The Perfect Grapefruit Turkey Recipes for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is that time when families come together to share delicious food and spend quality time together. One tasty recipe you can try this year is grapefruit turkey! The sweet and tangy flavor of grapefruit makes the turkey juicy and full of flavor.
If this sounds like something you’d love to try, you’re in for a treat! Keep reading to find out how to make this perfect grapefruit turkey for your holiday table.
Key Takeaways
- One absolutely delicious dish you have to try is the grapefruit-roasted turkey. It’s flavorful, festive, and easy to make.
- With some turkey filets or your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, you can make a delicious turkey salad.
- For a sweet and tangy side, try making grapefruit sweet potatoes, a perfect complement to your turkey dishes.
- Winter Sweetz offers delicious Texas Rio red grapefruit that’s perfect for your recipes.
Grapefruit-Roasted Turkey
This grapefruit-roasted turkey is perfect for your Thanksgiving table. It's juicy, tender, and full of citrus flavor.
Ingredients For the Turkey
- 1 Texas Rio red grapefruit, halved
- 2 small lemons
- 1 small orange, halved
- ½ cup of chopped chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of coarse salt
- 1 (12-pound) turkey, with giblets
- ¾ cup of softened unsalted butter
Ingredients For the Gravy
- 1 cup of white wine
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Directions
- Take the turkey out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking, so it can come to room temperature. Then preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Zest both lemons into a small bowl, then cut them into half sections.
- In a bowl, mix ½ cup of softened butter with the lemon zest and chopped chives. Squeeze in juice from half a lemon and stir until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Remove the packet of giblets from the turkey cavity. Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the turkey breast (and legs if you can) to make small pockets.
- Spread the butter mixture under the skin that covers the breast and legs, filling the pockets evenly.
- Coat the turkey with the remaining butter and season the top with about 1½ tablespoons of coarse salt.
- Slice your orange and grapefruit into vertical sections.
- Place the halved lemons, as well as the orange and grapefruit slices, inside the turkey cavity. Give each piece a gentle squeeze as you add it so a little juice is released.
- Rinse the giblets and pat them dry with paper towels. Spread them in the bottom of a large roasting pan, then set the turkey on top. Tuck the wing tips under the bird.
- Roast the turkey at 450°F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting. Total roasting time will be about 15 minutes per pound. The turkey is done when the instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175 to 180°F (79 to 82°C).
- Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place it on a cutting board or platter. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- To make the gravy, set the roasting pan on the stove over low heat. Pour in 1 cup of white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and stir.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Stir it into the pan, then add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Whisk until smooth and well blended.
- Strain the sauce into a small saucepan to remove solids, then simmer over low heat until the gravy thickens and becomes smooth. Do this for about 8 minutes, then turn off the heat and taste.
- Carve your turkey and serve with your delicious gravy!
Grapefruit Turkey Salad
If you're looking for a way to use leftover turkey, this grapefruit turkey salad combines tender turkey breast with other ingredients for a fresh, flavorful meal.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups of couscous
- 2 Texas Rio red grapefruits
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ tablespoons of olive oil
- 1–2 spring onions
- 70 grams of baby rocket leaves, or baby spinach
- 500 grams of turkey breast fillets
- ½ cup of macadamia nuts
Directions
- Cut one of your grapefruits in half and juice out ½ cup of juice. With the remaining fruit, peel and cut into segments.
- Pour the grapefruit juice and one tablespoon of olive oil into a jar with a tight lid. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, seal, and shake well to make the dressing.
- Boil 1½ cups of water in a kettle.
- Then, place the couscous in a large, heatproof bowl. Pour in the boiling water, cover, and let it sit for about 5 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
- Gently fluff the couscous grains with a fork to separate them.
- While the couscous rests, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Sprinkle the turkey breast fillets with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they’re completely cooked through. (You can also use leftover Thanksgiving turkey!)
- Remove from the pan and slice the turkey thinly.
- Slice and fry the spring onions in the same pan and cook for about 3 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
- Combine the couscous, grapefruit segments, sliced turkey, rocket or spinach, macadamias, and the grapefruit dressing in a large bowl.
- Toss gently to mix, then serve the turkey salad in individual bowls.
Bonus Recipe! Grapefruit Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit sweet potatoes are a sweet and tangy side that pairs perfectly with turkey. It's a delicious upgrade to your usual Thanksgiving sides.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- 3 large Texas Rio red grapefruits
- 12 sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons of dark rum
- ½ cup of butter or margarine
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Peel and cut two grapefruits into sections. Measure out two cups' worth of sections. Cut the third grapefruit in half and squeeze out ½ cup of juice. Set both the juice and sections aside for later.
- Then, bake the sweet potatoes until they’re soft enough to mash. Remove the skins and mash them in a large bowl.
- Add about six tablespoons of butter or margarine and one tablespoon of dark rum and stir until smooth, then set the bowl aside.
- In a medium sauté pan, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and stir constantly until it dissolves and begins to bubble.
- Mix in the grapefruit sections and cook until the liquid reduces by about half.
- Pour in the grapefruit juice and the remaining two tablespoons of rum, then cook for about 1 minute to blend the flavors.
- Pour the warm grapefruit mixture over the mashed sweet potatoes. Stir everything together until evenly coated.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Bring a Fresh Twist to Your Holiday Table With The Perfect Grapefruit Turkey Recipes
If you’ve never tried a turkey grapefruit recipe before, this is your sign to give it a shot! It’s a refreshing change from the usual Thanksgiving flavors. Whether you brine your bird or roast it with herbs, you’ll have a perfect festive dish. You can even take inspiration from other red grapefruit recipes or create creative grapefruit desserts that brighten up your holiday table.
At Winter Sweetz, we’re proud to grow the juiciest Texas Rio red grapefruit, perfect for your next grapefruit turkey recipe, or any other Thanksgiving grapefruit recipe you’re planning. Our delicious grapefruit is currently out of season, but you can sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when it’s back in stock.
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