Brined, herb-roasted Thanksgiving turkey for the holiday. I was never thrilled about turkey at Thanksgiving. One year, I was in charge of the bird and bound and determined I would make it really well. After trying this recipe I feel in love with Thanksgiving turkey and will never do it any other way. It was so moist, everyone loved it. I wish I had some now!

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Name: Thanksgiving Turkey
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 7 h 15 min
Total time: 8 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Salt; 1 cup Brown sugar; 2 oranges quartered; 2 lemons quartered; 6 sprigs thyme; 4 sprigs rosemary; 10 pound turkey (up to 12-pound); 1 large orange cut into 1/8ths; 4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature; Salt and pepper; 1 large yellow onion cut into 1/8ths; 1 stalk celery cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 large carrot cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 Bay Leaves; 2 sprigs thyme; 2 sprigs rosemary; 1/2 bunch Sage; 3 sprigs parsley; 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock for basting, (up to 2); 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil; 1 Reserved turkey neck and giblets; 1 large carrot coarsely chopped; 1 onion coarsely chopped; 1 large stalk celery coarsely chopped; 1 small Bay leaf; 3 cups turkey stock chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth; 3 cups Water; 4 cups turkey broth; 1 cup Dry white wine; 4 tbsp unsalted butter

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INGREDIENTS

Brine:
1 cup Salt
1 cup Brown sugar
2 oranges ; quartered
2 lemons ; quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
10 pound turkey ; (up to 12-pound)
1 large orange ; cut into 1/8ths
4 tbsp unsalted butter ; at room temperature
Salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion ; cut into 1/8ths
1 stalk celery ; cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot ; cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 bunch Sage
3 sprigs parsley
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock ; for basting, (up to 2)
Turkey Broth:
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Reserved turkey neck and giblets
1 large carrot ; coarsely chopped
1 onion ; coarsely chopped
1 large stalk celery ; coarsely chopped
1 small Bay leaf
3 cups turkey stock ; chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
3 cups Water
Gravy:
4 cups turkey broth
1 cup Dry white wine
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup All-purpose flour
Salt and fresh ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Brine:

Directions

To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.

Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For the turkey broth:

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

For the pan gravy:

Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.

Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve. Have a great holiday!

Slice and serve guests with desired sides.

NOTES

Loved it best turkey I've ever had. Couldn't wait for it to hit the table I just kept eating it.

Alert editor

Thanksgiving Turkey

Brine:
1 cup Salt
1 cup Brown sugar
2 oranges quartered
2 lemons quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
10 pound turkey (up to 12-pound)
1 large orange cut into 1/8ths
4 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
 Salt and pepper
1 large yellow onion cut into 1/8ths
1 stalk celery cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Bay Leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 bunch Sage
3 sprigs parsley
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock for basting, (up to 2)
 Turkey Broth:
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Reserved turkey neck and giblets
1 large carrot coarsely chopped
1 onion coarsely chopped
1 large stalk celery coarsely chopped
1 small Bay leaf
3 cups turkey stock chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
3 cups Water
 Gravy:
4 cups turkey broth
1 cup Dry white wine
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup All-purpose flour
 Salt and fresh ground pepper

For the Brine:

Directions
To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.

Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.

Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For the turkey broth:
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.

For the pan gravy:
Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.

Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.  Have a great holiday!

Slice and serve guests with desired sides.

Add Photo

stevemur

This was my first Turkey EVER!!! My friends where impressed as I am only about 1 year into this cooking "thing". I even have ideas about how I may modify this recipe...but not much because it was the BOOM!!
BriCoDC

A 20 lbs turkey in brine, in a 4 quart zip lock bag, in the roasting pan works very well! Same amount of brine. No more brine added. Breat side down. Works very very well.
mpau0516

hcbeasr

Nutrition

View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.


Serving Size: 1 (1350g)
Recipe Makes: 6 Servings

Calories: 1499
Calories from Fat: 374 (25%)

Amt Per Serving		% DV

	Total Fat 41.6g	55 %
	Saturated Fat 17.8g	89 %
	Monounsaturated Fat 10.8g
	Polyunsanturated Fat 7.9g
Cholesterol 537.5mg		165 %
Sodium 952.2mg		33 %
Potassium 2929.5mg		77 %
Total Carbohydrate 101.8g		30 %
	Dietary Fiber 5.3g	21 %
	Sugars, other 96.5g
Protein 171.9g		246 %
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.

About Our Nutrition Facts

Calories per serving: 1499

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HeatherETorres

Delish!

lynnmr333

Great Recipe! Turkey turned out so moist and tasty. Thank you!

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Jana4food

Best turkey ever.

dndjhawkt4o7

Great taste

Fivemahans

Tasty and juicy! A little extra work, so be prepared.

Fivemahans

Very flavorful and juicy, although it is a little bit of work.

ahlahriawow

Seemed like a lot of work for an okay turkey. I usually make my turkey with champagne and it's fall of the bone juicy. Maybe because I'm used to such juicy turkey, this one seemed a bit dry. Was a nice experiment but think I'll go back to my way of cooking my turkey next year.

Akindergar10

I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving; 13 guests, 26 pound turkey. Barely any left overs for two turkey sandwiches. It was the most succulent turkey EVER. Definitely watch your cooking time, mine was done in 4 hours- so juicy, it was unbelievable!!. No gravy needed, definitely a must any time turkey is made! YUMMMMM!

donrbrewer

The brine was a little work but the turkey was great. Time permitting it is well worth the extra work

Thanksgiving Turkey

Still searching for what to cook ?

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INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES

Nutrition

What to make this week

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