This turkey brine recipe for roasting or smoking Thanksgiving turkey will give you the most moist, juicy, and flavorful turkey that you’ll ever have. If you want a full-proof recipe to ensure that you’re impressing your friends and family this holiday season, then start by brining your turkey…
As a cookbook author and holiday cooking enthusiast, I’m here to help you cook the best turkey ever. Let’s get started!
Pair juicy brined turkey with a homemade gravy or cranberry bbq sauce and you’ll be in for a treat.
Quick look at making a turkey brine…
This turkey brine takes a few ingredients, but is quick to assemble for any home cook.
Here’s a quick look at this recipe for turkey brine.
- Place all ingredients into a large stock pot.
- Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 4-5 minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve completely.
- Set brine aside to cool completely.
- Pour brine over turkey until fully submerged in a large pot or brining bag.
- Refrigerate for 12 – 24 hours.
- Remove brined turkey from the brine and wash with cool water for 15 minutes.
- Pat turkey dry and store in the fridge overnight prior to roasting the next day.
New to brining a turkey? Scroll for a printable recipe and a step-by-step video.
See how to cook a turkey in the oven…
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make a turkey brine.
- 1 ½ cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp peppercorns
- 2 tbsp sage, dried
- 6 garlic, lightly crushed
- 6 bay leaves, dried
- 3 sprigs rosemary, fresh
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1 gallon water
- 1 – 2 cups of ice
- 12 lb turkey, whole (thawed)
See how to thaw a turkey…
How to brine a turkey
Now I’ll walk you through the detailed recipe for a homemade turkey brine with extra tips…
- Add all dry ingredients to a large stock pot.
- Add the water and apple juice to the stock pot and stir to combine.
- Bring everything to a boil on the stove, on high heat, stirring regularly.
- Once at a boil reduce the heat and simmer for 4 – 5 minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve completely and everything is combined. Remove the stock pot from the burner and set aside to cool.
- Add a cup or two of ice to the brine to speed up the cooling process.
- Remove the turkey from the packaging and discard the giblets (if included).
- Place the turkey in a large brining bag or large pot.
- Pour the cooled brine over the turkey until the turkey is fully submerged. If you need to add additional water to cover your size turkey, please do so. Keep the turkey breast facing down in the brine. Seal the turkey bag.
- Place the turkey back into the fridge for 12 – 24 hours.
- After 12 – 24 hours, remove the turkey from the brining bag or pot, throw away the brine and rinse the turkey completely with cool water by submerging it in another pot or brining bag for 15 – 20 minutes then pat completely dry.
- Store turkey in the fridge uncovered overnight. This will help the skin crisp up during roasting, smoking or deep frying it.
- Cook the turkey the following day using whatever method you like. Enjoy!
See Sip Bite Go’s easy Thanksgiving turkey recipes…
FAQs
This is a mixture of salt, sugar, water, and spices that when mixed together create a salty solution that protein will rest in to absorb flavor and to help the protein stay moist during the cooking process. Using a wet brine is very popular for making a Thanksgiving turkey.
With any wet or dry brine, you should let the turkey rest in the brine for at least 12 hours up to 24 hours. After 24 hours, you take a risk that the turkey could become too salty.
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Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chef, hope that answers all your questions about wet brining a whole turkey.
This wet brine turkey recipe is an easy way to elevate your turkey and take it to the next level.
Enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner and chat soon on Instagram / TikTok / YouTube.
– Jenna
Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…
Turkey Brine Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp peppercorns
- 2 tbsp sage dried
- 6 garlic lightly crushed
- 6 bay leaves dried
- 3 sprigs rosemary fresh
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1 gallon water
- 1 – 2 cups of ice
- 12 lb turkey whole
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients to a large stock pot.
- Add the water and apple juice to the stock pot and stir to combine.
- Bring everything to a boil on the stove, on high heat, stirring regularly.
- Once at a boil reduce the heat and simmer for 4 – 5 minutes until the salt and sugar dissolve completely and everything is combined. Remove the stock pot from the burner and set aside to cool.
- Add a cup or two of ice to the brine to speed up the cooling process.
- Remove the turkey from the packaging and discard the giblets (if included).
- Place the turkey in a large brining bag or large pot.
- Pour the cooled brine over the turkey until the turkey is fully submerged. If you need to add additional water to cover your size turkey, please do so. Keep the turkey breast facing down in the brine. Seal the turkey bag.
- Place the turkey back into the fridge for 12 – 24 hours.
- After 12 – 24 hours, remove the turkey from the brining bag or pot, throw away the brine and rinse the turkey completely with cool water by submerging it in another pot or brining bag for 15 – 20 minutes then pat completely dry.
- Store turkey in the fridge uncovered overnight. This will help the skin crisp up during roasting, smoking or deep frying.
- Cook the turkey the following day using whatever method you like. Enjoy!
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