Cider Glazed Turkey with Roasted Apples

Thanksgiving is next week but fear not friends - I've got all of your Thanksgiving recipe needs covered.  Browse through my recipe index for roll recipes, cranberry sauce recipes, vegetable recipes, sweet potato recipes and desserts. 

And if you're in search of a great turkey recipe for the big day - you NEED to check out this apple cider brined turkey recipe with roasted apples and carrots recipe.  This was one of the best turkeys that I've ever baked - it was moist and juicy, delicious and tender.

Follow my simple step by step pictorial instructions to recreate this beautiful bird for your Thanksgiving table.  Just remember that you have to get your turkey in the brine on Wednesday if you want to cook it on Thanksgiving day.  If you're planning to cook a frozen turkey make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to allow your turkey to defrost so that it thaws completely before it soaks in the brine overnight.  

Cider Glazed Turkey with Roasted Apples
Brine
6 cups apple cider
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 Tablespoons peppercorns
8 cloves garlic, smashed
4 bay leaves
2 small onions, quartered
6 cups water
Turkey
12 pound turkey
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 small onions, quartered
4 small apples, quartered
4 small carrots, halved
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cups apple cider
1/4 cup apple jelly
​

Bring 2 c. cider, sugar, 1/2 c. salt and peppercorns to a simmer.  Cook 5 minutes.  

Stir in 4. c. cider, garlic, bay and 2 onions.  Cool.  Add 6 c. water.  

Add turkey to brine.  Refrigerate 12-24 hours. 

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry.  Combine 1/4 c. butter, chopped thyme, pepper and 1/2 t. salt.  Rub under skin of turkey. 

Place 1 onion, 1 apple, carrots and 2 thyme sprigs in cavity.  ​Place turkey on rack in roasting pan.

Place remaining apples, onions, carrots, thyme sprigs and 2 c. cider in bottom of pan.

Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350.  

Combine 2 T. butter and jelly in saucepan.  Cook 2 minutes.  

Brush half of jelly mixture over turkey.  Bake 30 more minutes. 

Remove turkey from oven.  Let rest 20 minutes.  

Serve with roasted apples and vegetables. ​

I used a Lil' Butterball turkey for this recipe.  It was about 7 1/2 pounds and it was a perfect size.  This turkey served 3 for dinner and the rest I carved up and added to a batch of soup the following day.  

Happy (early) Thanksgiving to all of you.  And just remember that at the end of the day - it really doesn't matter how your turkey turns out.  There are far more important things to worry about than turkeys so relax and enjoy the day.  Love you all.

Ciao!

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