Thanksgiving Tradition, Apple Brined Turkey

George Hirsch November 27, 2025

First, start with Turkey 101.

Then, resume with my apple turkey brine tradition below.

Hands down, my Apple Brined Turkey recipe is an all-time winner for a moist and flavorful turkey. Need more kitchen? If your oven is all jammed up – take it outdoors and grill it. Or, a Thanksgiving turkey solution: Cook one turkey in the oven and one on the grill.

George’s Apple Brined Roasted Turkey

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

Brining is an overnight process requiring TWO days of preparation.

If preparing a frozen turkey, be sure to thaw it in the refrigerator well in advance. Brine the turkey in a large stockpot or a large food-safe plastic bag. The turkey must be completely submerged in brine, or you must turn the turkey every couple of hours. I prefer turkeys no larger than 12-14 pounds for the best tenderness and flavor. If grilling, I have my butcher split the turkey for ease of brining and grilling. Cook additional turkeys if serving more than 12-14 people. As a guide, figure each pound of turkey on the bone feeds one person.

STEP 1: First day

On the day prior to cooking: Brine for a 12-pound turkey; prepare a double brine recipe for a larger turkey.

Apple Brine Mixture

8 cups apple cider

1/4 cup Maple syrup

2/3 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 bay leaves

To prepare brine, combine ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

STEP 2: First day

Add Flavor Ingredients to Apple Brine Mixture:

6 garlic cloves, peeled & cut in half

1 onion, quartered

1 rib of celery, chopped into two-inch pieces

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & sliced

3 each sage leaves, rosemary sprigs, thyme

4 cups ice

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for making gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff the body cavity with orange quarters, ice, onion, ginger, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Place turkey in a large stockpot or food-safe plastic bag. Pour the apple brine mixture over the turkey. Depending on the size of the turkey, refrigerate for 6 hours for a split turkey or 12 hours for a whole 12-pound turkey, turning occasionally. Add one hour of bringing time per additional pound of turkey.

Spice Rub

1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

To Roast:

1-yard kitchen twine

2 cups chicken broth or stock

4 Tablespoons butter

fresh ground black pepper

6 slices of pancetta or bacon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the brine, and discard the brine and orange quarters. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over the back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the roasting rack in the pan. Arrange the turkey, breast side down, on a roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º. MORE INSTRUCTIONS Below

Remove the turkey from the oven. Carefully turn the turkey over, breast side up. Put the turkey neck and giblets in the pan. Brush the turkey breast with one tablespoon of butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper; lay slices of pancetta over the breasts. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center meaty part of the thigh registers 170º.

If the breast of the turkey browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it stand for 30 minutes. Pour off the drippings and remove the turkey neck and giblets for gravy; cover the turkey to keep it warm.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Oven Fried Garlic Chicken, as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch June 10, 2025

Many of you have requested this recipe from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series. I am delighted to share.

Who doesn’t like fried chicken? However, frying chicken in the traditional manner can cause health concerns and take a long time to prepare correctly. The solution is my oven-fried garlic Chicken. It is as good as it looks. Perfect for making and taking to the tailgate or picnic, it tastes even better the next day! That's if you have any left.

Add a side of Mac and Cheese and wrap up with Double Chocolate Brownies for a perfect homestyle comfort menu.

George’s Oven Fried Garlic Chicken

Makes 8-10 pieces

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 whole chicken cut into 8 - 10 pieces or pre-cut from a butcher

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

2 cups flour, approximate

paper bag or food-safe plastic bag

For The Chicken Rub

1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano, thyme, sweet paprika

1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder

Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Pinch sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine all seasonings for chicken.

Add seasoning rub to chicken, coating each piece, then squeeze lemon juice over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place half of the flour in a bag and add additional flour as needed.

Place two pieces of chicken in the bag of flour at a time, close tightly, and shake the bag, coating the chicken evenly. Remove flour-coated chicken with tongs and shake off any excess flour. Place flour-coated chicken in a low-sided heavy gauge roasting pan. Repeat until all chicken has been coated with flour. Make sure the chicken is not crowded in a roasting pan. See Tips.

Place chicken in the oven at 425 degrees F. for the first 15 min or until chicken begins to color (you will smell aroma), then lower oven to 350 degrees F. for 30 - 35 minutes until golden brown or until done. Time depends on the size of the chicken pieces.

After removing from the oven, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Tips:

- For crispy chicken, use a heavy gauge low-sided pan (to prevent the chicken from steaming).

- Do not overcrowd the chicken in the pan; allow air circulation.

- The oven-baked chicken fries in their own fat. Using just breasts (white meat) does not oven fry as well due to lower fat content; for best results, cook with a mixture of white and dark meat that has a higher fat content.

- Trust the cooking times. Avoid opening the oven door to peek at the chicken while cooking. It will still be there. The temperature drops each time you open the oven door, causing the chicken to steam.

- To keep chicken crisp after cooking, place chicken on a wire baking screen until cool.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Grilled Pork Sliders as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch May 16, 2025

You can’t beat traditional low-and-slow BBQ pulled pork. But what if you don’t have hours to Q? The solution is the Grilled Pork Sliders. Pork tenderloins benefit from a good rub and sauce, and they cook up quickly on the grill. In a pinch, the pork can be grilled or roasted indoors.

George's Grilled Pork Sliders

Makes six servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 1/4 TO 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/4 cup Pork Rub

2 Tablespoons olive oil

12 soft potato slider buns

1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage, or 1 cup slaw

1 cup Chipotle Sauce

One day prior or at least two hours before cooking, dry rub the pork tenderloin.

Rub pork spices over pork tenderloin and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Pork Rub:

2 teaspoons each of powdered garlic, paprika

1 Tablespoon each of black pepper, rosemary, thyme, Chipolte rub

To Cook Pork: Preheat the grill or a cast-iron grill pan to high heat, or preheat a 375-degree oven.

Rub olive oil over the pork tenderloin. Place the tenderloins on high heat and grill to a golden brown, turning once on all sides (Use a roasting pan if cooking in the oven). Lower the heat to medium; cook until the pork is fully cooked, about 15-25 minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice pork tenderloin very thin and pile high on soft buns. Drizzle Chipotle Sauce over the meat, and top with finely shredded cabbage or slaw.

Chipotle Sauce

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup Steak Sauce

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons Chipolte roasted paste

Mix all ingredients. Heat up to warm, and serve the sauce warm or at room temperature.

If you are setting up for a BBQ or just a weekend social, An ever-popular menu for comfort recipes such as mac-and-cheese, crispy oven-fried garlic chicken, steamy waffles, BBQ pork sliders, and double-chocolate brownies!

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Corned Beef and Cabbage

George Hirsch March 8, 2025

Since March is officially 'Irish Awareness Month,'’ I want to offer you the luck of the Irish by kicking off a St. Patrick's Day food tradition with Corn Beef and Cabbage...umm, Irish-American, that is, and not part of the repast on the Emerald Aisle.

Since the early 1900s, Americans proclaimed corned beef and cabbage their favorite Irish dish, even though it never had graced dinner tables in Ireland. Since then, Americans have embraced it as the St. Patrick's Day meal, March 17th. Corned beef got its name before refrigeration when meat was preserved using coarse grains of salt, called 'corn.’ Today, beef is corned with spices strictly for flavor, not preservation, so the meat must be refrigerated. Whether you're a wee bit Irish or not, boost your luck by celebrating St. Patrick's Day with friends and a feast.

It is said that President Grover Cleveland once noticed the aroma of corned beef and cabbage coming from the servant’s quarters at the White House. He asked to trade his dinner for the staff meal and commented, " This was the best dinner I had had in months."

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit, Gaelic for Saint Patrick's Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Boiled Vegetables

Serves six-eight

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

3-pound corned beef brisket

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Fresh ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons pickling spices,

3 bay leaves

1/4cup sugar

1/4cup cider vinegar

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

6 carrots, peeled

6 Yukon potatoes, scrubbed

3 turnips, peeled

1 head cabbaged, leave core on and cut into eights

Place corned beef brisket in a very large soup pot. Fill the pot with cold water to cover the meat. Add sugar, cider vinegar, pickling spices, bay leaves, and garlic.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, skimming off the any scum that rises to the surface with a large spoon.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 1-2 hours. Test the meat for tenderness with a large fork; it should have a little resistance. Be careful not to overcook corned beef, or the meat will become dry and stringy. If fully tender, turn off the heat and let the meat rest in the liquid.

Add all the vegetables to the pot with the meat one hour before serving and before the meat finishes.

Timetable for the vegetables:

• onions, simmer 1 hour

• carrots, potatoes, and turnips simmer for 30 minutes

• Simmer cabbage for 20-30 minutes

Slice only as much meat as you will immediately serve, keeping the rest in one piece for future use. Serve with a variety of mustards and horseradish.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Gameday Chili

George Hirsch January 30, 2025

Entertaining a crowd during Gameday Season?

Then, it's time to fire up the cooktop and start chopping. Those flavors will come together deliciously by gameday. This recipe calls for one bottle of IPA beer, my favorite from my local microbrew. I always advise you to use only what you would drink!

This basic chili recipe combines several flavors of the Southwest.

Options: Turkey and pork can be substituted for beef and combined for ultimate flavor. To make it vegetarian, use eggplant, squash, and extra onion in place of the meat.

IPA Chili

Makes 6- 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds sirloin or chuck - cut into 1/2 inch pieces or a ground beef combo

4 slices maple cured bacon, chopped

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 fresh serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 Tablespoon each: cumin, oregano, basil and thyme

1 teaspoon cinnamon

12 ounces of a good microbrew IPA

2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice, chopped

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 16-ounce can of red beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tablespoons cilantro

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add bacon and allow the bacon to get a light golden color. Add garlic, onion, olive oil, scallions, jalapenos, and serrano, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook until becomes lightly browned. Drain off any excess fat. Season with cumin, oregano, basil, hot pepper flakes, and cinnamon.

Add beer and reduce liquid for one minute; add tomatoes and vinegar.

Lower the temperature to a gentle simmer. Stir, cover pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.