The Sweet Addition That Will Change Your Thanksgiving Turkey Forever

While some people may get distracted by the pecan pie on the dessert table, we all know that Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without one vital dish: The turkey. After all, Thanksgiving is called "Turkey Day for a reason and Americans devour 46 million birds in honor of the holiday each year (per the University of Illinois Extension ). And because of how essential the dish is to the Thanksgiving celebration, people across the U.S. have come up with countless turkey recipes in an effort to bake up an unforgettable holiday meal. For example, Thanksgiving chefs who love savory flavors may want to take notes from Cafe Delites by coating their turkey with a mixture of decadent garlic and herbs. Meanwhile, those who adore spice may want to take Food's advice and douse their main course in paprika and cayenne pepper. 

But cooks who like a touch of sweetness and a lot of flavor dimension only need to add one simple ingredient to their turkey's glaze to upgrade this holiday tradition's taste. Known for thickening up food classics like baked beans and sweetening the barbecue sauces you slather on your grilled chicken (per Master Class), Epicurious states that molasses is the perfect ingredient to use in your go-to Thanksgiving turkey recipe.

Epicurious explains that putting molasses in your turkey glaze is a way to give the dish a great taste and a crispy texture. In particular, the outlet recommends combining soy sauce and molasses for the best mix of salty and sweet. To ensure that your turkey is perfectly flavored, the outlet also suggests that after initially putting your turkey on to cook, you reapply the glaze every half hour.

While adding traditional molasses to your turkey will ensure your main course is a hit with guests, Food Network states that mixing in pomegranate molasses with black pepper, horseradish, and mustard will also make for a delicious Thanksgiving bird. An ingredient closely related to regular molasses that is melted down from pomegranate fruit rather than sugarcane (per All Recipes), you can use less pomegranate molasses and still achieve the traditional molasses' sweet taste.

However, to get the best flavor from your pomegranate molasses glaze, Food Network recommends only coating your turkey with the sauce two times. The outlet states that the first glaze should go on during the final 15 minutes of the birds' cooking time. You will then coat the turkey for the second and last time immediately after it has completely cooked. After waiting for the final glaze to soak into the dish, you'll be able to serve a delicious holiday treat thanks to this delectable Thanksgiving turkey tip.