Easy Champagne Turkey: A Fancy Thanksgiving Recipe
Happy Thanksgiving prep, friends! 🦃🥂
If you’re looking for an elevated Thanksgiving turkey that’s juicy, delicious, and fancy at the same time, well this is it! Oh and it’s easy to make too! Instead of stuffing, I fill the turkey with apples, onion, celery, and fresh herbs, then roast it in an oven bag with a bottle of champagne. The bubbly steams as it cooks, the apples infuse the meat from the inside, and the herb butter under the skin makes every bite rich and full of flavor.
It’s a simple recipe to make, it’s festive, and there’s no brining required. It also makes your kitchen smell incredible. Plus, you get to open a bottle of champagne before the guests arrive.😉
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Jump to RecipeWhy This Turkey Is So Moist and Flavorful
- Oven bag: It traps steam around the turkey, which keeps the meat incredibly tender, and no brine is needed.
- Herb butter under the skin: The butter melts right onto the breast meat, which is the part that usually dries out.
- Champagne: It creates a gentle steam that infuses the turkey with flavor and makes a fragrant juice for gravy. The wine’s effervescence and acidity work together to break down proteins gently, resulting in more tender meat.
- Apple and herb aromatics: Instead of stuffing, which slows cooking and can dry out the breast, the cavity holds apples, onion, celery, and herbs that flavor the bird from the inside.
Easy Champagne Turkey
Serves: 8 to 10
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook time: about 2 to 3 hours, plus 30 minutes to rest
Total time: about 3½ hours
Ingredients
Turkey
- 1 whole turkey, 12 to 14 pounds, fully thawed, giblets removed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 green apples, quartered
- 1 sweet onion, quartered
- 2 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
- Several extra sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and sage
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for the oven bag)
For the Herb Butter
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- Zest of 1 orange
- ¼ cup orange juice (from about half an orange)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
The Champagne Bath
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry champagne or sparkling wine (brut works best)
- 1 cup chicken broth
Equipment
- 1 large, deep roasting pan
- 1 turkey-size oven bag (with tie)
- Meat thermometer
- Kitchen twine (optional)
Instructions
1. Make the herb butter.
Mix the softened butter with the rosemary, thyme, sage, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.
2. Prep the turkey.
Take the turkey out of the fridge about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper all over the outside and inside the cavity. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Spread about two-thirds of the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Rub the rest over the outside of the turkey.
3. Add the aromatics.
Fill the cavity with the apples, onion, celery, and a handful of herb sprigs. Don’t pack it too tightly, so heat can circulate. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen twine if you like.
4. Set up the oven bag.
Follow the directions on your oven bag box. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the bag and shake it to coat the inside. Set the bag in a large, deep roasting pan and place the turkey inside. Pour the champagne and chicken broth over and inside the turkey. Close the bag with the nylon tie and cut about 6 half-inch slits in the top for venting. Make sure the bag doesn’t touch the oven walls or heating element.
5. Roast.
Roast at 350°F until a thermometer reads 165°F (see the next step). For extra-golden skin, check your bag’s box for how to carefully cut it open during the last 20 minutes or so.
6. Check the temperature.
Start checking after about 2 hours. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh, without touching bone. Total time is usually 2 to 3 hours for a 12 to 14 pound turkey, but always trust your thermometer over the clock.
7. Rest.
Carefully lift the turkey out of the bag onto a cutting board (the juices will be very hot), and save every drop of the drippings for the gravy. Tent the turkey loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes so the meat stays moist when you carve.
8. Make the gravy.
While the turkey rests, make the champagne orange gravy below.
Champagne Orange Gravy
Silky, savory, and a little bit bubbly. This gravy uses the champagne-infused pan drippings from your turkey, plus a splash of orange juice for a bright, festive finish.
Makes: about 3 cups
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth, warmed
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne
- 1 cup turkey pan drippings, fat skimmed off
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make a simple roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms.
- Whisk. Keep whisking for 1 to 2 minutes, until the roux starts to brown and smells nutty and fragrant.
- Add the liquids. Slowly whisk in the broth, orange juice, and champagne until smooth. Then add the pan drippings.
- Simmer. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
- Season. Taste, then add salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
Gravy tips
- Taste before you salt. Drippings and store-bought broth can both be salty, so low-sodium broth helps.
- Too thick? Whisk in a splash of warm broth. Too thin? Simmer a few more minutes.
- Lumpy? Pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Extra drippings? Use them in place of some of the broth.
- Make ahead: Make it up to 2 days ahead and rewarm on the stove with a splash of broth.
Tips for the Best Champagne Turkey
- Use a dry 750 ml bottle. Brut or extra brut keeps the flavor balanced, not sweet. You don’t need anything expensive, and brut rosé champagne and prosecco work great too.
- Don’t skip the thermometer. It’s the best way to get moist turkey that’s also safely cooked.
- Thaw early. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 14-pound bird takes about 3 days.
- No champagne? Sparkling apple cider or white grape juice are good alcohol-free swaps. Some alcohol can remain in food cooked with wine, so use the cider swap if guests prefer to avoid it.
- Make-ahead tip: Make the herb butter up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Soften before using.
Fancy Serving Ideas
Serve it on a large platter surrounded by roasted apple halves, fresh rosemary, and thyme sprigs for a showstopping centerpiece. Pour the gravy into a pretty pitcher, and pair everything with potatoes au gratin, roasted vegetables, cranberry sauce, and, of course, a glass of bubbly. 🥂
Happy Thanksgiving, friends! If you make this, I’d love to hear how it turns out. Cheers! 🦃✨
Thanks for reading, Easy Champagne Turkey: A Fancy Thanksgiving Recipe. You will also enjoy my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes here.
Stay Fancy!
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Champagne Turkey
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the Herb Butter
- Mix the softened butter with the rosemary, thyme, sage, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Prep the Turkey.
- Take the turkey out of the fridge about 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper all over the outside and inside the cavity. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers, being careful not to tear it. Spread about two-thirds of the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Rub the rest over the outside of the turkey.
- Add the aromatics.
- Fill the cavity with the apples, onion, celery, and a handful of herb sprigs. Don’t pack it too tightly, so heat can circulate. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen twine if you like.
- Set up the oven bag.
- Follow the directions on your oven bag box. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the bag and shake it to coat the inside. Set the bag in a large, deep roasting pan and place the turkey inside. Pour the champagne and chicken broth over and inside the turkey. Close the bag with the nylon tie and cut about 6 half-inch slits in the top for venting. Make sure the bag doesn’t touch the oven walls or heating element.
- Roast.
- Roast at 350°F until a thermometer reads 165°F (see the next step). For extra-golden skin, check your bag’s box for how to carefully cut it open during the last 20 minutes or so.
- Check the Temperature.
- Start checking after about 2 hours. The turkey is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh, without touching bone. Total time is usually 2 to 3 hours for a 12 to 14 pound turkey, but always trust your thermometer over the clock.
- Rest.
- Carefully lift the turkey out of the bag onto a cutting board (the juices will be very hot), and save every drop of the drippings for the gravy. Tent the turkey loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes so the meat stays moist when you carve.
- Make the Gravy.
- While the turkey rests, make the Champagne Orange Gravy below.
Notes
Champagne Orange Gravy
Silky, savory, and a little bit bubbly. This gravy uses the champagne-infused pan drippings from your turkey, plus a splash of orange juice for a bright, festive finish. Makes: about 3 cupsTime: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth, warmed
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons champagne
- 1 cup turkey pan drippings, fat skimmed off
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make a simple roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms.
- Whisk. Keep whisking for 1 to 2 minutes, until the roux starts to brown and smells nutty and fragrant.
- Add the liquids. Slowly whisk in the broth, orange juice, and champagne until smooth. Then add the pan drippings.
- Simmer. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
- Season. Taste, then add salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
Gravy tips
- Taste before you salt. Drippings and store-bought broth can both be salty, so low-sodium broth helps.
- Too thick? Whisk in a splash of warm broth. Too thin? Simmer a few more minutes.
- Lumpy? Pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Extra drippings? Use them in place of some of the broth.
- Make ahead: Make it up to 2 days ahead and rewarm on the stove with a splash of broth.
Tips for the Best Champagne Turkey
- Use a dry 750 ml bottle. Brut or extra brut keeps the flavor balanced, not sweet. You don’t need anything expensive, and brut rosé champagne and prosecco work great too.
- Don’t skip the thermometer. It’s the best way to get moist turkey that’s also safely cooked.
- Thaw early. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 14-pound bird takes about 3 days.
- No champagne? Sparkling apple cider or white grape juice are good alcohol-free swaps. Some alcohol can remain in food cooked with wine, so use the cider swap if guests prefer to avoid it.
- Make-ahead tip: Make the herb butter up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Soften before using.
