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!
See the video
See how to thaw a turkey…
When to brine Thanksgiving turkey?
Ok, technically, if you brine by Tuesday, you’ll still have time, but I need you to give it one last chance if you’re not already convinced. Brining your turkey is the secret to juicy, flavorful meat that everyone will rave about.
Ideally, you will brine your turkey 48 hours before Thanksgiving.
Day 1 of brining is when the raw turkey sits in a brining liquid that is flavored. This is when it soaks in a ton of flavor. I like to do this for 24 hours.
Even a quick brine for a few hours is helpful, but overnight? That’s where you get ultimate flavor.
Day 2 you discard the brine liquid, rinse your turkey, pat it dry, and let it sit uncovered in the fridge for a day. This helps the skin get all nice and dry, which = crispy magic when it roasts or smokes.
Try this delicious cranberry bbq sauce with your turkey this year!
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)
Why brine turkey?
What is a wet brine?
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.
How long to brine a 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.
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…
See tasty recipes for holidays
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- Turkey brine recipe
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- Smoked whole turkey
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- Smoked turkey legs
- Smoked mac and cheese
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
Video
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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