Lemon Garlic Turkey Recipes

LEMON-GARLIC TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Line bottom of a greased 6-qt. slow cooker with three-fourths of the lemon slices. Place turkey over lemons, breast side up. Mix parsley, garlic, lemon zest, pepper seasoning and salt; rub over turkey. Top with remaining lemon slices. Cook, covered, on low until turkey is tender, 5-6 hours., Remove turkey from slow cooker; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for sauce; serve with turkey.

LEMON-HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and minced thyme. Pat turkey dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper over skin of turkey and inside cavity; brush with butter mixture. Place the lemon, onion, garlic and thyme sprigs inside cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together., Place flour in oven bag and shake to coat. Place bag in a roasting pan; add turkey to bag, breast side up. Cut six 1/2-in. slits in top of bag; close bag with tie provided., Bake at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 180°. Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy. Freeze option: Freeze cooled turkey and gravy in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered skillet, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

GRILLED LEMON-GARLIC TURKEY

Steps:

• To make marinade, in blender, place all ingredients except turkey and Cajun seasoning. Cover and blend until smooth. Using meat injector, fill injector container to 1-ounce line. Inject marinade into turkey breasts, thighs and legs, every 1 to 2 inches, pushing plunger down slowly. Refill container and continue to inject turkey until marinade is used. (Or pour marinade over turkey in large glass dish.)
• Sprinkle Cajun seasoning inside cavity and over outside of turkey. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• If using charcoal grill, place drip pan directly under grilling area, and arrange coals around edge of firebox. Heat coals or gas grill for indirect heat.
• Insert barbecue meat thermometer in turkey so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone.
• Place turkey, breast side up, over drip pan or over unheated side of gas grill and 4 to 6 inches from medium heat. Cover and grill 3 to 4 hours or until thermometer reads 180°F and legs move easily when lifted or twisted. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH LEMON & GARLIC

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead, make the salt mix by grinding the salt with the thyme leaves and pepper in a spice grinder or using a pestle and mortar. Sit the turkey in a roasting tin and gently push your fingers under the skin, starting from the neck, until you can push your whole hand in down the length of the breast. Take care not to tear the skin.
• Season the bird all over with the salt mix, inside and out and under the skin. Leave the turkey in the tin, breast-side up, and put in the fridge for up to two days - the longer you salt it, the more succulent the turkey will be. For the crispest skin, leave the turkey uncovered so it dries out, but loosely cover it if you prefer.
• Tip the butter, vegetable stock powder and lemon zest into a small bowl and mix until completely combined. Cover and chill. Can be made a few days ahead or frozen, wrapped in cling film, for one month.
• Remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or so before you want to cook it. Remove the butter from the fridge to soften. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Work out your cooking time based on 40 mins per kg for the first 4kg, plus 45 mins for every kg after that.
• Use your hands to spread the butter under the skin so that it covers the entire breast area and work it into the crevice between the thigh and the main body, then smooth the skin over with your hands. Put the onion, lemon halves, and garlic in the cavity.
• Cover the tin loosely with foil and roast for the calculated cooking time. Around 30 mins before the end of cooking, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, remove the foil, baste the turkey and return to the oven. When the turkey is beautifully brown and cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to rest on a warm platter covered with foil for up to 1 hr. Save the juices from the tin to make gravy.

FESTIVE ROAST TURKEY WITH ROSEMARY, GARLIC AND LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• To ensure your amazing festive turkey is thoroughly cooked the first thing you need to do is let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. That-way the meat will be the same temperature throughout and cooked evenly.
• Preheat your oven at 400F (200C) with the rack placed in the lower third of the oven. You don't want this amazing festive turkey to get burned, do you?
• Now its time to prepare the glazing. In a small saucepan heat the oil till hot but not enough to cause the ingredients to sizzle. Place the rosemary, garlic and lemon zest and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the lemon is slightly shriveled and garlic is soft. It should take about 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the glazing from the heat and let it cool.
• Now its time to start preparing your amazing festive turkey! Start by tucking its wing tips underneath the body. Season on the inside with plenty of pepper and some salt - careful not to make it too salty though!
• Fill stuff the turkey with your stuffing, fold the neck skin over the opening and tie the legs together with a kitchen twine.
• Now for the glazing. Brush your amazing festive turkey with 1/2 cup of the rosemary-lemon oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
• Peal your onions in quarters and layer them on the bottom of a heavy roasting pan. Place your roasting rack on top followed by your perfectly seasoned and glazed festive turkey!
• Roast until the turkey is golden brown. It will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. To keep it nice and moist reduce heat to 375F (190C), add 1 cup of water to the pan, brush with the rosemary oil. Remember to cover with a lid or foil at this stage. Repeat every 30 minutes. If the pan becomes dry remember to add some more water.
• The best way to know when your festive turkey is done is using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. If it reads 165F (73C) it's done!
• Once ready, transfer your amazing festive turkey to a platter or carving board and loosely tent with foil. Remember to let it rest for 30 minutes as the juices are still hot on the inside and if carved straight away they will simply run out of the meat...
• You can use your roasting pan glazing as a base for an amazing white wine gravy. Just add 1 cup of white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes for an amazing sauce...

QUICK THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH LEMON-GARLIC BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook butter, garlic, lemon zest, and rosemary in a small pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Reduce heat to low and let simmer to infuse flavors, about 5 minutes.
• Brush turkey generously with butter mixture on all sides and under skin, getting some garlic and lemon zest under skin-that'll make it taste so much better. Season turkey with 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. pepper on all sides and arrange skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup wine around turkey pieces.
• Cover with foil and roast turkey 20 minutes. Uncover, brush tops of each piece with butter mixture, and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece registers 165°F, 40-50 minutes. Some pieces might be done before others, so test each one. Let turkey rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• Meanwhile, strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl. Skim fat off surface (or use a fat separator if you have one). You should have about 1/2 cup drippings. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth.
• Bring remaining 1/2 cup wine to a boil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in turkey drippings and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer turkey to a platter. Serve with pan sauce alongside.

EASY ROASTED THANKSGIVING TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot large enough to fit the turkey, stir together 2 gallons (7.5 L) of water and 2 1/2 cups (128 g) kosher salt. Submerge the turkey in the brine. Refrigerate for 10 to 12 hours.
• When the turkey is done brining, drain the water and pat dry. Place the turkey onto a roasting pan with a roasting rack.
• In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, lemon zest, sea salt and black pepper.
• Use your hands under the skin of the turkey to separate the skin from the meat underneath. (Be careful not to tear the skin.)
• Spread half of the butter all over the turkey underneath the skin. Spread the other half over the skin all over.
• Position the oven rack on a low position, so that there is enough room for the turkey. The top of the turkey should end up just slightly higher than the middle when placed in the oven later. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees F).
• Place the turkey in the oven and roast. Check the roasted turkey time chart in the blog post for the amount of time to roast without foil and the remaining time with foil. For a 12 lb turkey, that's 45 minutes uncovered followed by about 2 1/4 hours covered. To cover, tent the top of the turkey with foil, shiny side out, making sure no turkey is peeking out, and return to the oven.
• Check that the roasted turkey is done with a meat thermometer - it should read 165 degrees for the safest option. For the most juicy turkey, aim for 150-155 degrees, and then cover in foil immediately after removing from the oven. Let the turkey rest, covered in foil, for about 20 minutes to come up to 165 to 170 degrees before serving.

GORDON RAMSAY'S ROAST TURKEY WITH LEMON, PARSLEY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Meanwhile, prepare the herb butter. Put the butter into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Mix well to combine.
• Remove the giblets from the turkey cavity. Season the cavity well with salt and pepper, then stuff with the onions, lemon, garlic halves and 2 bay leaves.
• With your hands, loosen the skin on the breast from both ends of the bird so that you will be able to stuff the flavoured butter underneath it, making sure you keep the skin intact. Repeat with the skin on the legs - from the lower side of the breast feel your way under the skin and out towards the leg, loosening the gap.
• Stuff half the butter mix into the opened spaces under the skin. From the outside of the skin, gently massage the butter around the breasts so that the meat is evenly covered. Finally, insert the rest of the bay leaves under the skin of the breasts.
• Place the bird in a large roasting tray, breast side up. Spread the rest of the butter all over the skin. Season well with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil. (If preparing a day ahead, cover the turkey with foil and refrigerate at this stage.).
• Roast the turkey in the hot oven for 10-15 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven, baste the bird with the pan juices and lay the bacon rashers over the breast to keep it moist. Baste again. Lower the setting to 180°C/Gas 4 and cook for about 2½ hours (calculating at 30 minutes per kg), basting occasionally.
• To test whether your turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and check that the juices are running clear, rather than pink. As oven temperatures and turkey shapes and sizes vary, it is crucial to check your turkey about 30 minutes before the calculated roasting time. If the juices are pink, roast for another 15 minutes and check again. Repeat as necessary until the turkey is cooked.
• Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter and remove the parson's nose, wings and tips of the drumsticks; reserve these for the gravy. Leave the turkey to rest in a warm place for at least 45 minutes; make the gravy in the meantime. Remove the bay leaves from under the skin before carving. Serve the turkey with the piping hot gravy, stuffing and accompaniments.

JAB YOUR TURKEY WITH LEMON GARLIC MARINADE

Steps:

• In blender, combine olive oil and lemon juice.
• While blending, drop in garlic cloves one at a time.
• Gradually add lemon peel strips.
• Continue to blend until mixture is pureed.
• Using an injector, inject marinade into all parts of the thawed turkey.
• Strain marinade if difficulty passing through injector.
• Gently massage turkey to distribute marinade.
• Place turkey in a large plastic bag cooking bag.
• Close bag and refrigerate overnight.

LEMON-HERB TURKEY WITH LEMON-GARLIC GRAVY

Steps:

• For lemon-herb butter:
• Make 4 long 1/2-inch-deep cuts in lemon. Place in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high 2 minutes. Place garlic head in medium microwave-safe bowl; add enough water to cover garlic. Cover bowl and microwave on high until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer garlic to work surface; cool and peel.
• Pour any lemon juice from bowl into small cup. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into same cup; reserve juice for gravy. Scrape all fruit and pith from inside peel halves; discard insides. Chop peel. Blend peel and garlic in mini processor until finely chopped. Add butter and all remaining ingredients; process to blend. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to bowl. Cover lemon juice and lemon-herb butter separately; chill. Bring butter to room temperature before using. WELL PRESERVED: The microwave method for the lemon is a neat trick. It's a two-minute way to make fresh-tasting Moroccan-style "preserved" lemons (which usually take from one week to one month to cure). TEST-KITCHEN TIP: Fennel fronds, those delicate, feathery, dark-green leaves rising from the fresh fennel bulb, are jampacked with fennel flavor. At the market, look for fennel bulbs that still have the fronds attached (you'll find that some bulbs have been too closely trimmed).
• For turkey:
• Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325°F. Transfer 2 tablespoons lemon-herb butter to small bowl; reserve for gravy. Sprinkle main turkey cavity with salt and pepper and spread with 2 tablespoons lemon butter. Starting at neck end of turkey, carefully slide hand between skin and meat of breast, thighs, and upper drumsticks to loosen skin. Spread lemon butter over thigh and drumstick on both sides. Arrange a few lemon slices under skin. Spread remaining butter over breast meat; place lemon slices atop butter under skin. Fill main cavity with any remaining lemon slices, parsley and sage sprigs, and fennel fronds. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Tuck wing tips under.
• Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub outside of turkey all over with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour stock into pan. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, about 3 hours. Tilt turkey so juices from main cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent very loosely with foil; let rest at least 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan.
• For gravy:
• Scrape juices and browned bits from reserved roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough stock to juices to measure 1 2/3 cups.
• Heat reserved 2 tablespoons fat in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour; whisk until golden, about 4 minutes. Add degreased pan juices and 2 cups stock. Bring to boil, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until gravy is reduced to desired consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons reserved lemon butter, 2 tablespoons reserved lemon juice, lemon peel, and sugar, then herbs. Whisk in crème fraîche, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• *Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.