Brined Thanksgiving Turkey

This holiday turkey recipe uses apple juice and chicken stock in a brine and apples, onion, and garlic to stuff the bird, lending a hint of aromatic fruitiness to the centerpiece of your big meal.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 7 hr
• Calories: 1320 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons dried sage
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 4 (32 ounce) containers chicken broth
• 4 peppercorns
• 4 red apples, halved
• 10 pounds ice cubes, or as needed
• 1 (20 pound) turkey whole turkey - thawed, neck and giblets removed
• 3 apples, cored and quartered

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).

Step 2

Stir chicken broth, apple juice, brown sugar, salt, dried sage, and peppercorns together in a large stock pot; add apple halves and crushed garlic cloves. Bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat immediately.

Step 3

Pour enough ice into a large food-safe container to be about half full. Pour chicken broth mixture over the ice; stir to cool liquid completely and evenly.

Step 4

Gently lower turkey into the liquid with the breast facing down.

Step 5

Brine turkey 24 to 36 hours, adding ice as needed to keep the brine and turkey cold.

Step 6

Remove turkey from the brine and rinse well with cold water. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.

Step 7

Bake the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin on the breast of the turkey is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Step 8

Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), cover turkey with aluminum foil, and continue roasting the turkey until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Step 9

Mix apple quarters, onion wedges, whole garlic cloves, and fresh sage leaves in a bowl; loosely stuff into cavity of turkey. Move the turkey to a shallow roasting pan. Lightly coat the turkey's skin with olive oil.