Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Name: Brined Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 15 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 gal Apple Juice; 0.25 cup Butter; 8 stalk Celery; 128 oz Chicken Broth; 0.25 cup Cornstarch; 8 whole Diced Carrots; 2 tbsp Dried Rosemary; 2 tbsp Dried Sage; 2 tbsp Dried Savory; 2 tbsp Dried Thyme; 1 cup Salt; 22 lb Turkey Breast; 32 oz Turkey Broth; 1 gal Water; 2 cups White Cooking Wine; 4 whole Yellow Onion

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Comfort-Food

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

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

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook the brine for 7 minutes to blend the flavors.
3

Cool.
4

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

Stir apple juice and 1 gallon of water into the mixture.
6

Place the turkey, breast side down, into the brine, and pour in more water if needed to cover.
7

Place in the refrigerator and brine for at least 36 hours.
8

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
9

Remove the turkey and discard the used brine.
10

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.
11

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

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

Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes; baste with pan juices.
15

If the skin starts to darken too quickly, tent the bird with aluminum foil.
16

Continue roasting for 1 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes.
17

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

Remove the turkey and set aside while you make the gravy.
20

Strain all the pan drippings through a mesh strainer into a large saucepan.
21

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer.
22

Whisk 2 cups water, 1 32-ounce carton turkey broth, and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth.
23

Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the hot pan drippings and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
24

Let the gravy cool to thicken slightly.
25

If desired, use a gravy separator to remove excess fat.
26

Serve the turkey with gravy.