Turkey Brine Recipe

Turkey Brine creates a tender, moist and juicy turkey with sweet citrusy flavoring and a hint of spice all submerged in a water bath for your turkey to soak from the inside-out. Make your turkey irresistible this holiday season!

This Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without side dishes! If you love side dishes try this World’s Best Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Wild Rice Pilar or Roasted Honey Cinnamon Butter Sweet Potatoes with Easy Turkey Gravy drizzled over top. Don’t forget Grandma’s Famous Pumpkin Pie to enjoy for dessert afterwards!

Turkey Brine Recipe

Soaking in all the flavors from the inside, out is the perfect way to prepare a moist, rich and flavorful turkey.

All the rich flavors soak into the turkey brine leaving the turkey ready to cook and have a nice crisp outside with a tender and juicy inside.

Thanksgiving and Christmas just got better with this simple turkey brine.

Your family will be raving about this beautiful turkey on the dinner table.

Why do you brine a turkey?

Turkey is a lean type of meat especially the breast meat. Since it does not have a lot of fat it tends to dry out and become tough when being cooked. The brine helps prevent drying out and creates a tender and soft turkey both during and after cooking. When a turkey is submerged into brine, it will absorb the brine inside and out during those long hours. Brine will lock in moisture and plumps up your turkey. Your meat color will even change colors and lighten for a more tender and juicy turkey.

This will help keep your turkey stay moist and also will season it while it is soaking.

What is Brining?

Brine is a simple solution of water and salt. The added flavoring only enhances your turkey on the inside and out for the big day.

During this process, the brine is actually breaking down some of the proteins in the muscle of the turkey.

Which in turn helps with the overall moisture absorption. When cooking your turkey this will prevent the meat from becoming tough.

If you are nervous about overcooking your turkey and having dry turkey, brining is the way to go!

It is a great way to be on the safe side just in case your turkey is over cooked when you are preparing for the holidays.

If it is overcooked, it will still come out tender and juicy. A brined turkey will stay juicy and taste good through and through.

Ingredients Needed

Each of these ingredients pairs well with one another leaving it an irrefutable flavor once cooked. Warm water helps the ingredients soak in all the new ingredients.

• Warm water: you will want to submerge your turkey in water.
• Salt: just a dash!
• Orange: brings in a bold citrus flavor.
• Onion:  is a strong, salty, sweet and a hint of spice flavor.
• Lemon: sweet and sour combination.
• Rosemary: has a lemon-pine flavor to add to the lemons in the recipe.
• Thyme: strong, powerful herb with a pungent flavor.
• Peppercorn: fresher and fruitier taste and texture of pepper.
• Turkey: this is for a 12 to 14 pound unfrozen turkey.

How Long?

Brining time depends on your turkey’s size and how salty your brine is. A good baseline is 1 cup of salt per gallon of water and at least 12–24 hours (24 is ideal). If you’re using more water with a bit less salt—especially for a large turkey—you can brine up to 3 days.

For the juiciest results, aim for 1–3 days, but don’t go past 3 or it can turn too salty. Even a short brine helps, so soak it as long as you can. Keep the turkey covered and refrigerated while it brines.

Tips

• When purchasing a turkey look to see if it has already been brined. You will want to find a turkey that has not had any salt enhanced agents.
• It is okay to have your turkey a still a little frozen when going into the water. It will thaw in the brine.
• Prepare your refrigerator by clearing a large space to fit the turkey into to be brined.
• Some have used a clean cooler to leave their turkey to brine in since the refrigerator has limited space.
• Using Kosher salt is a MUST. You will not want to substitute this salt. Table salt is a dense salt compared to Kosher and doesn’t measure the same way.
• You will want your water cool to warm, not hot.
• If you like to try new flavors and herb, mix up and add in the herbs and seasoning that you love.
• Completely dry your turkey before baking it by patting it dry with paper towels. This will ensure a crispy skin.
• After your brined turkey is cooked it tends to be a little pink. When in doubt, check your turkey with a meat thermometer. When it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh, your turkey is prepared and ready to eat!

Can you make gravy from a brined turkey

Gravy is usually made with turkey drippings. Once the turkey is brined and then cooked, use the drippings from the pan to create a flavorful gravy.

Does brine turkey cook faster

Yes. Brined turkey can cook a bit faster because it holds more moisture. Cook time varies by size and oven, so go by temperature: check the thickest part of the thigh and cook to 165°F.

Storing brined turkey

• Prepare your refrigerator: Brining a turkey takes up a lot of space in your refrigerator. Make enough space to fit the pot or bucket into your refrigerator.
• Storing the turkey: Finding a pot or bucket big enough to hold the turkey and submerge it in is the hardest part. You will want to make sure your turkey is completely submerged in the turkey brine.
• Storing in a cooler: this is a great idea if you have time to clean and prepare a cooler for your turkey. It will need to be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe though.

How to make turkey brine recipe

1. Making the brine: Place the turkey in a large pot. In a large bowl add the warm water and salt. Stir to dissolve. Pour the water over the turkey and add the orange, onion, lemon, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorn. Add more water if needed to make sure that the turkey is fully submersed.
2. Marinate the turkey: Cover the pot and place into the fridge for 1-3 days. Before you roast the turkey, place it on a rack and pat to dry with a paper towel.
3. Cook your turkey: Follow my Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe for instructions on how to cook the turkey.