Baked & Roasted Turkey Recipes

Brining is a classic way to prep roast turkey for the oven. It infuses the meat with so much flavor from apple cider, celery, onion, oranges and fresh herbs. Spatchcocking is the technique of removing the backbone of a turkey or chicken and pressing the bird flat. It's a convenient way to speed up the roasting time and it results in evenly browned, moist turkey.

In this healthy roast turkey recipe, brining keeps the turkey moist and a homemade bay-spice mix gives the turkey amazing flavor. Diced celery root or parsnip adds flavor and texture to the gravy. A heritage, natural or organic turkey, without added sodium solution (found in most conventional turkeys), tastes best in this recipe. If you have a conventional bird, just skip the brining (Step 1). The recipe that's included for Bay Spice Blend makes 1 cup; if you want to skip the step of making the spice blend, you can substitute Old Bay Seasoning.

Plan ahead to make this succulent turkey recipe--brining the turkey for 12 to 18 hours before roasting makes the meat super-juicy and flavorful. The gravy, made silky-smooth in a blender (no lumps!), is thickened with potatoes instead of cornstarch or flour.

Simmer antioxidant-rich cherries in a quick pan sauce spiked with whiskey and cranberry juice; it's luscious on turkey tenderloin (a lean but flavorful, quick-cooking cut you might have overlooked in the poultry case). Make it a meal: Serve with egg noodles.

This Ethiopian-spice-rubbed turkey recipe has just the right amount of curry-like seasoning to make it exciting but still at home on a Thanksgiving table. There's enough au jus left in the roasting pan for any traditionalists to drizzle over their turkey; use the citrus aioli for dipping or for turkey sandwiches the next day.

In this delicious brined turkey recipe, the turkey marinates in a cider brine before roasting to ensure moist, flavorful meat. Plan on about 1 pound of turkey per person when buying your bird.

Bay leaves in the dry rub and fresh sage guarantee that this easy turkey recipe has tons of flavor. Leaving the turkey uncovered in the fridge creates the crispiest skin. Look for a heritage, organic or natural turkey, which won't contain the sodium solution that's pumped into most conventional turkeys.

A glaze of bourbon and mustard is sweetened with brown sugar and is rubbed under and brushed over the turkey skin to infuse the roasting meat with a subtle richness.

Here we fill a boned turkey breast with roasted plum tomatoes, fresh breadcrumbs and prosciutto then bake it for a pretty dish for entertaining. A creamy basil sauce is the perfect counterpoint. Boning a whole turkey breast is not difficult, but if you are daunted by the prospect, ask the butcher to bone it for you.

This roast turkey recipe is flavored with sage and served with gravy made extra-tasty with the lemony pan drippings from the turkey and bay leaves in the giblet stock. The salt rub in this recipe acts as a “dry brine,” plumping and seasoning the meat for moist, juicy, flavorful turkey.

The New Mexico state question is "Red or Green?"—that is, which color chile do you like? Chef Jonathan Perno, considered a key interpreter of New Mexican cuisine, tempers the red chile sauce with orange juice to glaze the bird. He calls for a spatchcocked or butterflied turkey, which cooks more quickly and evenly. Ask your butcher to do it for you to save time.

This gorgeous herb-rubbed turkey--complete with luscious gravy--is the quintessential holiday centerpiece. It is particularly fitting for Thanksgiving because Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese island of the same name, flowed like water through the Colonies, having arrived here as ballast in ships. Sweet and mellow, reminiscent of sherry, Madeira beautifully enhances a turkey gravy.

During the autumn season in Italy, turkey is often deliciously paired with a stuffing of chestnuts and sausage. The wild turkey was brought to Europe from the New World, and once domesticated, returned there to breed as the classic festive bird. It also became one of the large courtyard fowl animals in Lombardy. With Italy being one of the largest producers of chestnuts, it was expedient to put the two together in another happy marriage of New and Old World.

Here's the best roast turkey recipe for your holiday festivities. To make the gravy, use instant flour (aka Wondra), which is flour that has been steam-treated then dried. You can use it straight from its package to thicken gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey without making a slurry, as you would have to with regular flour, to get lump-free results every time.

A big turkey is so spectacular you hardly need to do anything to embellish it. But brining can be that extra touch that makes it so juicy and flavorful that you'll remember it for years to come. Brining the turkey takes 3 days so you'll need to plan ahead, but the lengthy brining time really pays off with fabulous flavor. Make sure you start with an all-natural bird without any added water and sodium solution. Recipe adapted from Alice Waters.

When José Andrés commandeered an army of chefs and other kitchen pros to make Thanksgiving dinner for 40,000 in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, they served roasted brined turkey breasts. We've adapted the recipe used in Puerto Rico for this roast turkey and gravy.

A rub made of herbs, lemon zest, and garlic infuses every bite of this juicy bird. It's accompanied by a rich homemade gravy made from pan drippings and a touch of cream.

These turkey tenderloins are sliced and stuffed with a delicious herb mixture, wrapped in bacon, browned in a skillet and then roasted in the oven. Don't forget to drizzle some pan juices on each serving!

Mellow white miso paste is the secret ingredient in this amazing roast turkey rubbed with Meyer lemon and roasted garlic. The miso gives the turkey a mildly salted taste without the hassle of brining.

Give leftover turkey new life with these delicious stuffed potatoes. A drizzle of homemade honey-mustard dressing soaks into the hot potatoes, adding tons of flavor.

This cranberry-glazed turkey breast recipe, which uses a split bone-in turkey breast, is the perfect thing to make if you're serving a smaller crowd or if everyone wants white meat. The wild rice pilaf recipe is delicious on its own so you can make it even if you don't prepare the turkey.

This elegant entrée is a refreshing change of pace from heavier holiday foods. Serve it on a cool bed of fresh salad greens.