Cider-Glazed Turkey

Name: Cider-Glazed Turkey
Total time: 3 h 29 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 whole turkey; 1 whole apple; 1 whole small onion; 1 bunch thyme; 1 cup water; 1 cup unfiltered apple cider; 2 tablespoons sugar; ½ stick unsalted butter; 2 cups dry white wine; tablespoons melted unsalted butter; ⅓ cup all-purpose flour; 4 cups turkey giblet stock; 1 set equipment

A beautifully roasted turkey glazed with a sweet apple cider reduction and served with a rich wine-infused gravy. Perfect for special occasions, this recipe combines the natural flavors of turkey with apple, thyme, and white wine.

8 servings

3 hr 29 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•1 whole turkey
•1 whole apple
•1 whole small onion
•1 bunch thyme
•1 cup water
•1 cup unfiltered apple cider
•2 tablespoons sugar
•½ stick unsalted butter
•2 cups dry white wine
•tablespoons melted unsalted butter
•⅓ cup all-purpose flour
•4 cups turkey giblet stock
•1 set equipment

Cooking Instructions

1.
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.
10 min
2.
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Put apple, onion, and thyme in large cavity. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string.
15 min
3.
Add water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.
60 min
4.
Meanwhile, boil cider and sugar in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until emulsified. Let glaze stand until ready to use.
10 min
5.
After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan 180 degrees. Roast, without basting, 40 minutes more.
40 min
6.
Brush turkey all over with all of glaze and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; do not touch bone) registers 165 to 170°F, 5 to 15 minutes more (total roasting time: 1 3/4 to 2 hours).
15 min
7.
Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve juices in roasting pan) and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 170 to 175°F). Discard string.
30 min
8.
Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat.
5 min
9.
Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices.
2 min
10.
Put 1/2 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour.
2 min
11.
Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
15 min
12.
Serve turkey with gravy.
5 min
13.
Josmeyer Les Folastries Gewürztraminer '05

Cider-Glazed Turkey

8 servings

3 hr 29 min

Published October 4, 2025

Be the first to rate this recipe

Ingredients

•1 whole turkey

•1 whole apple

•1 whole small onion

•1 bunch thyme

•1 cup water

•1 cup unfiltered apple cider

•2 tablespoons sugar

•½ stick unsalted butter

•2 cups dry white wine

•tablespoons melted unsalted butter

•⅓ cup all-purpose flour

•4 cups turkey giblet stock

•1 set equipment

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.

10 min

Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Put apple, onion, and thyme in large cavity. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string.

15 min

Add water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.

60 min

Meanwhile, boil cider and sugar in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until emulsified. Let glaze stand until ready to use.

10 min

After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan 180 degrees. Roast, without basting, 40 minutes more.

40 min

Brush turkey all over with all of glaze and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; do not touch bone) registers 165 to 170°F, 5 to 15 minutes more (total roasting time: 1 3/4 to 2 hours).

15 min

Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve juices in roasting pan) and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 170 to 175°F). Discard string.

30 min

Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat.

5 min

Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices.

2 min

10.

Put 1/2 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour.

2 min

11.

Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

15 min

12.

Serve turkey with gravy.

5 min

13.

Josmeyer Les Folastries Gewürztraminer '05