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Roast turkey on a serving platter with cranberry sauce.

How to Cook a Turkey: Easy Roast Turkey with Cranberry Chutney

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 12
Dinner
American
Keyword Easy Turkey

Ingredients
 
 

For Turkey

  • 1 turkey thawed if frozen
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried)
  • salt
  • black pepper

For Cranberry Chutney

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 cup onion
  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • 3 cups cranberries
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • tsp cloves
  • pinch salt

Instructions
 

For Turkey

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF. Position turkey breast-side up on an oiled rack placed inside a shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Remove neck and giblets from turkey cavity.
  • Gently use your fingers to lift the skin of the turkey breast. Mash the sage into the butter and smear butter evenly over the entire turkey, gently pushing it under the skin of the breast. Sprinkle turkey all over with salt and black pepper.
  • Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the roasting pan.
    Roast turkey for approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes, covering the neck and wings with foil about halfway through to prevent over-browning. A meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, should register 165ºF. Let turkey rest at room temperature for one hour to redistribute the juices.

For Cranberry Chutney

  • In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes, reducing heat if starting to crisp. Add ginger and cook a minute more.
  • Stir in cranberries, water, sugar, maple syrup, vinegar and cloves. Simmer, uncovered, until cranberries pop, about 10 minutes; cool to room temperature or refrigerate. Serve turkey with cranberry chutney.

Video

Notes

  • Plan about 11 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey and begin checking the temperature 45 minutes before you expect it to be done. 
  • If you have a convection oven, you can cook it at 325ºF on convection and it will be done up to an hour sooner. 

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 0.4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 9mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 274IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.2mg
Keyword Easy Turkey