print recipe
Southern Herb-Brined Roasted Turkey and Stuffing
by November-25-2015
This will be the juiciest, most tender and flavorful turkey you have ever put on your table - I promise!
Ingredients
  • 1 fresh or defrosted turkey (about 1 lb per guest)
  • 2 gallons of water (8 quarts)
  • 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark molasses
  • 1 tsp. dried chipotle powder
  • 1 tbs. garlic powder
  • 1 tbs. sage
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. tarragon
  • Ground black pepper
  • Large cooler or 2 plastic brining bags and a roasting pan
  • FOR THE BASTING LIQUID:
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
  • 1 tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • Ground black pepper
  • FOR THE STUFFING:
  • 2 lbs. ground italian sausage
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 3 generous tbs. sage
  • 1 box Ritz crackers (or other salted, buttery crackers)
  • FOR THE GRAVY:
  • Up to 1 cup of flour
Instructions
1-2 Days Before Thanksgiving: Make your brine. In a large stock pot, big enough to hold 2 gallons of water (mine is a standard 10 qt pot) combine the salt, brown sugar, molasses and spices. Pour the 2 gallons of water over the spices and stir together. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar and salt into the water. Once it is dissolved, removed the brine from the heat to cool completely - this is important because if it is not cooled it will parboil your turkey and that's gross, I promise. Once your brine is room temperature or cooler, prepare your cooler or brining bags. I used two of the thick plastic bags that our grocery store gives you when you buy your turkey, but grocery stores should also sell large plastic bags for this purpose. I have also heard of people using coolers, but I have no idea how you would adequately sanitize it after, so I did not go this route. I placed my roasting pan on counter and opened up one of the bags, placed it in the roasting pan and rolled down the sides so I could place the raw turkey right in. You may want another set of hands to help with this part, I did. Place your turkey in the sink and unwrap it, make sure the cavities are empty (neck and gibblets removed) and rinse out the inside carefully. Once that is done, place the turkey into the bag in the roasting pan and pour the brine over the turkey and into the bag. I had Aaron hold the edges of the bag steady while I poured. Once your brine is all in, pull your bag closed and try to push out as much as a possible before tying it off completely. Once its tied, you will want to put the wrapped turkey into the second bag and tie that off as well (this is your insurance policy in case the first bag tears). Aaron even went further to wrap the whole thing in saran wrap which helped better distribute the brine all around the turkey. Place your bagged turkey into the roasting pan and into your fridge for up to 36 hours. I placed mine in Thursday night to take out Saturday morning. Flip your turkey over half way through your brining time to make sure all parts of the turkey get equal amounts of immersion in the bring. The Night Before Thanksgiving: Make your stuffing. Dice up your onion small and saute in a large pan with the garlic until fragrant. Add the ground sausage and cook until sausage is cooked through, breaking up the meat with a spoon as you go and mixing into the onion and garlic. Once cooked, add the sage and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Remove from heat. Three or four crackers at a time, crush the crackers over the stuffing and stir in, absorbing all the cooking liquid. I normally use 1 sleeve per pound of meat, so about 2 sleeves of crackers, but more if you need it. Stir well to combine, cover and refrigerate until morning. Thanksgiving Day Half an hour before cooking, remove your turkey from the fridge and release from the brine (in the sink, obviously). Place the turkey into the roasting pan and fill the cavities with the sausage stuffing. Allow the turkey to come up to room temp while your preheat the oven to 325°. In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat melt the two sticks of butter with the garlic and herbs. Once melted bring to a bubble and then immediately remove from heat and stir. Set aside. Place your oven rack to the lowest part of the oven and put your turkey in the oven. The chart will help you figure out how long you need to cook the bird, remember to cook it to 165°! I recommend planning on taking the turkey out 45 minutes or so before serving. You will want to let it rest before carving it and you will want to make the gravy from all the roasting juices. Every hour, you will want to open up your oven and baste the turkey generously with the melted herb butter using a basting brush. If your turkey skin starts to brown on top faster than the rest of the bird is cooking, cover the areas with foil until the last 30 minutes of cooking. Check your birds temp with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast AND the thigh. Remove when its at least 165° and set it to rest. Meanwhile, use this time to pop anything in the oven you may need to heat up (like sweet potatoes or macaroni and cheese). Once that is done, you will want to scoop the stuffing out of your bird and into a separate serving dish - set aside and cover to keep warm. Then carefully remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place onto a large cutting board or cookie sheet with a lip or a casserole dish. Pour the juices and fat from the bottom of the roasting pan into a large sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to a soft boil. Whisk in flour a few table spoons at a time, incorporating until smooth after each addition. Add flour until your gravy is your desired consistency. Remove from heat, ladle into your desired serving dish and set aside. Carve your turkey and place the pieces onto a serving platter.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: