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Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy delivers tender, juicy meat infused with herbaceous notes from thyme, sage, rosemary, and a touch of apple sweetness. Roasted over a bed of onions, celery, and carrots, the drippings reduce into a rich, velvety gravy with wine and turkey broth. It’s an impressive centerpiece for holidays or any special gathering where classic, comforting flavors shine.

  • Prep30 mins
  • Cook3 hrs 15 mins
  • Serves24
  • DifficultyHard
Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

50 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactPoor
38 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
29 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
94 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

41
Heart Health
31
Metabolic
44
Digestive
38
Inflammatory
61
Performance
51
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Pour 4 32-ounce cartons of low-sodium chicken broth into a large stock pot and stir in kosher salt, savory, thyme, sage, and rosemary.

  2. 2

    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook the brine for 7 minutes to blend the flavors.

  3. 3

    Cool.

  4. 4

    Pour the mixture into a 5-gallon food-grade bucket, large cooler, or large brining bag.

  5. 5

    Stir apple juice and 1 gallon of water into the mixture.

  6. 6

    Place the turkey, breast side down, into the brine, and pour in more water if needed to cover.

  7. 7

    Place in the refrigerator and brine for at least 36 hours.

  8. 8

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  9. 9

    Remove the turkey and discard the used brine.

  10. 10

    Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.

  11. 11

    Place the turkey, breast side down, on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan.

  12. 12

    Stuff the bird with 2 onions, 4 stalks of celery, and 4 carrots; place the remaining 2 onions, 4 stalks of celery, and 4 carrots in the roasting pan around the turkey.

  13. 13

    Brush the outside of the turkey with 1/4 cup melted butter and pour white cooking wine and 2 32-ounce cartons of chicken broth into the pan.

  14. 14

    Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes; baste with pan juices.

  15. 15

    If the skin starts to darken too quickly, tent the bird with aluminum foil.

  16. 16

    Continue roasting for 1 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes.

  17. 17

    Turn the turkey so it is breast side up; brush with the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter.

  18. 18

    Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), about 1 more hour (3 hours total roasting time).

  19. 19

    Remove the turkey and set aside while you make the gravy.

  20. 20

    Strain all the pan drippings through a mesh strainer into a large saucepan.

  21. 21

    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer.

  22. 22

    Whisk 2 cups water, 1 32-ounce carton turkey broth, and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth.

  23. 23

    Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot pan drippings and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

  24. 24

    Let the gravy cool to thicken slightly.

  25. 25

    If desired, use a gravy separator to remove excess fat.

  26. 26

    Serve the turkey with gravy.

About This Recipe

Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy is made with 16 ingredients and serves 24. It takes about 3 hrs 45 mins and is rated hard. Key ingredients include Apple Juice, Butter, Celery, and Chicken Broth. Each serving provides about 642.25 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy made of?
The main ingredients are Apple Juice, Butter, Celery, Chicken Broth, Cornstarch. The full list of 16 is above.
How long does it take to make Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy?
About 3 hrs 45 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 15 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 642.25 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy easy to make?
This recipe is rated hard, with 16 ingredients and 26 steps.
Is Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy healthy?
Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy has an easyChef Pro health score of 50/100. Per serving, it provides 642.25 calories and 79.76 g of protein, or 160% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 4547.15 mg (198% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 2.0 g (10% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 6.69 g (13% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Celery, Corn, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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