Ma Lipo's Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Onion and Shallot Gravy

I hardly ever cook, so when it was my turn to host thanksgiving dinner, I went looking for a recipe and instructions. This recipe sounded wonderful--and it turned out fabulous. The turkey came out a gorgeous glossy dark caramel color. We put it on a white platter and placed curley endive and green leaf lettuce around the edges, then dropped fresh whole cranberries here and there. It looked like a magazine picture, tasted delicious, and everyone was very impressed with me, thank you very much!!

i've made this recipe 6 times(including my 1st turkey day. Make sure to whip out your meat thermometer for the 22 lbs bird! The glaze and the gravy are excellent, lthere will be none left! Try using homemade jam as an ingredient for the glaze. I use mexican canned nectar for the glaze as well, cheap and tasty.

Not a Big Hit at my house. I am glad that I tried this before Thanksgiving. Maybe we are just old fashion. I will use the butter rub again, the meat was very moist. The kids and my husband hated the glaze, they thought it was to sweet. The kids wouldn't even try the onion gravy even after they couldn't see the onions. Both my husband and I didn't care for the gravy either.

This is an excellent recipe - especially the onion/shallot gravy. I do not like gravy, usually, but this gravy just makes my mouth water thinking about it!!! I tried this recipe last Thanksgiving, and everyone really liked it. I will definitely use it for this coming Thanksgiving. I just can't get my fill of that gravy!!! :o) UPDATE: I've used this recipe for several years now, and every single time I make it, people REALLY like it! My mom's expecting this again this Thanksgiving! It's become our family tradition for Thanksgiving turkey! :oD ;>~ This and Leeza's Cranberry Sauce Extraordinaire are two of the best recipes on allrecipes.com!!!

Wonderful, my turkey was fabulous. It was moist, tender and tasty. The only change I would make is too start basting it later as the with the glaze it darkened way too much. The gravy was awesome. Thanks for sharing!

I used the apricot-glaze to go on my Thanksgiving turkey this year. It was perfect. As a main recipe I used the "Perfect Turkey" recipe. The glaze gave a nice contrast to the hearty taste of the wine and the veggie and herb mix used in the other recipe. It was a nice refreshing contrast that everyone enjoyed.

I had a craving for turkey so I bought a whole bone-in breast. I didn't want it to taste like my normal Thanksgiving turkey, so I tried this recipe. It was wonderful. I have to admit that I left out the sage because I wanted the sweetness of the apricots and onions without any interference. This was a great, different taste for turkey (of which I'm usually not a big fan, I make it normally once a year). I'll definitely use this recipe again. Thanks Christine!

I made this recipe last year for Thanksgiving. It was my first time making the Thanksgiving turkey for my family and my husband's family. Everyone loved it. I made it with a cornbread stuffing recipe I also found here and it was a great combination. I can't wait to eat it again!

I used a smaller turkey and followed the cooking instructions on the bag rather than those indicated in the recipe. The only changes in the whole recipe were dried sage, and chicken bouillon cube + water for the stock. Fiance and son loved it, I found the glaze a little sweet and it overpowered the herbs in the herb butter rub. This was my second turkey, and it was a success this time. Nice recipe if you want a change from traditional.

This was the best recipe yet! It was delicious. I will make this turkey next year. I used a smaller turkey than indicated in the recipe but used the original amounts for the glaze, butter and gravy. After reading all of the rave reviews about the gravy I wanted to make sure that I had enough and I a soooo glad I did. I did not have turkey left for a second meal. bb in Hotlanta!

I first made this in 1991 and we have been using this recipe about once a year since then. Everyone always likes it.

Have done this for a couple of years now, the whole family asks for it by name "Ma Lipo's turkey please." Usually only bast once with the apricot glaze to cut down on the sweetness. Even my son, who hates onions, loves this gravy. Turkey always turns out so moist and yummy.

This was alot of work for not very outstanding results. The onion gravy was delicious, though.

didn't make the gravy, but the turkey was delicious, very moist & flavorful.

This is the second year I made this turkey.. My family just loves it, even a very picky son-in-law who usually does not like turkey went back for seconds of it.

Terrific Turkey Recipe. Most of the prepwork can be done in the preceding days. (slice the onions and shallots, make the butter, and make the glaze). I also brined the turkey which kept it exceptionally moist and I didn't need to do the steps with the tenting etc. The gravy I was skeptical of, I am a gravy flunkee - this was sooo easy and very flavorful. I preferred it to the traditional gravy we also served that day. My husband said this was the best turkey he's ever tasted. We had it for thanksgiving and are having it for Christmas again.

Very good & flavorful! I normally bake this in a reynolds oven bag upside down. The first year I made the apricot glaze & onions then added to the bag with the turkey prior to baking. The second year I made that part seperate & served on the side once the bird was carved. Having it on the side was more flavorful, instead of the broth & drippings from the bird diluting the apricot sauce.

We love this recipe, especially the gravy which is sooo flavorful. We make it every year!

Didn't give it 5 stars because it was changed slightly. Used a small turkey (11 lbs), but kept the herb butter and glaze as written. didn't make the gravy. We made this in a roaster, so the glaze didn't get brown, but it had great flavor! The herb butter gave the turkey great flavor and we roasted it breast-down so the meast was nice and moist. Brushed glaze on, then served reserved glaze at the table so we could spread it on our meat as desired. will definitely make again!

I made this with mushroom stuffing for Christmas day - but with 2 chickens instead of turkey. I have never roasted whole chickens before - but this turned out beautifully! Not a scrap was left afterwards!

I followed this recipe as written and it was wonderful. The turkey made such a beautiful presentation, that my family suggested taking a photo. It was perfect. The onion gravy was delicious. This is a keeper.

The skin of the turkey had nice flavor but the meat didn't really have any of the flavor. It smelled delicious while cooking. I think the flavor comibination is more suited to a spring/summer dish though. I would make this again on chicken.

I prepared my Thanksgiving turkey using this recipe and my family was thrilled! Not only was the turkey cooked to absolute perfection, the glaze offered a fabulous taste to both the turkey and the gravy. Thank you Christine!

I'm a 21-year old college student and this was my first year making Christmas dinner for my family. My family usually doesn't like turkey (especially my mother) and they absolutely loved this recipe (which was particularly gratifying since they had bets going that I would burn down the kitchen). The turkey was amazing!

This was my very first time cooking a turkey, and it turned out to be phenomenal. My entire family loved it, especially the gravy. I will definitely make this recipe again!

This was a wonderful recipe with great results. I made one change, which I don't think changed the integrity of the recipe, but probably changed the taste slightly. I thought that apricot would be too sweet a flavor for my family, so I substituted equal amounts of orange marmalade and orange juice for the apricot jam and nectar. Kept everything else the same with excellent results. The essence of the carmalized onions gave the gravy a wonder rich color, texture, and flavor. I used the tips for making the glaze, herb butter and onions in advance, so the actual preparation time on turkey day was minimal. I will definitely make this recipe again next year.

This was my first thanksgiving, and my first attempt with cooking a turkey. I could not believe how perfect this recipe is, just the right amount of everything. It got rave reviews, even from my mom who was worried that the glaze wouldn't be very much of a traditional flavor. The turkey was an even golden brown, and the insides were as juicy as chicken. Highly recommended! (Note: the gravy came out a bit sweet. You can achieve a more savory gravy by not adding so much of the ground onions to it, and add some more salt.)

This got rave reviews. SOOOO good. Turkey was so moist-everyone loved it. I grabbed apple nectar by mistake. worked out fine.I didnt follow all the timing instructions and still worked great. I wll NEVER make another gravy again-excellent!!!!

This was sooo good!!! I was easier than I expected to make, you just have to follow the through (and easy to understand) directions. The end result will just melt in your mouth!

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only made the gravy. Those who tried it loved it, but most stayed away from it because it looked like apple sauce!

very easy and delicious

This recipe comes directly from Bon Appetit Magazine, dated 11/94. You can find it on the Epicurious.com web site. It is called "Apricot-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Onion and Shallot Gravy". It is a lot of work, but we love it.

Very good. I used a fresh free range Turkey and everyone enjoyed the moist bird, especially the sweet crispy skin.

This was my first Thanksgiving and this recipe really impressed my family - it's been decided that I'll be doing it every year! This turkey not only looked beautiful, but was extremely moist and flavorful. I've never seen such a small amount of leftovers or heard such praise. I highly recommend this recipe - the turkey and gravy were both amazingly delicious!

I went to epicurious.com as others suggested and found the recipe there with some minor differences. This is an amazing recipe, and makes the most delicious turkey I have ever had.

This recipe is really worth the time and ingredients.

This is a wonderful recipe. This was my first year hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house. I made this turkey, gravy, and stuffing (wild mushroom stuffing referenced here) for 8 people. Everyone gave it rave reviews. It was beautiful with the glaze! Very easy to put together!

I used this receipe for our Thanksgiving turkey last year and everyone is still raving about how good it was. The gravy was incredible. I didn't even bother to puree the onions and people were almost eating it with a spoon. THIS IS OUR NEW TURKEY RECEIPE. Thanks for posting it.

I made this turkey for Thanksgiving 2 years ago, and now I am volunteered every Thanksgiving and Christmas to make this. Highly recommended for a someone that loves to cook!

This is a delicious recipe, I have made it every year since it came out in Bon Appetit cookbook. I don't know what the penalities are for plagerism on this site, but this is certainly not Ma Lipo's or Christine's recipe. Check it out for your self on Epicurious.com, it is called, "Apricot Glazed Turkey with Roastsed Onion and Shallot Gravy. Anyway, I don't think that Ma Lipo should get all the rave reviews because it isn't her recipe. I thought we were suppose to submit original recipes on this site....just a thought.

Thanks Christine!! I used your recipe last year and this year for Thanksgiving!! Everybody in my family LOVES this and now they want me to make your turkey every year for Thanksgiving. The gravy is just so wonderful and the mushroom stuffing incredibly delicious. I love all your recipes!!

Wonderful recipe!! Made for Thanksgiving. Soft and moist, my guest could not get enought of it. They said it tasted like chicken and not dry like turkey. The gravy was nice too. Served with Oranged Cranberry Sauce - also on this site.

I have been making this recipe for the last 15 years, since everybody loves it. I did make a few changes, albeit minor ones. For the butter, I tend to melt it and then add the dry Sage and Thyme. Then, brush the bird all over with melted seasoned butter. The recipe calls for fresh Sage and Thyme, but dry works fine. By adding the Thyme to the butter, it will eventually drip down into the onion mixture anyways. I also don't sautee the onions, I just throw them into the bottom of the pan with at least 3 cups chicken stock. Tent the bird from the get go, cook for 30 minutes at 400, then lower to suggested temp. After 1 hour, spoon chicken stock from the bottom of pan on the bird. Do this every half hour until bird is almost ready. Then brush bird with apricot glaze and cook for 30 minutes uncovered. By tenting so early on, your turkey will be tender.

The only thing I did different with this recipe is put the turkey in "turkey bag" because our oven is old and doesn't cook on time specified in the recipe. I was afraid the turkey won't cook on time. So the turkey was done in 3 hours and I didn't baste it. It was not crispy. I took it out from the bag and placed it on the rack and glazed it. I put it back in the oven, added the onion mixture and follow the rest of the recipe from then on. I baste it and glazed it. It turned out very good even if I cooked it overtime and still not crispy but moist. Everyone loves the onion-shallot gravy. I will follow the recipe next year when we replace our old oven. Thank you for your delicious recipe. It's a keeper.

This Turkey has great flavor! I have made it every year for Thanksgiving for the past 5 years.

This recipe changed my life. Seriously! I made it about 8 years ago for the first time and have never made another since. The gravy especially is asked for and talked about yearly. I actually hate gravy....except this one which I could drink straight. I make the recipe just as it says.

Delicious. I did cook it breast down so the breat would be juicy. My family was really impressed and loved the taste. It seemed to be a lot of work. It’s was worth it and definitely will make again. Thanks for the recipe!

the glaze on the turkey was beautiful. it was my first year preparing turkey, and it came out great! the family took several pictures of the bird because it was so pretty. my only problem was that the onions got a bit burned sitting in the roasting pan so long. next time i'll remove them once their soft and just pour the pan drippings into them. thanks very much for the great recipe!

Have made this for several special occasion holiday dinners, always a hit.

I've been making this my Thanksgiving turkey this way for a number of years now and it always turns out perfect and is met with rave reviews from my guests. It is a little labor intensive, but well worth it.

I love this recipe so much, I have made it every Thanksgiving for probably the last 6 years. It's always a hit.

First turkey I ever made in my entire life & it's for a party of 12. I was so worried! MILLION THANKS to Christine for such an excellent recipe...everybody loved it!!! The skin crispy, the meat moist and the taste was mouth-watering! I will definitely do it again next year...thanks!

This year was my first year I have prepared a Thanksgiving feast! I was terrified of this task and this recipe was so simple and it was absolutly devine! Thank you so much! I received a 5 star review from my husband and 4 children.

Overall I'm really glad I made this. The glaze wasn't overly sweet and although the rub kept the meat moist it didn't really get flavor into the meat. The gravy had definate onion/shallot flavor and was very good over mashed potatoes.

I have never made such a beautiful turkey. It was moist and the gravy got rave reviews. I made with the "awesome sausage apple and cranberry stuffing" WONDERFUL!

FABULOUS! For the past few years I had been using the Maple Glazed Turkey recipe from this site (which is wonderful), but this year I wanted to try something new. I followed the directions exactly, except I adjusted for my smaller turkey. The results were incredible! Hands down the best gravy (if you take the time to follow that portion of the recipe) I have ever tasted. My family agreed.

This recipe is the best. I have made it several years in a row. I also made it for a lerge crowd (50 or more people) and they loved it. The recipe seems a little step intensive but if you read it through and plan it out it won't be hard. The gravy that it yiled is awesome. I think I add a little salt and may thicken it a little more in the end. Give this one a try you won't be sorry.

This was excellent and very easy. The gravy was also fabulous and quick. Highly recommended

We all loved this! It had great flavor and was fun to make!

This was a delicious turkey, but the 'traditionalists' didn't love the onion gravy. However, I will make the glazed turkey recipe a new tradition.

Turned out awesome. We even added some habonaro to the apricot glaze.

I make this every year for Thanskgiving and it makes a beautiful looking and amazing tasting bird. I always have tons of leftover glaze and freeze it for next time. I go light so it's not over powering the turkey and gravy flavor. We absolutely LOVE the gravy. My kids won't eat it but they won't eat any type of gravy. If you purchase a 22 pound bird the times listed are spot on. Can't wait to make it again this year!

I have been making this for 13 years and my family loves it! I’ve never thought to use any other recipe. Thanks!!

The turkey was nice and tender, and the gravy tasted great (although it looked kinda gross). I would recommend doubling or tripling the amount of gravy you make because I had to go back and try to make more half way through dinner. I wish that the turkey had more of the apricot flavor...the glaze was amazing...I wonder if there is a way to infuse that flavor into the turkey a bit more...

This is a keeper. I've done other recipes but keep coming back to this. The gravy is outstanding. I have read that some folks think it's extra effort but I say "nay nay" .... If you like to cook, this is simple. I LOVE to cook and it's effortless. You get what you put into it, right? Thanks for sharing the recipe (no matter where it originated, as stated by a previous reviewer). It's awesome.....period.

Excellent.

I'd never made Thanksgiving dinner before this year and this recipe was clear, easy to follow and yielded a DELICIOUS turkey. Many of my guests were not big fans of turkey and they said that this juicy, flavorful turkey changed their minds- so much so I've been invited to make it again for Christmas!

This turkey dinner was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Definitely a keeper.

used farm fresh turkey and did exactly as directed. was delicious.