With the holidays fast approaching, I figured it was time to share my turkey recipe. I spent many years experimenting with various recipes, adapting, tweaking, and adjusting along the way. I eventually arrived at the recipe which I have been using fairly consistently for the past few years. I brine the turkey for 18-24 hours in a brine consisting of a 50/50 blend of apple cider and vegetable stock along with a number of herbs and spices. It is then roasted with additional pan and cavity aromatics to further flavor the bird and enhance the pan drippings for the gravy. It all makes for a really tasty holiday (or non-holiday) turkey. And with that said, let’s get to it…
Ingredients
1 14-16 lb turkey
Brine
8 cups apple cider
8 cups vegetable stock
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp all spice berries
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 bunch rosemary sprigs
1/2 bunch thyme sprigs
2 small onions, quartered
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
6 bay leaves
4 pieces of candied ginger
Ice, enough to chill and submerge turkey
8 cups apple cider
8 cups vegetable stock
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tbsp all spice berries
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 bunch rosemary sprigs
1/2 bunch thyme sprigs
2 small onions, quartered
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
6 bay leaves
4 pieces of candied ginger
Ice, enough to chill and submerge turkey
Roasting Tray Aromatics
1 large onion, quartered
3 carrots, quartered
2 celery stalks, quartered
1 large (or 2 small) honeycrisp apple, wedged
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cinnamon sticks
½ bunch of thyme
½ bunch sage
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup apple cider
1 large onion, quartered
3 carrots, quartered
2 celery stalks, quartered
1 large (or 2 small) honeycrisp apple, wedged
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cinnamon sticks
½ bunch of thyme
½ bunch sage
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup apple cider
Turkey Cavity Aromatics
1 large (or 2 small) honeycrisp apple, wedged
2 small onions, quartered
2 cinnamon sticks
½ bunch rosemary
½ bunch sage
Vegetable or canola oil
1 large (or 2 small) honeycrisp apple, wedged
2 small onions, quartered
2 cinnamon sticks
½ bunch rosemary
½ bunch sage
Vegetable or canola oil
Apple Cider Gravy
3 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup pan drippings
½ cup apple cider
3 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup pan drippings
½ cup apple cider
The turkey needs to brine for 18-24 hours, so prepare your turkey and brine well enough in advance to ensure the turkey had enough soak time. The brine must be fully cooled before the turkey can be submerged, so be sure to account for this time. Additionally, make sure the turkey is completely thawed prior to brining.
When you are ready to make the brine, place a large enough pot over medium heat. Add 4 cups of apple cider along with the kosher salt, white sugar, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, coriander seeds, rosemary, thyme, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and candied ginger. Stir the contents of the pot regularly and bring to a simmer. Allow the brine solution to simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the sugar and salt completely dissolve.
Remove the brine from the heat and add in the remaining 4 cups of apple cider and all 8 cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Set the completed brine solution aside to cool. You may cool it in the refrigerator if you prefer. The brine must be completely cooled before using.
Once the brine is fully cooled, prep the turkey. Ensure the turkey is fully thawed and remove the neck and bag of innards from the inner cavities and set them aside. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry, and trim off any excess skin, if needed.
I recommend using a sealable brine bag inside of a large stock pot. The brine bag prevents mess and helps contain the whole brining operation. The large stock pot will help the bag to hold shape and keep that brine tight around the bird. Place your turkey into brining bag, place the bag into the large stock pot, and then pour the brine into the bag. Add ice until the turkey is fully submerged. Seal the bag shut, and place the turkey somewhere cool to brine. Allow the turkey to brine overnight for a total of 18-24 hours.
The next day when you are ready to start the next leg of the turkey roasting journey, remove the turkey from the brine bag and rinse it well with water. You want to make sure you get all of the berries, seeds, and salt off and out of the cavities. Once it is well rinsed, pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine; it has fulfilled its purpose.
Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Next, prep the roasting pan. Add the onion, celery, carrots, apple, garlic, cinnamon sticks, thyme, and sage to the roasting pan. Spread them out across the bottom of the pan, then carefully pour in the chicken stock and apple cider. Swirl it around in the pan to blend.
Place the roasting rack into the roasting pan, and set your turkey on the rack. Rub the whole turkey down well with vegetable or canola oil. Tuck the wings underneath the bird.
Lastly, we will prepare the cavity aromatics. They will not have the benefit of soaking in broth like the aromatics in the tray, so we will steep them to add some moisture until the turkey starts providing its own. This can be done one of two ways.
- Add the apple, onion, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, and sage to a microwave safe dish. Cover the aromatics with one cup of water and microwave for 5 minutes. I recommend this approach.
- Bring a cup of water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, and sage to the pot. Allow the aromatics to simmer for 5 minutes.
The turkey is ready to roast! Once the oven is preheated, place the tray on a low rack in the oven. Allow the turkey to roast for 40-45 minutes at 450°F. This will brown the skin. After this time, turn the heat down to 350°F. Allow the turkey to roast for an additional 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
I recommend checking the temperature along the breastbone, the wing joint and leg joint as deep as you can insert the thermometer to ensure the temperature has reached 165°F across the whole bird. Check the turkey every 20-30 minutes. If the turkey is starting to get too dark, tent it with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark. Do not baste the turkey, as this will moisten the skin and prevent it from remaining crisp.
Once the turkey has finished roasting, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes before carving and serving.
To make the gravy, strain the drippings from the roasting pan through a colander and into a bowl. Reserve the drippings. Place a pot over medium-low heat. Once the pot is warm, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the flour, and whisk the flour and butter together until it forms a smooth roux. Allow the roux to cook for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock a little at a time whisking as it’s added. Continue this until all of the chicken stock is added. Allow it to simmer for roughly 5 minutes until it thickens, whisking as needed. Once it thickens, add the pan drippings and the apple cider. Whisk to combine. Allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes more and thicken again. The gravy is ready. Pour it into a gravy boat or other appropriate container for serving.
All that’s left to do now is to carve the turkey and enjoy! The turkey is flavorful enough on its own, but I do recommend eating it with a little of the apple cider gravy. Enjoy!