Although the number of ingredients is modest, they blend together to make a tasty turkey that is very moist. If you have someone who needs to avoid alcohol, you can easily omit the brandy as there is apple cider in the gravy and the basting juices.
For this dish, I actually roasted the turkey on the grill. I have included the regular roasting instructions for an oven, but if you look in the notes section, I’ll tell you how to do it on the grill. This will free up your oven for other dishes!
As you can see, this turkey makes a wonderful lead character in your Thanksgiving Day dinner. We featured this one in an inclusive meal that can accommodate most dietary choices and restrictions.
To make the dinner pictured, here are the links to the other dishes:
- Smashed Potatoes – Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
- Pilaf with Pine Nuts and Currants– Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
- Green Beans, Mushrooms, and Shallots– Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
- Delicata Squash Salad– Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
- Dinner Rolls
- Pecan Pie
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie – Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
Sage Butter- Roasted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy
Ingredients
Turkey
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt coarse
- 1 Tbsp dried sage
- 16 to 18 lb turkey rinsed, patted dry; neck, heart, and gizzard removed for turkey stock
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ cup fresh sage chopped
- ¾ cup fresh apple cider or apple juice
Apple Cider Gravy
- 2 cups turkey stock or low salt chicken broth
- ¾ cup fresh apple cider or apple juice
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 – 3 Tbsp Calvados (apple brandy) or appleJack brandy
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage chopped
Instructions
Turkey
- Rub salt and dried sage together in a small bowl. Place turkey in roasting pan; sprinkle all over with sage salt. Cover pan with plastic wrap; chill turkey overnight.
- Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375°F. Pat turkey dry. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely. Stir butter and chopped sage in small saucepan over low heat until butter melts. Brush all over turkey; sprinkle with pepper.
- Roast turkey 1 hour; baste with any pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast turkey 45 minutes. Pour 3/4 cup apple cider over; turn pan around. Continue to roast turkey until instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, basting and turning pan occasionally for even cooking about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter; tent loosely with foil and let rest 30 to 45 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
Apple Cider Gravy
- Pour all pan juices into large measuring cup, spoon off fat that rises to the surface. Transfer 2 tablespoons fat into large, heavy saucepan; discard remaining fat.
- Place turkey roasting pan over 2 burners, add 2cups stock or broth and 3/4 cup cider. Bring to boil over high heat scraping up browned bits. Boil liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 6 minutes. Add mixture from roasting pan to degreased pan juices. If necessary, add enough stock to measure 3 1/2 cups stock mixture.
- Place saucepan with turkey fat over medium high heat. Add flour; whisk 2 minutes. Whisk in stock mixture. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon thinly, about 6 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons apple brandy, or more to taste, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.