Best Brined Herb Roasted Turkey Recipes

CITRUS AND HERB BRINED ROASTED TURKEY WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water. Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• 2. Brine: 1 cup salt 1 cup brown sugar 2 oranges, quartered 2 lemons, quartered 6 sprigs thyme 4 sprigs rosemary To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a non-reactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, plastic garbage bag.) Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
• 3. ***Turkey Stock for basting and making gravy*** **Make this before you put your bird in the oven** 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Reserved turkey neck and giblets 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped 1 onion, coarsely chopped 1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped 1 small bay leaf 3 cups canned turkey stock, chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth 3 cups water For the turkey stock: Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside. ***You will use this stock to baste the turkey and for the gravy.
• 4. ***Ingredients for inside of Turkey cavity*** 1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths 1 large orange, cut into 8ths 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs thyme ** 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or turkey stock, for basting.
• 5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out. Place breast side down in a large, heavy roasting pan, and rub on all sides with the butter. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and thyme. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string.
• 6. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• 7. Remove the Turkey from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• 8. ***Gravy***
• 9. For the pan gravy: Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat. Place the roasting pan on 2 stove top burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup.
• 10. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• 11. The turkey is so moist and flavorful done this way, Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy !

HONEY BRINED HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Add chicken stock.
• Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey in the bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around the turkey, causing the turkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavity. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before carving.

HONEY BRINED HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey inthe bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around th turkey, causing the tirkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine.Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan. Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavoty. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper. Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so. To determine the approximate amount of time needed for cooking, click here for our Turkey Roasting Chart. Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F. in the breast. Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Use juices to make pan gravy (follow link for directions)

BRINED, HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the Brine:
• To make the brining solution, dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons of cold water in a nonreactive container (such as a clean bucket or large stockpot, or a clean, heavy-duty, food grade plastic storage bag). Add the oranges, lemons, thyme, and rosemary. Note: if you have a big turkey and need more brine than this, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.
• Remove the neck, giblets, and liver from the cavity of the turkey and reserve for the gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water.
• Soak the turkey in the brine, covered and refrigerated, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels both inside and out. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy roasting pan. Rub breast side with orange segments and rub on all sides with the butter, stuffing some underneath the skin. Season lightly inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the onion, remaining orange, celery, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley. Loosely tie the drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast the turkey, uncovered, breast side down for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven, turn, and baste with 1/2 cup stock. Continue roasting with the breast side up until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the largest section of thigh (avoiding the bone), about 2 3/4 to 3 hours total cooking time. Baste the turkey once every hour with 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock.
• Remove from the oven and place on a platter. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
• For the turkey broth:
• Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard to the pan and saute until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and bay leaf to the pan and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Pour the stock and 3 cups of water into the pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock is reduced to 4 cups, about 1 hour, adding the chopped liver to the pan during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Strain the stock into a clean pot or large measuring cup. Pull the meat off the neck, chop the neck meat and giblets, and set aside.
• For the pan gravy:
• Pour the reserved turkey pan juices into a glass-measuring cup and skim off the fat.
• Place the roasting pan on 2 stovetop burners over medium heat add the pan juice and 1 cup turkey broth and the white wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 3 cup of broth and bring to a simmer, then transfer to a measuring cup. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a light roux. Add the hot stock, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the reserved neck meat and giblets to the pan and adjust seasoning, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• Slice and serve guests with desired sides.

HERB-ROASTED TURKEY (BRINED)

Steps:

• 1. In lg saucepan, combine fennel,mustard and coriander seeds w bay leaves, salt, sugar and 1 qt water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Transfer the mixture to a very lg bowl add the remaining 7 qts of cold water. Add the turkey, breast side down. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hrs 2. Preheat oven to 450'. drain and rinse turkey and pat dry. Starting at the neck end of the bird, slip your hand between the skin and meat to loosen the turkey skin. 3. In a md bowl, combine the 2 sticks of butter w parsley, sage, thyme and season w pepper. Spoon 1/4 c of herb butter into a sm bowl and stir in the flour; cover and chill. Spread remaining herb butter all over and under skin of turkey and set on a rack in roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the stock to the pan and roast for 30 min. Lower oven temp to 325' and roast turkey for about 21/2 hrs longer, basting occasionally; the turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170'. Trasfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 30 min 4. Meanwhile, in lg saucepan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the bread and cook for 1 min. Add 2 qts of the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced to 3 cups, about 1 hr and 15 min. Whisk to break up the bread. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and return it to saucepan. Whisk in the chilled reserved herb butter and bring the garvy to a boil. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 min. 5. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan over high heat. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan, until boiling. Strain the pan drippings intothe gravy and season w salt and pepper 6. Carve the turkey and serve on a platter, passing the gravy at the table.