Turkey Brine Recipe
Our Turkey Brine recipe guarantees a juicy, flavorful turkey with minimal effort and works great for a smoked, roasted, or grilled turkey.
Equipment
- Brining Bag
- Pot
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water, , divded
- ½ cup Kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 5-6 large garlic cloves, , peeled
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 large oranges peel and juice
- 1 large lemon peel and juice
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10-15 lb whole turkey*
Instructions
- Brine base: Add 1 quart (4 cups) of water to a large pot. Add salt, brown sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, orange peel and juice, lemon peel and juice, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until thesalt and sugar have dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Dilute Brine: Pour the brine mixture into a brining bag or a large, food-safe container(stockpot, brining bucket). Add 12 cups of cold water and some ice. Stir well and make sure the brine is completely cool before adding the turkey.
- Submerge Turkey: Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine, making sure it’s fully submerged. (add more water if needed and 1 Tablespoon additional salt per 2 cups additional water.) Add If needed, weigh turkey down with a plate or sealed bag of ice to keep it submerged.
- Refrigerate (or keep cold): Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour per pound of turkey (i.e 12 hrs for a 12lb turkey), or up to 18–24 hours maximum. (If fridge space is tight, place the sealed brining bag or bucket inside a cooler packed with ice, keeping the temperature below 40°F)
- Remove and dry: Discard the brine and remove the turkey. Rinse briefly under cool waterto remove excess salt and aromatics. Pat completely dry with paper towels andplace on a rimmed baking sheet. (For crispier skin I recommend refrigeratingthe turkey, uncovered, for 1–2 hours before smoking or roasting.)
- Cook Turkey: Now you’re ready to smoke the turkey or cook it in the oven.
Notes
Turkey: Choose a smaller turkey (less than 15lbs) that's un-brined (many store-bought turkeys are already injected with a brine to keep the meat moist, like butterball turkeys, for example.) Check the ingredient label. If turkey is frozen I recommend thawing (or at least almost completely thawed) before brining.
Brining Containers: I think a brining bag is easiest, but any large, non-reactive container (plastic, glass, or stainless steel, like a large stockpot) will work, as long as the turkey is completely submerged in the brine. And if you don’t have fridge space use a cooler filled with ice, or a brining bag in a bucket with ice. Always keep temp below 40°F.
Don’t over-brine: Don’t exceed 24 hours in the brine or the meat could be too salty or soft.
Dry vs. Wet brine: This recipe is for a wet brine which adds moisture and flavor and is great for a smoked turkey to prevent the meat from drying out. A dry brine helps yield a crispier skin, which is great for oven roasting, like our spatchcock turkey. To Dry Brine a Turkey: Use about 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 pounds of turkey. Pat the turkey dry and rub the salt mixture evenly all over the skin (and even under the skin if you can.) Place it on a rack over a pan (uncovered) in the fridge for 24–48 hours. Pat the skin dry again before adding the spice rub. If adding a salt brine, reduce the salt in the dry rub by half.