A deliciously-spiced twist on traditional turkey, this tandoori turkey has an especially scrumptious gravy. Perfect with mashed potatoes & roasted veggies.
Tandoori Turkey is a scrumptious spin on traditional turkey. It has an especially scrumptious gravy. And while the crispy, spiced skin is a sure departure from a classic Thanksgiving roast, the soul of the meal is the same. I’d insist that the new flavoursaddto the dish, rather than changing it in the dramatic sense that turkey purists would use as an argument against it.
Table of Contents hide
1Make the tandoori turkey marinade.
5How big a turkey do I need to buy and how does the cooking time change?
6But I want a normal turkey!
Make the tandoori turkey marinade.
The marinade includes yogurt, lots of lemon juice, and spices typically found in a well-stocked North-American pantry. Nothing that’ll have you trotting off to special grocery stores.
Tandoori turkey benefits from a spicy rub-down, but it’s not necessary to let it hang out in its yogurt bath overnight. An hour at room temperature is plenty. This has the double benefit of allowing theturkeyto come to room temperature before roasting. A cold turkey will cook too quickly on the outside before it gets hot enough on the outside.
Roast the turkey.
A low and slow method is the one I chose for this recipe, to give the marinade extra time to work its way in while the turkey cooks. A meat thermometer is your biggest ally. Avoid basting or opening the oven for any reason other than to tent the turkey with foil if the skin is getting too dark. Make sure you get the thickest part up to 160ºF and then let it rest for as long as you can before carving. An hour is ideal to let the juices redistribute within the meat, so they don’t all run out as soon as you slice.
Make the gravy.
The gravy makes use of the turkey juices as well as flour, chicken broth and a lump of butter to make it thick and flavourful. The spice in the gravy is subtle and delicious. It isn’t like butter chicken sauce. It’s like regular turkey gravy with notes of warm spices. Trust me.
What to pair it with.
Tandoori turkey is delicious with Samosa Potatoesbut is just as good with plain mashed potatoes. Simple root veggies roasted on a sheet pan at the same time as the turkey makes an easy side. I served mine with thick wedges of slow-roasted acorn squash. (Just drizzle with oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper!)
How big a turkey do I need to buy and how does the cooking time change?
I developed this recipe in partnership with Butterball on Instagram, but it was so yummy I had to share it here, too! I used their turkey calculator to decide how big a turkey to pick up based on the number of servings I wanted. It will also tell you how long you need to cook a different-sized bird.
But I want a normal turkey!
I respect that. Here’s my easy-peasy, no-drama, no-fail recipe and method for roasting a traditional turkey with moist breast meat and perfectly-cooked legs.
Related: The Authentic Chai Tea Recipe That Might Change Your Life
Pin This Recipe Print Recipe
Tandoori Turkey
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 4 hours hrs
Dinner
Indian
Keyword Tandoori Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 2- oz piece fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp sweet not hot paprika
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cayenne
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 9 kg/20 lb fresh whole turkey (thawed, if using frozen)
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion
For Gravy:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour or more, as needed
- 1 litre unsalted chicken broth cold or room temperature
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
Combine the first 12 ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Remove fresh turkey from bag. Remove neck from body cavity and giblets from neck cavity. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow (3" deep) roasting pan. Slather the yogurt-spice rub all over the turkey, sprinkle with black pepper, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Chop the onion in half and place it in the cavity.
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Position turkey on centre oven rack and roast until meat thermometer reads 180°F (82°C) in the thigh, about 4 hours. About half-way through cooking time, tent the turkey with foil if the skin is getting dark. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Place the roasting pan with all of the turkey bits and juices on the stove over medium heat. Place the flour in a bowl. Slowly drizzle one cup of the cold chicken broth into the flour, whisking constantly to make a smooth mixture without any lumps. Gradually whisk this flour mixture into the stove-top simmering juices, followed by the remaining broth and the butter. Allow the gravy to come to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened. Taste and add salt as needed. Strain into a serving bowl.
Last Updated on March 1, 2023 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD
FAQs
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›
Roasting the bird slowly, at a lower temperature is the best way to achieve tender meat. You should still prep the bird with butter, salt, and pepper, as described above (or dry-brine it). To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird.
How long to cook a turkey at 350 in a convection oven? ›
How Long Should You Cook the Bird?
| Turkey Weight | Cooking Time (unstuffed) | Cooking Time (stuffed) |
|---|
| 6 - 10 lbs. | 1 ½ - 2 hours | 1 ¾ - 2 ½ hours |
| 10 - 18 lbs. | 2 – 2 ½ hours | 2 ½ - 3 ¼ hours |
| 18 - 22 lbs. | 2 ½ - 3 hours | 3 ¼ - 3 ¾ hours |
| 22 - 24 lbs. | 3 – 3 ½ hours | 3 ¾ - 4 ¼ hours |
1 more rowNov 17, 2020
Information
- 8-12 lb turkey: 1 1/2 to 2 hours;
- 12 to 16 lb turkey: 2 to 2 1/2 hours;
- 16-20 lb turkey: 2 1/2 to 3 hours;
- 20-24 lb turkey: 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
But if you are roasting the turkey, be it whole turkey, breast, or leg on a regular roasting pan, foil is a good option. Basically the foil works in the same way a lid works—by trapping steam so the turkey stays moist throughout the roasting process. Simply tent the foil so that it loosely covers the whole turkey.
Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil while cooking? ›
The first job of turkey cooking is to not dry it out, and that is where your foil is going to help. Food Network says tenting a turkey will leave you with a much juicer result than going without, as the foil will trap steam and moisture. This means that starting out covered is the way to go.
How many hours do you cook a turkey at 325? ›
In general, you should plan to cook a turkey for around 15-20 minutes per pound of turkey at 325ºF to get to that temp.
- 10-12 pounds: cook 2 3/4 to 3 hours.
- 15-16 pounds: cook 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- 18-20 pounds: cook 4 to 4 1/2 hours.
Using a 325°F oven, here's a rough per pound guide from the pros at foodsafety.gov. These stuffed turkey cooking times have been tested and proven to work well by our Test Kitchen team: For 10- to 12-pound turkey, roast 3¼ hours to 3½ hours. For 12- to 14-pound turkey, roast 3½ to 4 hours.
How long does it take to cook a 15 lb turkey at 325? ›
How Long Do You Cook a 15-Pound Turkey at 325 Degrees? An unstuffed bird of 15 pounds will likely finish at around the 4-hour mark (or just before). A stuffed turkey will take at least 4 hours to cook, and typically takes an extra 15 minutes until you've hit that desired internal temperature.
Is it better to cook a turkey on bake or convection? ›
Convection ovens use a fan to move the hot air around, so food cooks about 30 percent faster than it does in a conventional bake oven, which does not have a fan. The lack of a fan in that regular oven means the air does not circulate as well and does not transfer heat to the food as readily as a convection oven does.
The main difference between baking and roasting oven settings is temperature. Large cuts of meat and firm vegetables have a roasting temperature of around 400°F and up, while the baking temperature for recipes like breads, pies and casseroles is around 350°F and lower.
What is the difference between convection bake and roast turkey? ›
Both convection bake and roast use different temperature levels. When roasting, the oven is kept at a higher temperature, around 400 degrees Fahrenheit to achieve the perfect browning. On the other hand, convection baking is done at a somewhat lower temperature, around 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
How many people does a 13 lb turkey feed? ›
How to Figure Out How Much Turkey Per Person
| Number of Guests | Turkey Weight– |
|---|
| 10 | 13lbs |
| 12 | 15lbs |
| 15 | 20lbs |
| 20 | 25lbs |
4 more rowsNov 21, 2022
The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°. That works out to approximately 3 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird (a 12-pound turkey is pretty standard).
What is the best temperature to cook a turkey? ›
What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter. The initial lower oven temperature cooks the turkey through evenly.
What temperature do you cook a turkey covered or uncovered? ›
Start at a high temperature (450°F for 45 minutes), then reduce to 325 degrees F. Let the turkey rest (30 minutes). Cover the turkey with aluminum foil to help it retain heat.
What are two ways to keep turkey from drying out? ›
5 Ways to Prevent Your Turkey from Drying Out
- Cook Pieces Instead of a Whole Turkey. ...
- If Cooking a Whole Turkey, Buy Frozen. ...
- Ditch the Plastic Pop-Up Timer; Use an Instant-Read Thermometer Instead. ...
- Elevate the Legs. ...
- Let the Turkey Rest.
Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.
How long should you cook turkey uncovered? ›
Bake turkey, uncovered, in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 3 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
