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Easy Apple Cider Brined Roast Turkey: Best Holiday Recipe

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This Easy Apple Cider Brined Roast Turkey is a game-changer for holiday cooking. A simple, quick brine with apple cider, salt, and aromatics delivers a juicy, flavorful turkey with crispy skin, perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole turkey (12–14 pounds), thawed
  • 4 cups apple cider
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 orange, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2 carrots, chopped (optional)
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the brine (5 minutes): In a large bowl, combine the apple cider, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Stir until mostly dissolved. Add peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and orange quarters. Stir.
  2. Brine the turkey (4-6 hours): Remove turkey from packaging, take out giblets and neck. Pat dry. Place turkey in brining container, pour brine over, cover, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours (no more than 8 hours).
  3. Preheat and prep (30 minutes before roasting): Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove turkey from brine, discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  4. Season the turkey (5 minutes): Place turkey on roasting rack in pan. Rub olive oil or melted butter all over skin. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with quartered onion and extra herbs. Tie legs with kitchen twine, tuck wing tips under body.
  5. Roast the turkey (2.5 to 3 hours): Roast at 425°F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until thickest part of thigh reaches 165°F (start checking after 2 hours total).
  6. Baste if desired (optional): Every 45 minutes, baste with pan juices for added moisture and flavor.
  7. Rest the turkey (20-30 minutes): Remove from oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
  8. Carve and serve: Remove twine and discard cavity aromatics. Carve turkey and transfer to serving platter. Spoon pan juices over meat.

Notes

Don’t over-brine; 4-6 hours is ideal. Pat turkey completely dry for crispy skin. Use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness. Let turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. For a lower-sodium version, reduce salt to 1/4 cup and brine for 3-4 hours.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider brined turkey, roast turkey, holiday turkey, Thanksgiving turkey, easy turkey recipe, juicy turkey, crispy skin turkey

Find it online: https://sparklespoon.com/easy-apple-cider-brined-roast-turkey-best-holiday-recipe/