This recipe for Apple and Herb Roasted Turkey is simple and delicious, consisting of a whole turkey with sage and rosemary tucked between the skin and breast, filled with apples, onion, and garlic, and roasted to perfection! After roasting, the turkey is brushed with apple jelly for a sweet, simple glaze! This recipe will serve about 10 to 12.
Forget brining, deep-frying, or stuffing your turkey with a million ingredients. The secret to a truly delicious and moist turkey is actually quite simple: apples!
Here’s why you should add apples to your turkey:
- Enhanced Flavor: Apples infuse the turkey with a subtle sweetness that complements the savory flavors of the bird.
- Extra Moisture: As the apples roast, they release steam and moisture, keeping the turkey juicy and tender.
- Improved Texture: The Granny Smith variety, with its high starch content, holds its shape well and doesn’t turn mushy inside the turkey, adding a pleasant texture to the meat.
How to Add Apples to Your Turkey:
- Choose the right apples: Granny Smith apples are the best choice due to their high starch content and ability to hold their shape during roasting.
- No need to peel or core: Simply wash the apples and stuff them whole into the turkey cavity.
- Use multiple apples: Depending on the size of your turkey, you’ll likely need 2-3 apples for optimal flavor and moisture.
- Roast as usual: Follow your preferred roasting recipe, and enjoy the delicious results!
Additional Tips:
- Combine apples with other ingredients: Enhance the flavor profile by adding herbs like cloves, cinnamon sticks, or fresh rosemary to the cavity along with the apples.
- Use apple juice for extra flavor: If you don’t have fresh apples on hand, add apple juice to the roasting pan. This will contribute to the aroma and flavor of the turkey, especially if you cover the turkey while roasting.
- Discard the apples after cooking: Due to potential contamination from the raw turkey, it’s best not to consume the apples after roasting.
Ready to try this simple yet effective trick? Grab some apples and get ready to experience a turkey that’s bursting with flavor and juicy tenderness!
Bonus: Apple & Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe
Check out the “Apple Logic” recipe for a comprehensive recipe that uses this apple trick. This recipe creates an incredibly delicious Thanksgiving feast by combining the flavor of savory herbs with the sweetness of apples.
Enjoy your delicious and flavorful turkey!
To Make This Apple and Herb Roasted Turkey You Will Need:
- whole turkey
- sage
- rosemary
- butter
- apple
- onion
- celery
- head of garlic
- apple jelly
To thaw a 12-pound turkey, you will need 1 day for every 4 to 5 pounds. In other words, plan on 3 to 4 days. Keep the turkey in it’s original packaging and place in your fridge to thaw safely.
- roasting pan (with a rack preferably)
- kitchen string
- turkey baster
- instant read thermometer
- fat separator (if making gravy)
For a twelve to fourteen-pound turkey, it takes three to three and a half hours, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches a doneness temperature of 170°.
Then finely chop 1/4 cup each fresh sage and rosemary and combine them together.
After taking out the neck and gizzards (if using for stuffing or gravy), use paper towels to pat the turkey dry all over. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin away from the turkey breast.
Place two tablespoons of salted butter and the herbs in each of the breast “pockets. ” Try to get it as far into the breast pocket as possible.
Secure the skin with a toothpick.
Next prep the aromatics. Cut an apple into fourths (I’m using a honeycrisp), cut the onion, garlic and celery ribs in half.
Place the turkey, breast side up, onto a roasting rack that’s set into a roasting pan. Stuff the turkey with the apple, onion, garlic and celery.
Secure or truss the legs with kitchen string.
Tuck the wings under the turkey.
Brush the entire turkey with with melted butter.
With its legs facing the back, place the turkey in the oven and roast it for one hour and thirty minutes.
Once that time is up, remove the turkey and baste it with the drippings from the pan.
If your turkey is getting too brown too quickly, cover with foil.
Roast the thighs for an additional 30 to 1 hour, or until an instant read thermometer reads 170°F to 175°F (76°C to 79°C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
GORGEOUS! And it smells heavenly.
Carefully transfer your turkey to a carving board.
Heat up 1/2 cup apple jelly.
And brush your turkey with the warm apple jelly.
Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minute or up to 1 hour.
Serve, carve and prepare to fall in love.
- cinnamon roasted hot honey sweet potatoes
- sausage and cornbread stuffing
- gravy
- mashed potatoes
- dinner rolls
