freezer, place into a large bowl or pan, and place into the refrigerator to thaw for 4 to 5 days. Once defrosted, remove the turkey from the bag, rinse the inside cavity, place the turkey onto a cutting board or baking sheet, and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- For the most flavor and the best results, stuff and season the turkey with the butter spread the day before roasting and refrigerate overnight.
- Line a large turkey roasting pan with Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil. Use 2 to 3 sheets and overlap the foil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.
Garlic Butter Spread:
- To make the Bacon Garlic Butter: add the diced bacon into a cold frying pan. Render the bacon bits over medium heat, stirring until the bacon is golden and crispy. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and let the bacon grease cool.
- Place the bacon bits into a food processor and add the garlic. Pulse for a minute until the bacon and garlic are finely ground.
- Next, add in the remaining butter spread ingredients: softened butter, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion. Pour in the cooled bacon grease. Pulse the ingredients for about 2 minutes until a fluffy and creamy spread forms. Set aside the spread until ready to use.
Seasoning & Stuffing the Turkey:
- Combine the chopped onions, orange, lemon, apples, and garlic cloves into a large bowl and toss together. These will be used for stuffing the turkey and for filling the roasting pan.
- Pat the turkey dry one more time with paper towels. Use your hand to separate the turkey breast skin from the meat, creating a pocket for the butter spread.
- Season the inside cavity of the turkey generously with sea salt, then stuff gently with the onion and citrus mix, along with a few sprigs of fresh herbs. Do not stuff the turkey too much! Add the remaining mixture and fresh herbs into the roasting pan, spreading them evenly.
- Use kitchen twine to truss the turkey; this will ensure even roasting. First, tuck the turkey wing tips underneath the turkey. Place the twine around the bottom of the turkey breast, then bring up and around the drumsticks, bringing them together and tying securely.
- Transfer the turkey into the prepared roasting pan and place over the aromatics.
- Use a small spatula or spoon to add about half of the bacon garlic butter spread underneath the turkey breast skin. Use your hands to spread and press the butter evenly over the turkey breast meat.
- Use a spatula to spread the remaining butter evenly all over the turkey.
- Use a small square of Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil to cover the tips of the drumsticks to prevent them from burning.
- Pour the apple cider and chicken stock into the roasting pan. This will add extra moisture and can be used to create gravy later.
- This turkey can be roasted right away or refrigerated overnight for the best results. Refrigerate the turkey without covering.
Roasting Instructions:
- When ready to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 350°F for at least 15 minutes.
- If using a digital meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Tent the turkey gently with several sheets of Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Duty Foil. The foil will keep the turkey juicy and prevent the butter spread from burning.
- Roast the turkey until the thickest part of the turkey reaches 160°F. The roasting time will vary and depend on the size of your turkey. Plan to roast for 15 minutes per pound of turkey. A 15-pound turkey will take approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.
- Once roasted, remove the turkey from the oven and baste the turkey with the pan drippings. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 1 hour, basting occasionally. Carve the turkey at the table or in the kitchen and arrange onto a serving platter.
Making Turkey Gravy:
- For Turkey Gravy: Remove the turkey from the roasting pan onto a carving board. Place a fine mesh strainer over a pot or a large bowl, and line the strainer with cheesecloth. Pour all the pan juices through the strainer.
- Let the juices sit for about 5 minutes; the fat will float to the top, leaving the broth at the bottom. Use a baster to separate the broth and pour it into a separate bowl/measuring cup.
- Add ¼ cup butter into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Add ¼ cup flour, whisk, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the roux is thick and golden brown.
- Gradually begin adding the strained pan stock, whisking well after each addition, and allow the sauce to thicken before adding more.
- If needed, add additional chicken stock and season to taste with salt. Let the gravy come up to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened to your desired consistency. Keep the gravy warm and covered with a lid until ready to serve.