Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy
I first made this recipe in November 2020, and it was one of the best turkey recipe I've found. I wrote in the review that it sounds like the turkey to end all turkeys, and boy was it! The turkey was flavorful, juicy, and browned so beautifully, and the gravy was to-di- for delish. Since then the recipe has been removed from Greens & Chocolate, so I’m rewriting it here so it lives on.
Prep Time1 dayd40 minutesmins
Cook Time2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Stand20 minutesmins
Total Time1 dayd3 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bourbon, Thanksgiving, turkey
Servings: 10
Ingredients
115-pound whole turkey (fresh or thawed)giblets and neck removed
For the brine:
1quartapple cider
½cupmaple syrup
½cupkosher salt
1 ½tspblack peppercorns
2sprigsfresh rosemary
1cinnamon stick
1orangezest only
¾cupbourbon
1gallonwater
For the turkey:
1applequartered
1onion (yellow or white)quartered
1sprigfresh rosemary
3clovesgarlicsmashed (no need to peel)
1cinnamon stick
½cupunsalted butterat room temperature
3tbspbrown sugar (light or dark)
1tspsalt
2tspfresh rosemarychopped
For the gravy:
⅓cupall-purpose flour
16ozchicken broth
2tspfresh rosemarychopped
2tbspbourbon
salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Brine the Turkey
In a large saucepan, mix the apple cider, maple syrup, kosher salt, peppercorns, rosemary, cinnamon stick, and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, set aside, and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey if they were included.
Place a brining bag into a large pan that’s big enough to hold the turkey. It will catch any drips and make it easier to move the turkey in and out of the refrigerator. Add the cider mixture to a large brining bag along with the bourbon and water. Place the turkey into the bag and allow it to brine for 8 to 24 hours, turning the turkey every few hours.
Roast the Turkey
Grease/oil the rack of a large roasting pan.
Remove the turkey from the brine, allowing any excess brine to drain from the cavity. Place it onto the prepared rack and use paper towels to pat it dry thoroughly.
Add the apple, onion, sprig of rosemary, garlic cloves, and cinnamon stick to the turkey cavity.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the softened butter with the brown sugar, salt, and rosemary and mix well to combine. Use your fingers to gently loosen the turkey skin at the neck and drumsticks. Rub some of the butter mixture under the skin and the rest of the mixture on the outside of the skin.
Truss the turkey. Turn the turkey upside down and use a wooden skewer to close the neck flap if desired. Turn the turkey breast side up. Tuck the wings underneath the bird to keep the tips from burning. Tie the legs together using kitchen string or the attached plastic hock lock if your turkey has one.
Roast the turkey at 500℉ for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350℉ and roast for an additional 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reaches 165℉ (the thermometer probe should not touch the bone for an accurate reading). Be sure to check the turkey periodically as it cooks. If the skin is getting too brown, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 10-20 minutes.
Make the Gravy
Drain the drippings out of the roasting pan, add them to a medium saucepan, and bring them to a simmer.
Meanwhile, add the flour and chicken broth to a sealed container (like a mason jar) and shake for about 1 minute or until the flour dissolves into the broth.
Add the flour mixture to the pan with the simmering drippings, then add the rosemary and bourbon. Stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Notes
You can also brine the turkey in a large oven bag or stock pot. If you use a stock pot, it should be just large enough to fit the turkey so the brine covers it completely (you will not need to turn the turkey if the brine covers it completely). If there is too much extra space in the pot, the brine may not cover the turkey, and you will need to turn it every few hours per the instructions.Cooking time varies based on the weight of the turkey. I use 13 minutes per pound as a baseline, but a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure the turkey is cooked to a safe temperature.This is a rewrite of the Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy recipe by Taylor at Greens & Chocolate. This marvelous recipe was originally posted at https://www.greensnchocolate.com/maple-cider-bourbon-brined-turkey-with-bourbon-gravy but has (sadly) been removed. I updated the instructions with the findings from my review but left the original ingredients and times.