The Ultimate White Wine Roasted Turkey Recipe with Unforgettable Gravy
Prepare to transform your holiday table with this simple yet sensational recipe for a classic roasted turkey. Infused with aromatic vegetables and basted with white wine, this method not only guarantees a moist, flavorful bird but also yields the most incredible, homemade gravy your family will rave about for years. Dive into our expert tips, including the number one secret to achieving consistently juicy turkey meat, ensuring your festive meal is a resounding success!
For many of us, holiday celebrations revolve around cherished traditions, and a succulent, flavorful turkey surrounded by an array of beloved side dishes is often the centerpiece. This particular white wine roasted turkey recipe, distinguished by its luscious white wine baste and the exceptional gravy it creates, has been a steadfast favorite in our family for many years – and we’re confident it will become yours too.
Its brilliance lies in its simplicity and accessibility, proving that you don’t need complex techniques to achieve culinary perfection. The white wine infuses the turkey with a subtle, rich flavor that perfectly complements the poultry, while the pan drippings combine with the wine to form the most astounding gravy imaginable. Seriously, the gravy truly is that good – a silky, savory masterpiece that elevates every bite and will have everyone asking for your secret.
Smart Tip: Buy More Than One Turkey When They’re On Sale!
One of the easiest ways to be savvy with your holiday meal budget and ensure delicious dinners throughout the winter is to purchase at least two (or even more!) turkeys when they are deeply discounted during seasonal sales. You can roast your main holiday turkey now, and simply freeze the other one to enjoy later in the colder months. This strategy saves you money and provides a fantastic base for future meals.
I personally love roasting an extra turkey in January or February. It’s perfect for a cozy weekend dinner, or as part of a larger meal prep session. We enjoy some of the freshly roasted meat for dinner, and then I carve and cube the remaining turkey for the freezer. Having pre-cooked, cubed turkey on hand is an incredible convenience food – it can be effortlessly incorporated into a wide variety of recipes that call for cooked poultry, like delicious casseroles, hearty soups, flavorful stir-fries, or even these favorite rotisserie chicken recipes, making weeknight meals a breeze with minimal effort.
Effortless White Wine Roasted Turkey: A Guide to Holiday Perfection
Roasting a Turkey with Confidence: Do you ever find yourself feeling a little nervous or intimidated by the prospect of roasting a whole turkey? You’re certainly not alone! For many years, the thought of preparing the main event for a holiday meal would make me quite anxious. The pressure to deliver a perfectly cooked bird, especially with hungry guests waiting, felt immense. Over time, through trial and error and a commitment to simple, reliable methods, I’ve developed a foolproof approach that eliminates all that stress and lets you enjoy the celebration.
To help alleviate your holiday cooking stress, I’ve created a detailed Thanksgiving Day Turkey Countdown. This comprehensive guide outlines all the necessary steps and precise timings to ensure your turkey reaches the table flawlessly. You can find this invaluable resource included in the Thanksgiving Week Countdown, part of The Holiday Season Planner. It’s absolutely free for all subscribers to our weekly newsletter – simply sign up here to get your copy!
Overcoming Turkey-Roasting Worries: My Proven Learnings:
After countless holiday dinners and years of experimenting, I’ve gathered some invaluable insights that simplify turkey roasting and consistently yield fantastic results. These principles are the backbone of this recipe, designed to make your holiday cooking experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible:
- Cooking Time is Shorter Than You Think (for smaller birds): Many home cooks overestimate the time required, particularly for a moderate-sized turkey (10-12 pounds). Unless you’re dealing with a truly massive bird, you might be surprised at how efficiently a well-prepped turkey can cook. Our recipe, specifically developed for a 10-12 pound turkey, demonstrates that a delicious, perfectly cooked bird can be ready in under 3 hours, a significant departure from the all-day roasting marathon many anticipate. This quick turnaround means less time in the kitchen and more time with loved ones.
- Simpler Methods Often Yield Superior Results: While there are countless elaborate techniques out there – from day-long brining to complicated turning schedules and complex basting routines – I’ve found that focusing on a few core, simple principles works best for home cooks. This recipe embraces a straightforward approach that minimizes fuss without compromising on flavor, tenderness, or moisture. We leave the more complex culinary acrobatics to others, preferring a method that’s accessible and stress-free for busy holiday hosts.
- An Instant-Read Thermometer is Your Best Friend for Moist White Meat: This is arguably the most crucial tip for avoiding dry turkey. Relying solely on cooking time charts can be misleading due to variations in oven calibration and the actual size and shape of your turkey. A high-quality instant-read thermometer provides an accurate internal temperature, ensuring you pull the turkey from the oven at precisely the right moment. This is paramount for preserving the juiciness of the breast meat, which is often the first to dry out.
- Exceptional Gravy Elevates the Entire Meal: Let’s be honest: even if the turkey isn’t absolutely perfect (though with these tips, it will be!), a truly outstanding gravy can rescue any dish and tie the meal together. It adds a layer of richness, savory depth, and luxurious texture that makes every spoonful a delight. Our recipe’s gravy is a showstopper, guaranteeing rave reviews and happily cleaned plates, making it an essential component of your holiday feast.
This recipe thoughtfully incorporates all these lessons, making it an ideal choice for your holiday feast, promising ease, flavor, and a memorable meal:
- It requires only about 15 minutes of active preparation time, leaving you more time to enjoy your guests or focus on other delicious side dishes.
- The turkey is cooked in under 3 hours for a 10-12 pound bird, with a strategic foil covering during part of the roasting process that effectively creates a self-basting environment, locking in moisture and ensuring tender results.
- Doneness is precisely confirmed with an instant-read thermometer, eliminating guesswork and guaranteeing perfectly tender meat every single time.
- And, as previously highlighted, this recipe yields a truly wonderful, velvety gravy, guaranteeing point #4 is a complete win. You can confidently roast your turkey, knowing a delicious outcome awaits!
Crafting the Perfect Roasted Turkey Gravy
Homemade Turkey Broth: The Secret to Depth of Flavor: While your magnificent turkey is roasting to a golden crisp, you can easily prepare a rich, flavorful turkey broth. Simply add the turkey neck (usually found inside the turkey cavity, often in a bag) along with a handful of fresh vegetable scraps – think onion skins, carrot ends, or celery leaves – to a small saucepan. Cover these ingredients generously with water and let them gently simmer for a few hours. This slow cooking process extracts deep, savory flavors, creating a homemade broth that is far superior to store-bought alternatives and forms the foundational flavor for your gravy.
This exquisite homemade broth will be a key component in your incredible gravy, providing an unmatched depth of flavor. Any extra broth can be splendidly utilized in other complementary side dishes, enhancing their taste profiles. It’s particularly fantastic in our family’s absolute favorite, the “lick-the-plate-clean” Sweet & Savory Sausage-Cranberry Dressing, adding another layer of complex, comforting taste.
Mastering Lump-Free, Flavorful Gravy: To be completely candid, creating a truly exceptional gravy often presented more of a challenge for me than roasting the turkey itself. Achieving a consistency that was perfectly smooth and lump-free, while simultaneously packing it with rich, savory flavor, seemed to take a considerable amount of trial and error in my early cooking days.
I’ve experimented with various thickening agents and techniques – from starting with a classic roux, to using white sauce bases, and even shaking flour with cold water in a jar. Through all these explorations, I’ve consistently returned to what I’ve found to be the easiest, quickest, and most reliable method: gradually whisking flour into a small amount of bubbling broth from the pan drippings, and then slowly incorporating the remaining liquid. This technique allows for precise control over the consistency, ensuring a silky-smooth, lump-free gravy every time, ready to blanket your turkey and mashed potatoes.
Our family, like many, enjoys the classic, rich texture that all-purpose flour provides in gravy. However, for those with gluten sensitivities or who follow a gluten-free diet, this wine-based gravy is wonderfully adaptable. You can easily substitute the flour with potato starch or cornstarch for an equally delicious, thick gravy. Simply follow the specific adaptations outlined in the recipe card’s notes section; there’s absolutely no reason to miss out on this incredible, flavorful sauce that complements the turkey so perfectly.
Every single time I serve this roasted turkey recipe, the compliments on the gravy are overwhelming. Guests consistently tell me how much they adore its flavor and velvety texture, often asking for the recipe. It’s truly a testament to how much everyone loves it – as much as I do! Don’t just take my word for it; hear what some of our happy readers have to say about this tried-and-true recipe:
I have been making this roasted turkey recipe with our homegrown turkeys for a couple years now, and it is beyond our favorite…STILL. We are a big gravy family, so without a doubt this gravy is outstanding and does not disappoint! -Abby
I have made this turkey numerous times and it is hands down the best turkey and the best gravy! Yum. -Mary
The greatest bonus of all? You can approach cooking this turkey with complete confidence and zero anxiety. Knowing you have a reliable, crowd-pleasing recipe for both the bird and its accompanying gravy makes holiday cooking a joyful experience rather than a stressful chore – yay!
Roasted Turkey FAQs & Expert Tips for Success
How long does it take to roast a turkey?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions, and understandably so, as predicting turkey cooking time can feel like a guessing game. The truth is, the cooking duration depends on several key factors: the size and weight of your turkey, the specific oven temperature you’re using, whether the turkey is stuffed or unstuffed, and if it’s cooked covered or uncovered for part of the process. All these variables significantly influence how heat penetrates the bird and how quickly it cooks.
For instance, the common guideline of 20 minutes per pound might suggest a 10-12 pound turkey would cook for 3.5 to 4 hours. However, the cooking time in *this* particular recipe is significantly shorter, clocking in at around 2 hours and 40 minutes. This discrepancy arises because our recipe utilizes an initial higher temperature roast before reducing it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and it includes a crucial hour of baking with a foil cover. This method creates a more efficient cooking environment while ensuring a beautiful, golden-brown skin and a tender interior.
Therefore, the **REAL and most reliable answer to “how long does it take to roast a turkey?” is to always use an instant-read thermometer.** Insert it into the thickest part of the turkey thigh (making sure to avoid touching the bone, which can give a false reading). When the internal temperature registers between 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, your turkey is done. It’s important to remember that the turkey’s internal temperature will continue to rise by 5-10 degrees (this is called carry-over cooking) as it rests after being removed from the oven, reaching the safe internal temperature of 165-170°F for serving. This resting period is critical for juicy meat, which we’ll discuss next.
How do I ensure my turkey stays moist and juicy?
Preventing dry turkey is perhaps the number one concern for holiday cooks, and for good reason! This issue primarily pertains to the white meat (breast), as dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) naturally contains more fat and tends to remain very moist. Achieving a tender, juicy breast, however, is entirely achievable with a few strategic and well-tested steps:
- The Golden Rule: Use a Reliable Thermometer. This cannot be stressed enough as the ultimate safeguard against overcooking. Begin checking the turkey’s internal temperature with your instant-read thermometer approximately 30 minutes to an hour before you anticipate it being done. **Absolutely DO NOT rely on those little plastic pop-up indicators!** They are notoriously inaccurate and often only pop up when the breast meat is already significantly overcooked and dry. Trusting a quality thermometer is the single best way to ensure perfect doneness and juicy results every time.
- Consider Roasting Breast-Side Down (Initially). For the first 40 minutes to an hour of roasting, you can place the turkey breast-side down in the roasting pan. This clever technique allows the natural juices to flow downwards into the breast meat, essentially self-basting it and keeping it incredibly moist. While turning a large, hot turkey can be a bit challenging, if you’re up for it, this technique can make a noticeable difference in the final texture of the white meat. Just be sure to handle the hot bird with care!
- Implement a Dry Brine for Enhanced Flavor and Moisture Retention: A dry brine is a fantastic, fuss-free alternative to wet brining, and it significantly contributes to a more flavorful and moist turkey. Two to three days before cooking, simply rub 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt (or 3-4 tablespoons of kosher salt) evenly over a 12-15 pound turkey, both inside and out. Place the turkey in the refrigerator, *uncovered*, for up to 72 hours. This process allows the salt to draw out moisture, then reabsorb, tenderizing the meat and leading to a perfectly seasoned bird with plump, juicy meat and wonderfully crispy skin. There’s no need to rinse the turkey before roasting, and you won’t need to add any additional salt to the recipe itself. **Important Note:** This technique is only effective with “natural” turkeys that haven’t had any saline solution (often labeled “self-basting”) added during processing, as pre-salted birds could become excessively salty.
- Allow the Turkey to Rest (Uncovered) Before Carving: Once your turkey reaches the target internal temperature and is removed from the oven, it’s absolutely crucial to let it rest. Transfer the turkey from the hot roasting pan to a clean platter or cutting board and allow it to sit, *uncovered*, for at least 20 minutes before you begin carving. **Avoid tenting the turkey tightly with foil**, as this will trap residual heat and cause the meat to continue cooking (overcooking it), potentially drying it out. The resting period is vital because it allows the meat fibers to relax and, most importantly, for the internal juices to redistribute evenly throughout the entire bird. This results in a more tender, succulent, and uniformly juicy turkey when carved.
Our Favorite Turkey Side Dishes
No holiday meal is complete without an array of delicious accompaniments that perfectly complement the star of the show – your perfectly roasted turkey. Here are some of our family’s most cherished side dish recipes that pair beautifully with our White Wine Roasted Turkey:
- Amazing Garlic Green Beans Recipe: A vibrant and flavorful green bean dish, lightly seasoned with garlic for a fresh, crisp, and healthy contrast to the rich turkey.
- Amazing & Easy Lemon Garlic Baked Grated Carrots: Sweet carrots are elevated with bright lemon zest and savory garlic, baked to tender perfection for a simple yet elegant side.
- Incredible Sweet & Savory Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing: A hearty and aromatic stuffing that combines the best of sweet and savory notes, with juicy sausage and tart cranberries creating a symphony of flavors.
- Garlic & Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes: Creamy, dreamy mashed potatoes with a delightful tangy kick from sour cream and a subtle hint of garlic, perfect for soaking up all that amazing gravy.
- The Original Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls Recipe: These soft, wholesome, and fluffy dinner rolls are a must-have at any holiday table, ideal for soaking up every last drop of your incredible homemade gravy.
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White Wine Roasted Turkey with Amazing Gravy
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 pound turkey
- 2 stalks celery cut in half
- 1/2 large onion sliced
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 cup white wine*
For Gravy:
- 1/4 cup flour **see note for gluten free option
- 2 ½ cup broth from pan juices + extra broth if needed
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Lay the celery and onions in a single layer in the center of a large roasting pan. These vegetables will not only flavor the pan drippings but also act as a natural rack for the turkey.
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Remove the giblets and neck from inside the turkey cavity. Discard the giblets (or save them for another recipe, such as a giblet gravy) and place the neck in a small saucepan, setting it aside for the broth. Pat the entire turkey dry with paper towels (this is crucial for the butter and seasonings to adhere and for crispy skin) and gently bend the wing tips under the body to prevent them from burning. Set the turkey, breast side up, on the bed of vegetables in the prepared roasting pan.
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In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Brush the turkey generously all over with the melted butter, ensuring an even coat, then sprinkle it thoroughly with the prepared salt mixture. This creates a flavorful crust and helps with browning.
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Roast the turkey, uncovered, in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 40 minutes, or until the skin is lightly golden brown. This initial high-heat blast helps to achieve that desirable crispy skin.
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Meanwhile, add any additional vegetable scraps (such as carrot peels, onion ends, or celery leaves) to the saucepan containing the turkey neck. Cover these ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and let it gently simmer while the turkey roasts to create a rich, flavorful homemade broth.
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Carefully remove the turkey from the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Pour the cup of white wine evenly over the turkey, allowing it to mingle with the pan drippings. Cover the roasting pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, creating a tented shape in the center to avoid the foil touching the turkey breast as much as possible. This covering will help to trap steam and keep the turkey moist.
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Roast the covered turkey for 1 hour. After this time, remove the foil, baste the turkey thoroughly with the accumulated pan juices, and continue roasting uncovered for another 30-60 minutes. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching bone) reaches 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (71-74 degrees Celsius). The internal temperature will rise during resting.
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Remove the finished turkey from the roasting pan and transfer it to a large platter or cutting board. Crucially, let the turkey rest, *uncovered*, for at least 20 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and succulent final product.
Make Gravy:
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While the turkey is resting, carefully strain the pan drippings from the roasting pan into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Allow the fat to separate and skim off any excess fat from the top. Add the homemade turkey neck broth (from step 4) as needed to achieve a total liquid volume of 2½ cups.
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Pour 1/2 cup of this flavorful liquid into a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble gently. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour until the mixture is smooth and lump-free, forming a paste (a roux). Gradually add the remaining 2 cups of liquid to the saucepan, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency, typically about 3-5 minutes. Taste the gravy and adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with your perfectly roasted turkey and side dishes.
Notes
**To make this gravy gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of your preferred starch, such as cornstarch or potato starch. First, dissolve the starch in 1/4 cup of cold water to create a smooth slurry. Then, whisk this slurry into the simmering 2 1/2 cups of pan drippings/broth, stirring continuously until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency. Be aware that using starch instead of flour may result in a slightly different, often glossier and more translucent, consistency.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated and significantly expanded to provide even more tips, guidance, and delicious details – it was originally published in December of 2015. We’re continually striving to bring you the best and most helpful content!