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Beer-Brined Turkey with Giblet Gravy Recipe

Our relatives request this turkey every Thanksgiving and I hate to disappoint them. Brining the turkey keeps the meat moist while roasting gives it incredible flavor.—Jeff Locke, Arma, Kansas

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Beer-Brined Turkey with Giblet Gravy Recipe

Prep: 70 min. + marinating Bake: 3-1/2 hours + standing

Yield: 14-16 Servings

70 210 280

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider or juice
1-1/2 cups kosher salt
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Juniper berries, optional
1 teaspoon whole cloves
6 bottles (12 ounces each) dark beer, chilled
6 cups cold water
1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
2 turkey-size oven roasting bags
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon rotisserie chicken seasoning
GRAVY:
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves

Directions

In a large kettle, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add cold beer and water to cool the marinade to room temperature.
Remove giblets from turkey; cover and refrigerate for gravy. Place a turkey-size oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add turkey. Carefully pour cooled marinade into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning several times.
Drain and discard brine. Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in both cavities. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. In a small bowl, combine the broth, butter and chicken seasoning.
Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with broth mixture. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving; discard vegetables or save for another use.
For gravy, add 1 cup broth to the pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Skim and discard fat, reserving 1-1/2 cups pan drippings; pour into a small saucepan.
Chop giblets. In a large saucepan, cook giblets in oil and butter until browned. Add 1-1/4 cup pan drippings; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Combine flour and remaining drippings until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Add the wine, sage and remaining chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Serve with turkey. Yield: 14-16 servings.

Editor’s Note: This recipe was tested with Morton kosher salt and McCormick rotisserie chicken seasoning. It is best not to use a prebasted turkey for this recipe.

Nutritional Facts 8 ounces cooked turkey with about 1/4 cup gravy equals 568 calories, 29 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 274 mg cholesterol, 972 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 67 g protein.

Originally published as Beer-Brined Turkey with Giblet Gravy in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2009, p118

Full-Bodied White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a full-bodied white wine such as Chardonnay or Viognier.

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Reviewed on Nov. 28, 2012 by AJGarcia

I have been making this recipe for three years now and my family absolutly loves it. I get the compliment everytime "that its the best turkey that they have ever had". This recipe is a keeper.

Reviewed on Nov. 27, 2012 by Sweetpea2002

I made this for the first time for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Very easy to make, the turkey was very moist and had a wonderful flavor. Did not use the bags, just put it in a big container and rotated the turkey.

Reviewed on Nov. 23, 2012 by tratuttle

The turkey brined nicely but my husband didn't care for the brine flavor. It was also a mess to make. The turkey oven bags broke as I was turning the turkey as suggested. We ended up putting the turkey into a pan and there wasn't enough brine to cover the whole turkey. Very messy to make!