Host the Coziest Thanksgiving Ever with This Maple Glazed Turkey!
If you’re tired of the same old Thanksgiving turkey, this Maple Glazed Turkey is a delicious way to shake things up while still serving those classic, cozy fall flavors at your holiday table.
The foundation of this recipe is the Spatchcock Turkey method, which has been my go-to since my first Thanksgiving dinner (a near disaster, saved by this miracle method! 😅). Spatchcocking (aka butterflying) cooks the turkey faster and more evenly, ensuring juicy, flavorful meat every time.
Once spatchcocked, the turkey is slathered with herb butter and glazed with pure maple syrup. As it roasts, the syrup’s natural sugars caramelize, creating a beautifully golden, crispy skin—it’s seriously magazine-worthy!
I’ve shared countless Thanksgiving recipes over the years, but this maple turkey remains one of my personal favorites. I’ve meticulously tested it to guarantee perfect results every time.
August 2024 Recipe Updates! ⇢ With a few recent tweaks—extra butter and roasting on a baking sheet for the fastest, most even cook—this turkey is always a show-stopping centerpiece that’s juicy, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to prepare. (And the fact that it’s ready in just 2 hours? That’s the icing on the cake! 🤩)
The result? The best turkey you’ll ever make! The savory herbs and sweet syrup create a perfect balance of flavors that taste like a cozy fall day. Paired with all your favorite Thanksgiving sides, your guests will love this fun twist on a holiday classic!
🦃Craving a more traditional Thanksgiving turkey? ⇢ I’ve got you! 🙌🏼 Try my Lemon Herb Butter Roasted Spatchcock Turkey, which delivers the same foolproof and juicy results, but with classic poultry flavors like lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs.
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
Why Spatchcock? The Easy Way to Roast Turkey Better (and Faster!)
I first learned how to spatchcock a turkey 10+ years ago, and it’s been my go-to Thanksgiving turkey method ever since.
To spatchcock (aka butterfly) a turkey, you’ll remove the backbone so the bird lies flat, which cuts the roasting time in half and guarantees an insanely juicy result. No more dried-out white meat while waiting for the dark meat to finish cooking! 🙌🏼
New to spatchcocking? ⇢ No worries! I’ve got you covered with my How to Spatchcock a Turkey Guide, complete with step-by-step photos and videos to walk you through every detail.
🦃Thanksgiving Prep Tip! ⇢ Spatchcock your turkey the night before your holiday dinner. It takes less than 30 minutes, and by prepping in advance, you can jump right into seasoning and roasting on Thanksgiving morning—easy as that!
3 additional turkey prep tips to consider…
- Choose the right size. This recipe works best with a 12-16 pound turkey, which will feed roughly 12-16 people. Hosting a larger crowd? Roast 2 smaller maple glazed turkeys instead of one large bird for easier cooking (and extra crispy skin! 😋).
- Don’t forget to thaw! If your turkey is frozen, plan ahead! Allow 24 hours of refrigerated thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey—for a 12-16 pound bird, that’s about 3-4 days of thawing.
- To brine or not to brine? Some store-bought turkeys are pre-treated with a saline solution (essentially a brine). If that’s the case, skip the brine—it can actually make the meat too salty! But if you’re working with an untreated turkey (like one from a local farm), I recommend dry brining with salt and brown sugar to keep the meat juicy. Check the Recipe Notes below for step-by-step brining instructions.
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Buy Now → Seasoning the Bird: Butter, Garlic, Fresh Herbs, and Maple Syrup
This maple glazed turkey gets its flavor from 2 simple layers of seasoning: a rich maple herb butter and a pure maple syrup glaze. As the turkey roasts, the herb butter melts into the meat, while the maple glaze adds a glossy, subtly sweet finish with perfectly crispy, caramelized skin.
High-quality, pure maple syrup is a must—no pancake syrup here! 🙅🏻♀️ The natural sugars in real maple syrup caramelize beautifully, giving the turkey an earthy sweetness that takes it to the next level.
To prepare the maple herb compound butter…
🦃Thanksgiving Prep Tip! ⇢ Make the maple herb butter in advance. Save time on Thanksgiving morning by prepping the maple herb butter ahead. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 1 week—just remember to pull it out early so it softens to room temperature before roasting.
How to Make a Maple Glazed Turkey
👩🏻🍳Note from the test kitchen! (August 2024 recipe update) ⇢ I’ve been perfecting this maple glazed turkey recipe for over 5 years, meticulously tweaking it to ensure foolproof, juicy, and flavorful results. After some reader feedback, I switched from a roasting pan to a wire-rimmed baking sheet for quicker and more even cooking.
Butter the bird. Slathering spatchcock turkey with butter adds incredible flavor—it melts into the meat as it roasts. Gently work ⅓ of the maple herb compound butter under the skin of the turkey, spreading it across the surface of the meat.
Inject the turkey with maple herb butter. Melt the remaining maple herb butter in the microwave, then use a turkey injector to push the seasoning directly into the meat.
Roast the spatchcock turkey on a large baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. This setup allows air to circulate around the bird, ensuring faster and more even cooking. Tip! ⇢ Place carrots, onions, and celery under the rack. These veggies will infuse the pan drippings and create an insanely flavorful base for your gravy!
Baste and glaze. As the turkey roasts, baste it with the pan drippings and glaze it with maple syrup. Baste and glaze once after the initial roast, then repeat every 20 minutes until the turkey is fully cooked. Tip! ⇢ For even browning, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees each time you return the turkey to the oven.
Determining Turkey Doneness
The best way to ensure your turkey is perfectly cooked is by using a thermometer. A probe thermometer can help track the temperature as the turkey roasts, but always double-check with an instant-read thermometer for accuracy. Be sure to check the breasts, thighs, and legs to get a full read.
While the USDA recommends cooking turkey to 165°F, I find that pulling the turkey from the oven at 150°F yields the juiciest results. The turkey’s carry-over heat will bring it up to the perfect temperature as it rests, preventing the meat from drying out. For more details, check out this great analysis by J. Kenji López-Alt—but feel free to cook your turkey to whatever temperature feels right for you!
Resting, Carving, and Serving Your Maple Glazed Turkey
Rest, rest, rest! 🧖🏻♀️🧖🏻♂️ ⇢ Resist the urge to dig in right away—spatchcocked turkey needs about 30 minutes of rest before carving. This allows the juices to settle and redistribute throughout the bird, ensuring every bite is moist and flavorful.
It’s all gravy, baby! 🕺🏻💃🏻 ⇢ While your maple glazed turkey rests, it’s the perfect time to prepare the gravy. To ensure none of the turkey’s rich flavor goes to waste, I always make my Easy Turkey Gravy From Drippings recipe. It’s creamy, luscious, and lump-free—the perfect finishing touch for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Carving a spatchcock turkey is similar to carving a whole bird, even though it’s laid flat. Start by removing the legs, drumsticks, and wings, then use a sharp knife to cut the meat away from the breasts. The turkey will be so tender and juicy, it should come apart easily! Finally, slice the light and dark meat into serving-sized pieces for your guests.
At this point, all that’s missing are your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, some stretchy pants, and a post-dinner snooze! 😉
I can’t wait for you to try this Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey! It’s the foolproof, juicy Thanksgiving turkey of your dreams, with a fun, fall-inspired twist. Everyone will love this stunning holiday centerpiece!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Sticky-Sweet Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey (Guaranteed Juicy!)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 10–12 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, Poultry & Turkey Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes
- Method: Spatchcock, Butterflied, Roasted
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Shake up your Thanksgiving dinner with this Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey!
It’s the perfect blend of classic holiday flavors with a cozy fall twist, thanks to a garlic herb compound butter, a sticky-sweet maple glaze, and spatchcocking (aka butterflying)—my go-to method for an insanely juicy bird.
The result is a super-flavorful, perfectly roasted turkey ready in 2 hours or less—guaranteed to be the star of your holiday table!
August 2024 Recipe Update: Based on reader feedback, I’ve retested and slightly adjusted this recipe for even better results. You’ll notice a couple of updates: I’ve swapped the roasting pan for a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, which promotes quicker, more even cooking. (If you don’t have a baking sheet, a shallow roasting pan is the best alternative.) I’ve also added a step to inject butter directly into the turkey meat to ensure it stays juicy and flavorful throughout. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- maple herb butter (below)
- one 12–14 pound turkey, spatchcocked (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, divided
for the maple herb butter:
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) very soft unsalted butter
- 1 ounce hardy fresh herbs (approx. 3 sprigs rosemary, 20 sage leaves, 20 sprigs thyme; see Recipe Notes)
- 10 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prep: About 1 hour before roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator. If needed, remove from the packaging and spatchcock—for more guidance, check out my step-by-step How to Spatchcock a Turkey guide. Set aside to warm slightly at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, ensuring a rack is in the center position.
- Prepare the maple herb butter: Remove the fresh herbs from the stems and place the leaves in a food processor with the garlic. Pulse to roughly chop, then let the food processor run for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is very finely chopped. Add the butter and maple syrup to the food processor. Season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Pulse to combine well. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and set aside.
- Butter the turkey meat: First, separate the turkey skin from the meat: carefully work your hand under the skin and sweep side to side to separate the skin from the meat—for the breasts, lift the skin from the bottom of the breasts near the groin and work your way up; for the legs, lift the skin on the outside of the thigh and work your way to the drumstick. Be careful not to tear the skin. Next, spread ⅓ of the maple butter between the skin and meat: Grab some of the butter with your hand, then use the same motions to work the butter between the skin and meat.
- Inject the turkey with the remaining butter: Melt the remaining maple butter in the microwave. Working in batches, draw the butter into a meat injector and inject the butter directly into the breasts and legs. For best results, pierce through the skin as few times as possible, but rotate and shift the needle as you inject to ensure the meat is seasoned thoroughly. See blog post above, for more guidance.
- Prepare for roasting: Arrange the celery, carrots, and onions on a rimmed full baking sheet. (For an extra-flavorful gravy, place the turkey neck and spine on the baking sheet too.) Place a wire rack over top. Set the seasoned spatchcock turkey on the rack, breast side facing up. Gently tuck the wing tips behind the breasts to prevent burning. Pat the surface of the turkey dry with paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over the turkey, then season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Roast the turkey: Transfer the turkey to the oven. Roast at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. After the first 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 400 degrees F and remove the turkey. Baste the turkey by carefully spoon or brush the drippings in the bottom of the pan all over the skin, then use a pastry brush to lightly glaze the turkey with maple syrup. Return to the oven, rotating the pan 180 degrees for even browning. Roast the turkey 1 hour longer, basting and glazing the turkey and rotating the pan every 20 minutes, until your desired doneness is reached (see Recipe Notes).
- Rest: Carefully transfer the roasted turkey to a cutting board. Tent with foil and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving. This is a great time to make homemade gravy using the roasted turkey drippings—check out my Easy Turkey Gravy recipe.
- Carve and serve: Once the turkey is rested, carve as desired. I like to remove the legs first, slicing the thigh meat and shredding the drumstick. Remove the breasts from the bone then slice against the grain. Enjoy!
Notes
Turkey Prep Tricks:
- *REMINDER: If frozen, be sure to thaw your turkey well before the day you plan to roast it! The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is by placing it in the coolest section of your refrigerator. As a general rule of thumb, plan for 24 hours of refrigerated thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey (e.g. a 12-14 pound turkey requires 3-4 days refrigerated thawing).
- To brine, or not to brine? After testing this recipe both with and without a brine numerous times, I don’t think brining is entirely necessary for a roasted spatchcock turkey. One of the benefits of spatchcocking turkey is the quicker roasting time, which helps keep the meat moist and juicy. Injecting the turkey meat with butter also helps ensure a flavorful result. That said, a few details to keep in mind:
- Many store-bought turkeys (from brands like Jennie-O, Butterball, Honeysuckle White, etc.) are injected with a salt solution—effectively, they’re already brined! If the package indicates that the turkey is treated with a salt solution, I don’t suggest extra brining—doing so may make your turkey too salty.
- If using a fresh or farm turkey (i.e. one not pre-treated with a salt solution), dry brining 12-24 hours before roasting is a simple step that helps ensure a juicier result. To dry brine, mix ¼ cup kosher salt and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Separate the skin from the meat as described in Step 3, above. Sprinkle the dry brine mix over the surface of the turkey (above the skin, not directly on the meat)—use just enough dry brine to lightly cover the surface of the turkey, discarding any excess dry brine. Place the seasoned turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 12-24 hours prior to roasting. To roast, proceed as described in Steps 1-6, above, omitting any extra salt on the surface of the turkey in Step 5.
Roasting time and determining doneness:
- To what temperature do you roast turkey? The food safe temperature for turkey breast is 165 degrees F. For juiciest results, I like to pull the turkey from the oven when the thickest part of the breast registers 150 degrees F and let its carry-over heat continue to cook it to doneness as it rests. This article does a great job of explaining the science behind turkey doneness and food safety.
- Roasting time varies based on the size of your turkey, the temperature of your oven, and the depth of your roasting pan. In my oven, a 12-14 pound turkey is typically ready after roasting for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes. A larger turkey and/or deeper roasting pan require longer cook time – adjust as needed to reach desired doneness.
Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Prep Tips:
- Prep the maple herb butter up to 1 week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The morning of your holiday meal, pull the butter from the fridge to soften to room temperature.
- Spatchcock the turkey up to 1 day in advance. Dry brine if desired (see above), then place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and store in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight. The turkey skin loses some of excess moisture, resulting in an even crispier, golden brown turkey!
Storage and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover turkey will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: Leftover turkey is also very freezer-friendly. Transfer cooled leftover turkey to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and use as desired.
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Questions:
1.) For a farm-fresh turkey, do you recommend doing a dry brine while it is still whole, or in the spatchcocked state?
2.) Could you share why it should be Uncovered in the fridge, during the dry-brine? Would it be at all detrimental if I need to keep it covered, while it is in the fridge?
3.)Would it be bad to roast it flat in its pan, without suspending it on a rack in the bottom?
Thank you so much for the helpful recipe, I’m really excited about this one! : )
Hi K! So glad to hear you’re excited about this recipe. I think you’ll love it. 🙂
To answer your questions:
1. I suggest dry brining your farm-fresh turkey once it’s already been spatchcocked. I have more guidance on exact dry brine prep and placement in the Recipe Notes, above. Check that out and let me know if you have any questions!
2. I leave the turkey uncovered to help the skin dry out a little bit more and ensure crispy results. Additionally, since a dry brine pulls moisture out of the turkey, it’s best to keep the turkey in a dry environment (e.g. uncovered) to prevent bacteria growth. If you prefer to cover your turkey, I would guess that loosely covering it with plastic wrap would be the best way to go.
3. The rack helps keep the turkey above the drippings (especially helpful for a glazed bird like this one), but if you do not have a rack I think you’ll be ok. 🙂
Let me know if this helps, or if any other questions come up as you prep!
Jess
You’re awesome, Thanks so much for the quick, thoughtful reply, just when I needed it. I think I’m good to go from here!
So glad to hear! 🙂 Happy cooking and be sure to check back to let us know how things went.
Jess
Last year I discovered spatchcocking, but it was a brined turkey. Turned out juicy but SALTY. So, I looked for a better spatchcock recipe and found this. Knew I had to try it. It did not disappoint! This may very well be my new go-to recipe!
Hi Jeff! Totally agree that using herb butter vs. brine can help to control how much the bird is salted & seasoned! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe & included it in your Thanksgiving menu!
This recipe is absolutely fantastic. Easy to follow, this was the best turkey I’ve ever made and my family loved it!
This was one of a couple PWWB recipes we made for our little Thanksgiving this year, and OH BOY was it the right choice. This was my first year making a turkey on my own (I know…it was past due), but this made it super easy! Spatchcocking? GAME CHANGER and SO easy. Plus maple syrup? *chef’s kiss*.
Despite my personal struggle-bus ride trying to butter the whole turkey up, it turned out beautifully crispy outside and mouthwateringly (sure…that’s a word) juicy on the inside.
Thank you so much for this super wonderful recipe!
Thank you SO much for sharing Carrie, it means so much! Spatchcocking truly is a game changer!! Be on the look out for a fun grilled spatchcock chicken we have coming soon this summer – it’s going to be SO good!
I want to try this recipe for Thanksgiving but the stuffing from the bird is my husbands favorite part of Thanksgiving. Is there a way to still stuff a bird when using this technique?
Hey there, Kelsey! You can’t stuff a spatchcoked turkey since it lays flat, but you can still make dressing on the side! This is my family’s dressing/stuffing recipe, & I 100% recommend it!
Made this turkey last year and will probably make it for every Thanksgiving in the future. Was perfect and juicy!
Yesssss, it’s the best turkey! So glad you & your family enjoy it, Emily. Happy Thanksgiving! xx
This is the first (and only) recipe/method I’ve ever used to make a turkey, and it turned out PERFECTLY. My niece even jumped in and helped spatchcock the bird…I’m thinking she will be a surgeon or a vet one day! The whole family raved about how moist and flavorful it was. I’d call my first time hosting a success!
LOVE. THIS. SO. MUCH! Thank you for trusting my recipe & for sharing, Anna!!! Sounds like you DO have a little surgeon/vet(/chef??) in the making! Love it. xx
So this is the first turkey recipe (and only) that I’ve ever cooked, but I can say without a doubt that it’s the best turkey I’ve ever eaten. So moist. So fun to spatchcock (my niece hopped in and wanted to help me…maybe she’ll be a surgeon?!). So delicious.
Maple herb butter, yes please!
…RIGHT?!