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This year, try a flavorful glaze made with apple cider, brown sugar, and bourbon on your Thanksgiving bird.

Happy Thanksgiving! This Apple Bourbon Glazed Turkey is one of my favorite turkey recipes. And it’s adapted from Michael Symon’s Apple Bourbon Glazed Turkey. I was a huge fan of the Chew and this recipe definitely stood out.

Don’t be intimidated by cooking a Turkey

Many people say that they don’t like turkey because it’s too dry. Turkey is only dry when you cook it incorrectly. In this post, I’m giving you tried and true tips on how to roast a moist and juicy turkey. And it really isn’t that hard. So, don’t be afraid to jump in there and give it a try!

What Size Turkey Do You Need?

Many people think, if I have a lot of guests for Thanksgiving, the \n I need a huge turkey. This definitely isn’t the case. With an extra large turkey, you increase the chance of having a dry turkey. So a small turkey is the way to go. Anything between 8-12 pounds works well. If you have a lot of guests, it’s better to make 2 small turkeys as opposed to one huge one. This way, we can ensure than your turkey will be juicy and moist. Again, this is not the case with everyone. Some people are able to make a juicy large turkey, but this is just a suggestion from past experiences.

What Ingredients are needed for this Apple Bourbon Glazed Turkey:

Turkey: An 8-12 pound thawed turkey is best.

Salt: for the brine, I like to use coarse salt, but a fine salt will work as well.

Herbs: I like using a combination of rosemary, thyme and sage. These three herbs give the turkey a great taste and aroma. You can also use other herbs like parsley and oregano.

Apple Cider: Apple cider is used for the basting liquid and for the glaze.

Bourbon: Bourbon is used for both the basting liquid and the glaze as well. You want to use a good quality bourbon for a great tasting glaze.

Vegetables for the Cavity: Onion, whole garlic head cut in half, apples cut in half and fresh herbs are placed into the cavity of the turkey while roasting. They are essential for great flavor.

Cheesecloth: a cheesecloth is used to keep the moisture in the turkey. It also reduces the frequency of basting.

How To Prep A Turkey For Roasting:

To prep your turkey before roasting, you need to start with defrosting it if it’s frozen. If you buy a fresh turkey, then you can go straight to the brine.

How long do you defrost a turkey?

You will need to completely defrost your turkey in the refrigerator before bringing it. It should still be in the packaging while defrosting. Place your bird in a deep roasting pan in the fridge to catch any juices that may run out.

A good rule of thumb is to allow 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey. So for our 12 pound bird, at least 3-4 days. To be safe I usually give it an extra 12-24 hours.

Why I brine:

I never brined a turkey until I tried this method by Michael Symon. This turkey gets a dry brine. It’s easier than a wet brine because you don’t need to get a huge container or cooler and fill it with water and salt. You simply place the thawed turkey in a pan, sprinkle it with coarse salt and herbs and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, simple rise off most of the salt and you’re good to go! If you decide that you don’t want to brine your turkey, after defrosting, rise the turkey, pat it dry and season it with salt and pepper.

Making the Basting Liquid for the Apple Bourbon Glazed Turkey:

It’s important to have a basting liquid in the pan while the turkey is roasting. This is the liquid that you will pour over the turkey a few times while it cooks.

To make the basting liquid, In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter, apple cider, bourbon and sage leaves. You want to bring the mixture to a simmer, letting the butter completely melt, then remove from heat. This mixture with cover the bird right before you put the turkey in the oven. Once the turkey is in the oven, chicken or turkey broth is added to the bottom of the roasting pan. The stock alone with the cider mixture will get basted onto the turkey while roasting.

Roasting the Apple Bourbon Glazed Turkey:

Place the brined, rinsed turkey in a large roasting pan. Stuff the cavity of the bird with fresh garlic, onions, apples and herbs. Adding these things to the cavity adds essential flavor to the turkey and help retain moisture to ensure a juicy turkey.

Add a piece of cheesecloth to the top of the turkey, making sure it’s completely covered. Adding the cheesecloth also helps with keeping the turkey juicy. It keeps the juices on while roasting and reduces the amount of times that you should baste it. With the cheesecloth, you don’t really need to baste the turkey, but I still like to every hour anyway.

Pour the cooled basting liquid over the cheesecloth, making sure that all,of the cheesecloth gets covered. Place the turkey in a 425 degree oven and add 2 cups of broth to the bottom of the pan. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Starting the turkey off at a high temperature ensures that the turkey will get a nice even brown color. After those 30 minutes,

turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees and continue to roast for about 3 hours longer, basting the turkey once every hour. Roasting it on a low temperature also helps with the moisture of the meat.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 165°- 175°F. It’s so important to use a thermometer instead of just timing it or relying on one of those meat pop-up’s. Remove from the oven and let it stand for at least 1 hour before serving.

Commonly Asked Questions:

Do you really need to brine your turkey?

Brining a turkey isn’t a necessity. You can still have a nice flavorful turkey without it. Brining a turkey just gives more of a probability that your turkey will be moist.

Which is better, a dry brine or a wet brine?

Both ways produce a flavorful and moist turkey but have other important considerations that may impact your choice. Wet brines infuse flavor and moisture more quickly than dry brines. But, a larger vessel for the brining process will be needed as well as enough refrigerator space. That’s why to me, a dry brine is just easier. And both have the same results.

Do you need a thermometer when roasting the turkey?

A food thermometer is the only way to ensure food is cooked to the proper internal temperature and harmful bacteria are eliminated. Do not rely on the plastic pop-ups that come in turkeys and chickens. There’s a reason that turkey has a reputation for being dry, and it’s because of these timers. If they ever pop at all, it can be too late. Using a food thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the meat which is the thigh, gives you the most accurate temperature measurement.

Here are other great mains dishes for the holidays:

Spinach and Herb Stuffed Turkey Thighs with Sausage, Cranberry Pecan Dressing

Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato, Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken over Casarecce Pasta

Crispy Southern Fried Chicken with Honey Rosemary Sauce