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You are here: Home / Main Course Recipes / Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey

Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey

November 14, 2018 By Spices in My DNA 1 Comment

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This Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey is filled with oranges, honeycrisp apples, rosemary, fresh sage, and a cinnamon stick, and it’s cooked with apple cider in the roasting pan for extra fall flavor! The turkey is finished with an orange rosemary gravy, and it’s a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday table!

(This post is sponsored by Sprouts! Thank you so so much for reading and supporting the brands that I love!)

Overhead shot of a roasted whole turkey on a wooden cutting board on a blue background, surrounded by apples, pomegranate arils, oranges, and fresh herbs

If you’re intimidated by cooking a whole Thanksgiving turkey (I think we’ve all been there), this is for you! Seriously, if I can do it, you absolutely can. This version is stuffed with oranges, honeycrisp apples, herbs, and a cinnamon stick, and I pour apple cider in the roasting pan for extra spiced flavor to infuse into the bird. It’s so,so good and adds just the right amount of a little something extra.

Overhead shot of a plate with turkey and gravy, roasted brussels, roasted smashed potatoes, and aioli against a blue background

But really, making this turkey couldn’t be simpler. I didn’t stuff the bird, so that makes things a bit easier, and it leaves you with more options to try different sides!

Because sides are the best part of Thanksgiving, right?

I served this turkey with roasted brussels, and crispy smashed potatoes similar to these, but with a little aioli! The aioli from these fries is what I made and it’s life changing.

Overhead shot of a store-bought turkey wrapped in plastic with apples and rosemary surrounding it

I got this turkey from Sprouts, who I love and work with regularly, and I really appreciate their commitment to offering minimally processed meats, with no artificial ingredients or growth hormones.

I love knowing that my meats are coming from places I can trust, and the quality is amazing.

I actually had to create and shoot this recipe back in August, before turkeys were available, and the butcher at Sprouts was kind enough to order me one. He was super helpful in general, and their whole team always makes me want to shop there all the time because they’re so great!

Overhead shot of a turkey in a roasting pan being stuffed with oranges, apples, rosemary, sage, and a cinnamon stick

To stuff the bird, you just cut up navel oranges and honeycrisp apples into chunks, and stuff them inside the cavity along with fresh sage, rosemary, and a cinnamon stick!

Overhead shot of a turkey in a roasting pan stuffed with oranges, apples, rosemary, sage, and a cinnamon stick, with apple cider being poured into the pan

And then, you pour the apple cider into the roasting pan (so much delicious flavor – and it infuses into the gravy too!), and roast the bird for about 3 hours depending on the size!

Overhead shot of a plate with turkey and gravy, roasted brussels, roasted smashed potatoes, and aioli against a blue background with the whole roasted turkey on a wooden cutting board above the plate

Quite possibly my favorite part of this recipe is the gravy. It’s scented with orange and rosemary, and I used my mom’s method for making the best gravy. It’s super simple, just made over the stove with the pan drippings, and then I squeezed some of the oranges from the cavity into the gravy at the end, and I threw in a rosemary sprig to infuse for a few minutes too.

It’s so amazing, and the combination of orange and rosemary is perfection!

Overhead shot of a roasted whole turkey on a wooden cutting board on a blue background, surrounded by apples, pomegranate arils, oranges, and fresh herbs

Also! If you’re looking for Thanksgiving side dishes and apps to add to your menu this year, I’ve got you covered:

Cranberry Maple Pancetta Brussels Sprouts
Garlic and Herb Cheesy Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Shallots
Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Maple Pecan Crunch
Parmesan Bacon Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Pears and Butternut Squash
Parmesan Herb Sweet Potato Stacks
Cranberry Pecan Caramelized Onion Cheeseball
Creamy Butternut Squash Pumpkin Cashew Soup with Crispy Brussels and Bacon
Sweet Potato Hummus with Brown Butter Spiced Pita Chips + A Thanksgiving Cheeseboard!

Close up shot of a plate of sliced turkey and gravy, roasted smashed potatoes, and roasted brussels against a blue background

Comment and tell me your Thanksgiving menus and traditions, I absolutely LOVE hearing what you guys are making!

Print

Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey

This Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey is filled with oranges, honeycrisp apples, rosemary, fresh sage, and a cinnamon stick, and it’s cooked with apple cider in the roasting pan for extra fall flavor! The turkey is finished with an orange rosemary gravy, and it’s a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday table!

Course Main, Main Course
Cuisine Thanksgiving
Keyword easy thanksgiving turkey recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 8 -10
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the turkey

  • 1 (14 lb.) Sprouts brand turkey
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 honeycrisp apple, cut into chunks
  • 1 orange, cut into chunks
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 cups water

For the orange rosemary gravy

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups low sodium turkey or chicken stock
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • orange juice squeezed from the oranges in the cavity
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325℉. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity and discard. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season the cavity with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with the apple chunks, orange chunks, rosemary, and sage, alternating so that everything is evenly dispersed. Stick the cinnamon stick inside as well. Rub the outside of the turkey with the butter.

  2. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan fitted with a rack. Pour the apple cider and water into the pan. Bake for 3½ hours or until golden on the outside and the temperature gauge pops out of the bird. If at any time the bottom of the pan looks like it’s burning, add a splash more water and/or apple cider. Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Before carving, discard the apples, cinnamon, stick, and herbs, but be sure to keep the oranges for the gravy.

  3. To make the gravy, strain all of the pan drippings through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Pour back into the roasting pan and heat on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly to create a roux.

  4. Slowly pour in the stock, whisking constantly. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, until it thickens, then reduce heat to medium-low. Squeeze the juice from the oranges in the cavity into the gravy and add a fresh sprig of rosemary. Season with salt (start with ½ teaspoon), and pepper to taste as well. Simmer for 5 minutes and discard the rosemary. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. If you like a thinner gravy, add more chicken stock and simmer for a bit longer. 

  5. Serve the turkey with the gravy and enjoy!

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    Chicken Provencal Skillet

Filed Under: Main Course Recipes Tagged With: apple cider, easy, entertaining, fall recipe, orange rosemary gravy, thanksgiving, thanksgiving turkey, turkey, turkey gravy

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    November 16, 2018 at 3:00 am

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Welcome! I'm so happy you're here. This is the space where I share healthy recipes with a sprinkle of indulgence mixed in! I’m wildly passionate about food, and I grew up in a family of foodies. I was surrounded by it from an early age and immediately fell in love. I love to share super flavorful, unique, and healthy recipes, as well as indulgent, comforting meals we all need from time to time!

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