A brine is very easy to make with salt, sugar, fresh (or dried) herbs/spices, and a hint of citrus. Once you learn how to brine a turkey, you’ll never want to prepare it any other way. Simply mix the brine, cool, and let the turkey soak overnight.
What is Turkey Brine?
Brine is a liquid, usually water, that is heavily salted/seasoned. This easy turkey brine recipe is a salt and sugar mixture that a whole turkey (or even just a breast) is soaked or brined in. The ingredients in this turkey brine are salt, brown sugar, and water but also add more flavor with herbs and a bit of citrus.
Variations
Try additional flavors like onions or lemons (or just orange peel or lemon peel).Swap the water for apple juice or apple cider (not apple cider vinegar).Add other spices and herbs like allspice berries.
Dry Brine vs. Wet Brine
There are two types of brine, wet brine and dry brine. This recipe is for a wet brine where the salt and spices are in water or liquid. A dry brine is a salt (and sometimes sugar) mixture with herbs/spices that is rubbed directly on the skin without water and refrigerated (usually overnight or longer). It’s sometimes called salting the turkey.
Why Brine a Turkey?
Brining makes a very flavorful turkey and makes the meat incredibly tender and juicy. The secret is in the salt, which dissolves some of the proteins. This easy turkey brine is a simple mixture that adds some extra flavor too, everyone will wonder what magic you used to make such a perfect Thanksgiving turkey! Turkey brine does infuse the meat but it does not make the meat taste overly salty, just seasoned!
How to Make Turkey Brine
Thaw the turkey if needed and ensure you have a container large enough for your turkey. The brine below should be enough for a 12-15lb bird. If yours is larger you might like to make extra or add extra water to ensure it is completely is covered.
Add all of the brine ingredients (per the recipe below) to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove. Stir and simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved.Cool the brine completely before using, I add a couple of handfuls of ice to cool it faster.
How to Brine a Turkey
Tips for Safe Brining
Ensure the brine is cool before adding to the turkey.Store turkey in the refrigerator while it brines (not at room temperature).Ensure turkey is sealed or covered in the fridge so it doesn’t contaminate other foods.Do not brine longer than 2 days (I recommend up to 24 hours).If rinsing the turkey, remove all items such as dishes and dishcloths from around the sink area and cover the area around your sink with paper towels to avoid cross-contamination according to the USDA.Ensure the turkey meat (and the center of the stuffing if you’re stuffing the turkey) reaches 165°F.The drippings from a brined turkey will have more salt than a turkey that hasn’t been brined. If making gravy, add a little bit at a time to ensure the gravy isn’t too salty. Taste before seasoning and salting the gravy. If it is too salty, add some water or no-sodium broth.
How Long to Brine a Turkey
Every brine recipe recommends a different time in the solution, depending on the amount of salt. If you leave it in too long, your poultry can get too salty and the meat can even become mushy. Fresh herbs are great but dried herbs work too. If using dried herbs, you will need about 1 tablespoon of each and they should be added to the brine when it comes to a boil so they can rehydrate. This turkey brine calls for leaving the turkey in the brine for no more than 24 hours for a 12 to 15-pound bird. Follow these steps and it won’t be long before you’re enjoying the best turkey you’ve ever tasted! A simple brine for 24 hours before roasting a turkey is a total game-changer. Once cooked, serve with a side of mashed potatoes, a green bean casserole, and a cranberry Waldorf salad.
Try Brine on These Turkey Recipes
Brine adapted from Canadian Living © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
