Best 4 Apple Cider Brined Smoked Turkey Recipes

APPLE CIDER TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, apple cider, kosher salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns together in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; cook and stir brine until the salt is just dissolved. Remove from heat; add ice cubes.

BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix salt, brown sugar, vegetable stock, apple cider vinegar, pickling spice, onion, carrot, peppercorns and bay leaves in a stockpot and bring to a boil until sugar and salt is well dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. In large pot or ice chest, add stockpot mixture to ice and cold water. Submerge turkey. Brine for 4 to 6 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and dry well. Combine Worcestershire sauce and kitchen bouquet browning sauce together and brush on skin of turkey. Rub salt, pepper and paprika onto turkey skin. Stuff inside of turkey with orange quarters and tie legs together.
• Smoke turkey in smoker set to 250 degrees for about 7 hours. Checking internal temperature to be 170 degrees. Remove and let rest for 45 minutes.

CIDER BRINED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil garlic, onions, and orange and saute for 4 minutes. Add the cider and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and herbs and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add the water and the ice. Stir until the brine is cooled to at least room temperature. Add the turkey to the pot. The turkey should be completely submerged in the brine. Cover with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Let the turkey brine for a minimum of 12 hours and no more than 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Tuck the wings under the back portion of the breast. Tie the legs together with piece of butcher's twine. Put the turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Add the chicken broth to the roasting pan. Put in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes per pound, about 3 hours. Make sure to baste the turkey every 20 minutes with the pan drippings. If the turkey begins to brown too quickly tent it loosely with foil. Remove the foil the last 30 minutes of cooking. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board or serving platter and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving.
• Carve the turkey and serve with the Gravy.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until the flour turns a light brown color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the pan drippings and the chicken broth. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the gravy simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.

APPLE CIDER BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely; at least 40 degrees F. 2. Remove giblets from body cavity, and rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out. Pat turkey dry with paper towels, and then immerse turkey in cooled brine. Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid). 3. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. 4. After the brining remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and smoke as usual. 5: Smoke Turkey at 220 degrees for 12-14 hours, the first 2.5 hours with Cherry Smoke until internal temp hits 170-175. Larger Turkeys will take longer but smoke should remain at 2.5 hours.