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Apple Cider Roast Turkey is brined in an apple cider mixture and brushed with herbs for a juicy, delicious turkey perfect for Thanksgiving. Best part? It takes just 2 hours to roast!
Can you believe Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away?! If we hadn’t had Halloween, I’d think we were still in October. Maybe it’s the fact that our fall has been so mild here so far. But not for long—I hear it’s supposed to snow next week!
With Thanksgiving comes delicious food, fun family gatherings, holiday traditions, and did I mention delicious food? 🙂 Every Thanksgiving, my family makes two turkeys—one for Thanksgiving dinner and one for leftovers. Because even though Thanksgiving dinner is amazing, one of the best parts about Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Delicious turkey sandwiches, comforting turkey potpie, or even a hot bowl of turkey soup can warm the tummy on a cold fall day.
I love roasting turkey, but it is definitely a labor of love. Thawing the turkey, brining it (if you so choose), prepping it, roasting it, and carving it. But all that work is totally worth it, right? Because when you pull that juicy, perfectly browned turkey out of the oven, you know Thanksgiving is ON. However, I still look for ways to make roasting the turkey a little easier and faster.
That’s what I love about Honeysuckle White Fresh Whole Turkeys.
They’re fresh, not frozen, helping you shave hours off your turkey prep. They’re USDA process certified and don’t contain any growth-promoting hormones or steroids. They’re also raised by Independent Family Farmers who have respect for their animals and maintain high-quality standards. You can find the fresh turkeys at your local Kroger, Smith’s, Dillons, of King Soopers stores, fresh and ready to roast for your Thanksgiving dinner. And now through November 21st, you can save $2.50 on any one Fresh Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey with the in-store coupon. If your Christmas menu includes a turkey, select stores also have an in-store coupon for $2 off any one Fresh Honeysuckle White Whole Turkey from now until December 31st.
Once you get your turkey, you have an important decision to make: to brine or not to brine. Many will say you don’t need to and I’ve roasted many a turkey without brining. But I’ve found that brining your turkey before roasting can lock in moisture and even shave a little time off the roasting. With this Apple Cider Roast Turkey, brining the turkey in apple cider imparts a slightly sweet flavor. Combined with the herbs you rub on the turkey before roasting, you’ll get an incredibly delicious slightly sweet/slightly savory turkey guaranteed to satisfy your family and Thanksgiving guests.
I found the apple cider at my local Smith’s store, too. It was in the bottled juice aisle.
To further maximize the juiciness of the turkey, I like to roast it in an oven bag. This, too, can shave time off your turkey roasting. Easy peasy, friends! Here’s how you do it.
You’ll need just a few ingredients to brine and roast your turkey.
You can use a large five-gallon bucket to brine the turkey or even an extra large Ziploc bag (like the ones you store clothes in). I use a large bucket. Combine the apple cider, water, kosher salt, and brown sugar in the bucket. Add the turkey, cover it, and place it in a cool spot (like a garage) for 6 to 8 hours. When it’s ready, remove it from the brine, rinse it, and pat it dry with paper towels.
Tie the turkey legs together with baking twine.
Brush the olive oil all over it and then rub the herb mixture over it.
Pour the flour into the oven bag and shake it around so it coats the interior. Arrange the onion wedges at the bottom of the bag. Then slide the turkey into the oven bag and close the bag with baking twine or the fasteners included in your oven bag box.
Place it on the bottom rack of your 350-degree oven and bake for about 2 hours (for a 12-16 lb. turkey), or until the temperature reaches 180 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. Pull it out and let it sit for 15 minutes. Cut open the top of the bag and transfer it to a cutting board to carve!
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- 1 14-lb fresh Honeysuckle White whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
- 1 gallon ice water*
- 1 gallon apple cider
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sage
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 1 large oven bag
- Rinse turkey and pat dry.
- In a large bucket or reclosable bag, combine water, apple cider, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Place turkey in bucket or bag and place in refrigerator or cover and place in a cool place. Brine for 6 to 8 hours.
- Set oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove turkey and discard brine. Rinse turkey thoroughly and pat dry.
- Tie legs together with baking twine. In a small bowl, combine sage, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder. Set aside.
- Brush olive oil all over turkey and rub with herb mixture.
- Pour flour into oven bag and shake to coat the inside.
- Place bag in roasting pan and spread onion wedges on the bottom of the bag.
- Place turkey in bag and close bag, using baking twine or fasteners included in your oven bag box. Place pan on bottom rack of oven, making sure bag does not hang outside of pan.
- Roast turkey for 2 hours, or until thermometer inserted at thickest part of the thigh reads 180 degrees.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit in bag for 15 minutes. Cut bag open and transfer the turkey to a cutting board to carve. Enjoy!
