This is the first whole turkey I’ve ever made, and it was honestly the best turkey I’ve ever had! I made a lucky combination of two recipes with a few tweaks of my own.

As a note, this recipe (or any brined turkey really), is not great with stuffing made in the turkey. If you’re looking for a turkey with stuffing inside, I recommend going a different route.

Prep Time

• 30 minutes to prep brine
• 12 hours to refrigerate
• 3–4 hours to cook

Ingredients

Brine

• 1 ½ gallon vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups sea salt
• 1 ½ tbsp crushed dried rosemary
• 1 ½ tbsp dried sage
• 1 ½ tbsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tbsp dried savory
• 1 ½ gallon ice water
• 2–3 oranges
• 1 (18 pound) whole turkey

Turkey

• ½ cup butter
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Approximately 1 cup grape juice (I used sparkling grape juice)

Tools

• Measuring spoons & cups
• Large stock pot
• 5-gallon bucket
• Baster
• Tin foil
• Meat thermometer
• Roasting Pan

Instructions

Brine

1. Peel and section the oranges. In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, orange slices, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
2. Pour the broth mixture into a clean 5-gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
3. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Wash and dry the bird. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity is filled with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cook

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Remove the turkey and drain excess brine. Pat dry. Discard the brine mixture.
3. Brush the turkey with half the butter (melted). Place breast-side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with the bay leaf and half of the onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the vegetables with sparkling grape juice.
4. Cover the turkey with tin foil. Roast for 2 hours.
5. Remove the tin foil and baste the turkey. Rotate the bird so that it is breast-side up. Brush with the remaining butter (melted). Baste again.
6. Roast for another 30 minutes and baste again. Check the internal temperature of the thigh. Repeat this step until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180°.
7. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Save the drippings to make gravy if desired.
8. For easy gravy, add drippings to a pan. Place over medium heat. Gradually add flour or cornstarch until desired thickness. Stir until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.