Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 2 skin-on, boneless turkey breasts (2–4 lb. total), patted dry
• 2 skin-on, bone-in turkey legs (3–4 lb. total), patted dry
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper
• 3 small oranges, halved, or quartered if larger
• 3 shallots, unpeeled, halved through root ends
• 6 sprigs thyme
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Thyme sprigs (for serving; optional)

Method

1. Let the patted-dry turkey breasts and legs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before you start.
2. Position two racks toward the middle of the oven and heat it to 325°.
3. Whisk the melted butter with the maple syrup, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt and freshly ground pepper until smooth, then spread the mixture all over the turkey pieces, coating the skin especially well.
4. Lay very large sheets of parchment on two rimmed baking sheets and divide the halved oranges, halved shallots and thyme sprigs between them, arranged in the centre of each sheet.
5. Put the turkey breasts on one sheet and the legs on the other, cover each with another large sheet of parchment and fold and crimp the edges together several times to seal airtight packets.
6. Bake the packets for 60–80 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until a thermometer pushed into the thickest part of a breast and a leg reads 150°; start checking at 45 minutes and recheck every 15 minutes, since the legs and breasts may finish at different times.
7. If you are making the turkey ahead, let the unopened packets cool, consolidate them onto one baking sheet, wrap tightly and chill for up to 3 days.
8. About 30 minutes before serving, heat the oven to 475°, put both packets on one baking sheet and remove the top sheet of parchment from each.
9. Brush about half the olive oil over the turkey skin and bake for 25–30 minutes, rotating the sheet and brushing on the remaining oil halfway through, until the skin is deep golden brown and the meat is warmed through at about 130° in the thickest part.
10. Rest the turkey on a cutting board for 15 minutes, then carve it and arrange it on a platter with the pooled juices and butter spooned over and the roasted oranges, shallots and extra thyme sprigs tucked around.

Cook: 45 minutes · Total: 2 hours 45 minutes (plus cooling)

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data