Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends, share stories, and enjoy a delicious meal. The centerpiece of the Thanksgiving feast is often a juicy, flavorful turkey. If you're looking for a recipe that will add a unique and citrusy flavor to your turkey, look no further than citrus-scented brined turkey.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CITRUS TURKEY BRINE
This citrus turkey brine offers tangy flavor but also acts to tenderize the meat of the poultry. Treat your taste buds with this tantalizing recipe.
Provided by Derrick Riches
Categories Entree Ingredient
Time 1h15m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a low boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and sugar and stir until they are completely dissolved.
- Cut the lemon, lime, and orange into 8 pieces each.
- Add the lemon, lime, orange, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
- Pour this mixture into a large pot. Add the remaining water (cold) and refrigerate the brine until it is completely cooled.
- If using a frozen turkey, it must be completely defrosted before brining. Place the poultry and brine in a large plastic container. The poultry should be fully surrounded by the brine. Keep the turkey refrigerated throughout the brining time. Brine for 1 hour per pound. Do not brine for more than 24 hours. Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey before cooking. Otherwise, there will be a salty flavor to the turkey.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 99 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 5680 mg, Sugar 19 g, Fat 0 g, ServingSize 1 gallon (16 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
PERFECT CITRUS TURKEY AND GRAVY
Provided by Danny Boome
Categories main-dish
Time 30m
Yield 8 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and leave it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes prior to preparing and cooking. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, add the 1/2 cup softened butter, lemon zest and chopped chives. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon half into the butter. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the turkey: Remove the inner packet of giblets from the cavity and set aside.
- Run your fingers underneath the skin of the breast to make a little pocket between the skin and the flesh. Using your fingers, scoop up some of the lemon-chive butter and push the butter under the skin, filling up the pockets. Do the same thing on the legs. Once each pocket has been filled, take the rest of the butter and rub it all over the outside of the bird. Sprinkle about a tablespoon and a half of coarse salt on top.
- Insert the halved lemons, orange and grapefruit into the cavity of the turkey. Insert as much of the citrus as you can. Give each piece a little squeeze as you insert them to get the juices distributed. (You may have to leave some out depending on the size of the cavity. Use any extra citrus for garnish later.)
- Remove the giblets from the packet, rinse and pat dry. Place the giblets on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the giblets. Tuck the wings under the turkey.
- Place the turkey in a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Then, turn down the heat to 350 degrees F and roast for about another 2 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees F. (The general rule is to cook a turkey about 15 minutes per pound.)
- Remove the bird from the pan onto a carving board or platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Place the roasting pan over low heat on the stovetop. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock. Whisk the cornstarch into it. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Dijon mustard. Whisk well to combine. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until thick and smooth, about 8 minutes.
- Bring your turkey to room temperature to ensure that the bird will cook evenly.
- Stuffing a turkey with fruit keep the bird moist and acts as a secondary cooking agent. As the juice of the fruit steams inside the cavity, it helps cook the bird from the inside. The juices also help to flavor the pan juices used for making the gravy.
- Stuffing butter between the skin and the flesh, keep the meat moist and flavorful. The butter and salt on the outside help create a tasty, crispy skin.
- I like to use the giblets as a platform for the bird. It stops the bottom of the bird from burning and adds flavor to the pan juices.
- A good rule for roasting times is to plan on roasting a turkey for about 15 minutes per pound.
- A meat thermometer is the best tool for figuring out if your turkey is fully cooked.
CITRUS-SCENTED BRINED TURKEY
Our home economists marinate this turkey to keep it deliciously moist while roasting.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 4h30m
Yield 12-14 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Mince five garlic cloves; halve the remaining garlic cloves and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the apple juice, salt, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, bay leaves and minced garlic. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Remove giblets from turkey and discard. Place a turkey-size oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add turkey. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning several times., Drain and discard brine. Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place the lemon, orange, onion, thyme and reserved garlic in both cavities. Rub oil over skin. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. , Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 160° (cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly). Let stand for 15 minutes before removing contents from cavities and carving the turkey.
Nutrition Facts :
CITRUS TURKEY BRINE
A great citrus brine recipe. This will leave your Turkey very moist. You could also use it on other poultry in smaller amounts.
Provided by MPRADO
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 20m
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 5.7 calories, Carbohydrate 1.3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.2 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 6239.2 mg, Sugar 0.3 g
EASY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE
This is a quick-and-easy turkey brine recipe that is full of citrus, brown sugar, garlic, and juniper, plus a kick from rum and limeade.
Provided by Barbara
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 1h30m
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Combine water, broth, oranges, onion, limeade concentrate, orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, rum, salt, garlic, black pepper, thyme, parsley, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover pot. Allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.1 calories, Carbohydrate 21.6 g, Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 0.8 g, Sodium 2634.9 mg, Sugar 19.1 g
CITRUS-ROASTED HERITAGE TURKEY
For this year's Thanksgiving turkey, we went with a heritage variety, which has a deeper flavor and higher ratio of dark meat to white. Rather than brining, the turkey was wrapped in a cheesecloth-soaked citrus butter before roasting-it kept the bird plenty moist and the skin extra crispy.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Turkey Recipes
Time 4h45m
Yield Serves 10 to 12
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place turkey neck and giblets, carrot, three 2-inch pieces of celery, 4 onion wedges, 1 bay leaf, and 6 cups water in a saucepan; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (you should have about 4 cups). If desired, pull meat from neck, chop giblets into bite-size pieces, and reserve for gravy (discard other solids).
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Season both cavities of turkey with half of salt mixture. Stuff large cavity with 3 satsuma halves, half of remaining celery, and 5 bay leaves. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Stuff small neck cavity with 1 satsuma half. Rub 4 tablespoons butter evenly all over skin, then season with remaining salt mixture. Tuck wings under turkey.
- In a saucepan, stir together satsuma juice and 4 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is warm; remove from heat. Cut a 17-by-68-inch piece of cheesecloth; fold in half to form an approximately 17-by-34-inch rectangle. Submerge in satsuma-butter mixture, then lift out, allowing excess to drip back into pan (do not wring; cloth should be very wet). Reserve remaining satsuma-butter mixture.
- Starting at opening of large cavity where drumsticks and breast meet, drape one short end of cloth over turkey, pressing and stretching as necessary to adhere snugly to skin (about half of cloth should be overhang, extending beyond neck cavity). Place remaining 20 bay leaves over turkey in an evenly spaced single layer.
- Lift excess cheesecloth up and over turkey to fold in half again and secure bay leaves in place, pressing and stretching to adhere snugly. Rub remaining 4 tablespoons butter evenly over cheesecloth. (Turkey can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead; remove 2 hours before roasting.)
- Place remaining onion, celery, and satsuma halves, cut-sides down, in a large roasting pan in a single layer; line with a roasting rack. Transfer turkey to rack; pour 1 cup stock into pan. Roast turkey 1 hour (if bottom becomes dry and begins to blacken, add more stock to pan, 1/4 cup at a time). Reduce temperature to 350 ̊F and continue roasting, basting occasionally with reserved satsuma-butter mixture, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (nearest but not touching bone) registers 165 ̊, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a carving board or platter; let stand at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove rack, onion, celery, and satsumas from roasting pan. Tilt pan and skim excess fat from drippings with a spoon (or pour drippings into a fat separator, then back into pan, discarding excess fat). Place pan across 2 burners; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add wine; boil until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Add all but 1/2 cup remaining stock to pan; bring to a boil. Whisk remaining 1/2 cup stock with flour. Slowly add flour mixture to pan, whisking constantly. Continue boiling until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Season gravy with salt and pepper, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in reserved neck meat and giblets, if desired. Remove and discard cheesecloth, carve turkey, and serve with gravy.
CITRUS AND HERB TURKEY
Roasted with orange, lemon, garlic, and fresh sage and thyme in its cavity, this simple citrus and herb turkey makes a spectacular Thanksgiving centerpiece. An easy pan gravy is the finishing touch.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 with rack in lower third position.
- Season cavity of turkey with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stuff cavity with orange, lemon, onion, garlic, and herbs. Tie legs with twine and transfer turkey to a rack set inside a roasting pan.
- Rub skin with olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper.
- Pour 2 cups chicken stock into roasting pan and transfer to oven. Roast turkey for 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees. After first hour of roasting, baste turkey every 30 minutes, and tent with foil if skin becomes deep golden brown before turkey is cooked.
- Remove turkey from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let stand at least 15 minutes.
- Place roasting pan on stovetop over medium-high heat and bring pan drippings and remaining 1 cup chicken stock to a simmer. Combine milk and flour in a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine. Whisk milk mixture into gravy and simmer, whisking constantly, until gravy thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Carve turkey and serve with gravy.
HONEY-CITRUS GLAZED TURKEY
A turkey breast is enough for us, but you can roast a whole bird if you're feeding a big group. Either way, this super-succulent turkey wins the day. -Peter Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 3h30m
Yield 16 servings (3 cups gravy).
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients until blended. Reserve half of the mixture for brushing over turkey; refrigerate until needed., Place turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; drizzle remaining butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breasts with toothpicks. Sprinkle outside of turkey with salt and pepper., Add 1-1/2 cups broth to bottom of roasting pan. Roast turkey, uncovered, 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil; roast 1-1/2 hours longer., Remove turkey from oven. Warm reserved butter mixture until butter is melted; brush over turkey. Continue roasting turkey, loosely covered, 1 to 1-3/4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°., Remove turkey to a serving platter. Let stand 20 minutes before carving., For gravy, pour drippings and loosened browned bits from bottom of roasting pan into a large measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 3 cups., In a saucepan, mix reserved fat and flour until smooth; gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with turkey.
Nutrition Facts :
Tips:
- Choose a fresh, high-quality turkey: A good turkey will have a plump breast and legs, with no signs of bruising or damage.
- Brine the turkey for at least 12 hours: This will help to keep the turkey moist and flavorful.
- Use a flavorful brine: The brine should contain a variety of spices and herbs, such as garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary.
- Roast the turkey at a high temperature: This will help to create a crispy skin and juicy meat.
- Baste the turkey frequently: This will help to keep the turkey moist and prevent it from drying out.
- Let the turkey rest before carving: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful.
Conclusion:
Citrus-scented brined turkey is a delicious and impressive dish that is perfect for a special occasion. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your turkey is cooked to perfection and enjoyed by all.
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