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apple brined turkey
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Apple Cider Brined Turkey

Keyword turkey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Brining Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings 1 turkey

Ingredients

Brine

  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 quarts apple cider not spiced
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 10 rosemary sprigs about 4 inches long

Butter for the outside:

  • 8 branches of thyme leaves removed from stem
  • 6 sage leaves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 stick butter

Aromatics for Inside the turkey:

  • 1 fennel bulb and fronds halved
  • 1 apple halved
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 1 yellow onion halved
  • 1 garlic bulb halved
  • Extra sage and thyme branches

1 turkey 10-15 pounds, defrosted

Instructions

Brine:

  • Place the water and apple juice into a large bucket. The bucket must be large enough to fit the turkey until entirely submerged. It also must be large enough to fit in your fridge over night!
  • Mix the maple syrup with the water and apple juice until evenly combined
  • Add the salt, mustard, pepper flakes, and rosemary. Stir until evenly combined. The salt should become mainly dissolved
  • Place the turkey in the brine. (The turkey should already be defrosted and have anything inside the cavity removed). Ensure the turkey is entirely submerged under the brine. Set in the fridge overnight (or for at least 12 hours, ideally 24 hours)

Herb butter:

  • Make the herb butter by combining softened butter with the herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir until just combined

Assembling and baking the turkey

  • Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry
  • Place the aromatics inside the cavity
  • Rub the outside with herb butter
  • Bake at 350 until golden brown and the thermometer reads 160 degrees (between thigh and breast). This will take around 13-15 minutes per pound. Once it hits 160, remove it from the oven and tent with foil. This process will allow the bird to reach 165 degrees (the desired end temperature)
  • *check the turkey halfway through, if the turkey is getting golden brown, top with tin foil. When you check it, you can also baste the turkey with the drippings
  • Allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving
  • Once it has rested, carve and remove any drippings for gravy

Notes

brine adapted from Nancy Oakes