Lauren’s apple cider roast turkey is the most delicious roast turkey recipe ever! The brine is well worth the extra time the night before; the result is a juicy, perfectly seasoned turkey. A brined turkey cooks 20-30 minutes faster; keep that in mind when consulting roasting charts. Enjoy!
Lauren’s Apple Cider Roast Turkey
Lauren's apple cider roast turkey is the most delicious roast turkey recipe ever! The brine is well worth the extra time the night before; the result is a juicy, perfectly seasoned turkey. A brined turkey cooks 20-30 minutes faster; keep that in mind when consulting roasting charts. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 16 pound whole turkey neck and giblets removed
- 1 ½ gallons water
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 ½ cups kosher salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine water, apple cider, kosher salt, and sugar in a large pot or 5-gallon food-grade bucket, stirring until salt and sugar dissolved. Submerge turkey in brine, cover container, and refrigerator, 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Remove turkey from brine; discard brine. Place turkey breast-side up into a roasting pan; pat turkey and cavity dry with paper towels. Loosen turkey skin over breast and thighs with your fingers.
- Whisk olive oil, thyme, and poultry seasoning together in a small bowl; rub over turkey and underneath loosened skin. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil.
- Cook in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near but not touching bone, reads 165 to 175 degrees F (75 to 80 degrees C), 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove foil tent about 45 minutes before end of cook time to let skin brown. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
