This turkey brine recipe is flavored with apple, citrus, brown sugar, rosemary and spices. It’s the perfect way to guarantee a moist and flavorful turkey every time!
Every cook’s biggest fear on Thanksgiving day is a dry turkey. A good brine does wonders for the flavor and consistency of the turkey and helps to prevent it from drying out during the roasting process. Serve your brined turkey with sweet potato casserole and cornbread dressing for the ultimate holiday meal.
Every year around the holidays, cooking a turkey was such a source of stress for me. I was worried about the turkey either being bone dry or completely raw in the middle! Now that I’ve discovered the wonders of a good turkey brine recipe, I can produce a juicy and delicious turkey every time with no stress.
How do you make turkey brine?
This brine is a combination of salt, sugar, liquid, herbs and spices. In this case, we’re using kosher salt, brown sugar, apple cider, citrus fruits, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves. Simmer the brine briefly to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add your turkey and you’re ready to go!
How do you brine a turkey?
You’ll want to make sure your turkey is fully submerged in the liquid. It can be tricky to find a pot large enough for this task, so you can also use a cooler or they make special turkey brining bags for this exact purpose.
Why do you brine a turkey?
A turkey is a naturally lean type of meat which mean it’s prone to drying out. When a turkey is placed into brine, it absorbs some of the brine which helps to both keep it moist and also to season it all the way through. When you’re working with a brined turkey, even if you overcook it a bit, it should still come out tender and juicy. I always brine my whole chickens for the same reason!
How long should you brine a turkey?
A turkey needs to brine for at least 18 hours, but you can go up to 24 hours if you have a larger bird. Do not go past 24 hours or your turkey could be overly salty. Also, you need to make sure that the turkey you buy from the store is not already pre-brined or treated with salt.
Tips for turkey brine
- Make sure you use kosher salt and do not substitute any other type of salt. Table salt is denser than kosher salt and doesn’t measure the same way.
- You want to make sure you put your turkey into a cool brine; never put a turkey in a hot or warm brine.
- Feel free to change up the flavors by using different herbs – thyme, parsley and marjoram are all great bets.
- Pat your turkey dry before you roast it to ensure crispy skin.
Can you make gravy from a brined turkey?
Typically gravy is made with turkey drippings, but in the case of a brined turkey, sometimes the drippings can be overly salty. You should taste the drippings before you proceed with your gravy. If you think the drippings are on the saltier side, you can always use unsalted chicken or turkey broth to keep the seasoning of your gravy at the proper level.
How long do you cook a turkey?
A turkey needs to cook in the oven for approximately 15 minutes per pound. After your turkey comes out of the brining liquid, dry it with paper towels, then roast it for the appropriate amount of time based on the size of your bird. A turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F.
Recommended turkey recipes
These turkey recipes pair perfectly with this brine, there are plenty of options including roasted turkey, smoked turkey and turkey breast.
More recipes for your Thanksgiving table
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Corn Pudding
- Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Turkey Brine Video
Turkey Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 gallons cold water
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 2 oranges thinly sliced
- 2 lemons thinly sliced
- 5 rosemary sprigs
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Turn off the heat. Let the brine mixture cool.
- Place a whole turkey in the brine solution to fully submerge it, then refrigerate for 18-24 hours.
- When you're ready to cook your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse with cool water; pat dry with paper towels.
- Proceed with your normal turkey roasting method, or I've listed my favorite turkey recipes below in the notes section.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 23, 2018 and was updated on October 28, 2020 with new content.
Bethan says
So eat, great outcome, full of flavor, I will be repeating this brine again.😊
Debra says
I made did this last year and my husband loved the turkey! It was the first one I have made in over 10 years as he use to complain the turkey was always to dry…. last year I was able to find the apple cider , this year however I had no luck at all. I did find apple cider vinegar and I am using that instead. Here’s hoping it tastes just as good! I thin k for next years turkey I am going to start looking for the apple cider starting in January until I find it , then pick up enough for at least 2 birds.
Sara says
You can substitute apple juice if you can’t find apple cider!
Davette Jordan says
Hello and thanks for the recipe
This is my first time cooking a turkey abs I decided to bringe my turkey using your recipe. However after reading the comments I realized that I used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider. Will this change the taste of my turkey ?
My turkey has been in the fridge overnight.
Should I take it out on t and dump the water and start over ?
Sara says
Multiple people have used the vinegar and said the turkey comes out fine so I’d just leave it!
Emily says
I accidentally used cider vinegar! Do I dump it or is there a fix?!
Sara says
I’ve gotten multiple comments today from people who accidentally used cider vinegar last year when they made this and they said it still came out good!
Amanda says
Oh no, this recipe made me realize I did the SAME thing! 🙁
Katelyn Graydon says
Hello,
First time turkey cooker here. My husband bought a 23 lb turkey and forgot to take it out of there freezer to thaw. I started thawing yesterday in the refrigerator and let it thaw all day am I able to brine while it’s still some what frozen? Also will it still thaw while brining if I did so? Oh and can I make this in a roaster instead of the oven?
Thank you!!
Sara says
You can brine it while it’s partially frozen and it will continue to thaw in the brine. It would work in a roaster as long as it fits!
Patricia says
Hi there! I’ve use your chicken brine recipe as a family staple! Love it! This is my first time using your turkey brine recipe. Not to mention, my first time brining a turkey! Our turkey is 23 lbs! How do we adjust your recipe to accommodate? I couldn’t find a weight that computed to “servings”. Help!!
Sara says
That is a large turkey! So you have two options. You can make the recipe as-is, and just add more water to make sure your turkey is completely covered. If you did this I’d brine it for 36 hours instead of 24. Or you can make 1.5 times the recipe and brine for 18-24 hours. Adjust the servings to 45 and the ingredients will automatically recalculate.
Eva says
Hello! Im using this recipe tomorrow for my first ever attempt at making a Turkey! Despite the time of year, i was unable to find apple cider! I did, however, find Alpine brand Spiced Apple Cider instant drink mix. Do you think it would work the same, if I made 2 cups of that for the brine?
Thank you!
Sara says
I think it would be fine or if you have apple juice on hand use that instead!
Jordan Welling says
All I have is canning salt. How much should I use?
Sara says
It would be 1 cup!
Hera Schoell says
I don’t have kosher salt….can I reduce the quantity of regular salt. Its the only thing missing
Sara says
Yes use 1 cup of table salt!
Greg Gilmour says
We use a 30 gallon trash can, pack it 1/3 full of ice, insert a 5 gallon bucket with turkey and brine, cover bucket with lid, fill trash can with ice to cover bucket by 3-4 inches of ice. Make sure you refrigerate your brine to around 40 degrees, the ice will help maintain the cool temp. We live in North Texas, and this method keeps the turkey at the right temp up to 24 hours. You can always drain and refill the ice if you need to longer.
david says
Hi can I use same resapie for chicken breast?
Sara says
You can, or you can try my chicken brine recipe https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/chicken-brine-recipe/
Travis says
In the picture, what size pot is the red pot that you use for the Brine?
Sara says
It’s an 8 quart le creuset pot!
Karen says
Hi I have dark brown sugar is that okay or is light brown sugar better.
Thank you, happy Thanksgiving
Karen
Sara says
Either will be just fine!
Natalie Schoolcraft says
First time turkey chef here, is it apple cider or apple cider vinegar? Thanks!
Sara says
It is apple cider like the juice, do not use vinegar!
Charlie says
Natalie, So funny/ ironic that you asked about Apple Cider Vinegar! I was reviewing this recipe with a friend and I am so glad to see your comment. The only negative is now I have to get Apple Cider! Good luck this year from a 1st time Turkey Chef to another!
Zaide says
Is apple cider non alcoholic? Last year I used apple cider vinegar, I assumed it was that 🤪 everyone loved it but I also just realized it is not apple cider vinegar 😂😂
Sara says
Apple cider is like apple juice but it’s more flavorful because it contains cinnamon and sometimes a little citrus. No alcohol at all!
Toby says
Although I don’t see a potential problem with this, does this recipe work well with frying a turkey as well??
Sara says
Yes it does, here is my deep fried turkey recipe that uses a brine: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/deep-fried-turkey/
Nanette says
I have always soaked my turkey for 4-5 days and I will never again cook a turkey without brining it. It is amazing how moist these turkey’s come out. Love your recipe and I tweak mine and add dried cranberries, candied ginger, apples, and a cinnamon stick. And it is always the juiciest turkey ever. Thank you for your recipe. I live in Alaska and just keep it in the garage on the floor covered and that works like a charm.
Nicole says
I’m just using a small 6lb turkey breast — should I just cut the whole recipe in half?
Sara says
Yes that will work and you may want to brine for less time since it’s a smaller piece of meat!
Leonard Longoria says
Hi thanks for the brine recipe. I have a 13.3lb turkey. Is this recipe for a big bird? Can I cut the salt in half to start my brine today? Or is a two day brine a huge no no? This is my first time also.
Sara says
That’s a great sized bird for this recipe! I would recommend making the brine today, then storing it in the fridge and adding the turkey tomorrow morning so you don’t end up with an over salted bird!
Leonard Longoria says
Thanks Sara to confirm your recipe is for this size 13 lb turkey? I am making the brine now and wasn’t sure if I need to double it or leave it how you have it listed?
Sara says
This brine works for an average sized turkey which is anywhere from 10-18 pounds, so 13 pounds should be fine. You will not need to double it for sure.
Shane says
Do you really use two gallons of water? Seems like a lot to boil in a pot, in your video it only looked like you used a few cups! Looking forward to using this brine!
Sara says
You want to make sure the turkey is completely submerged which typically takes a lot of liquid. You can use less liquid so long as the turkey is covered!
Heather says
If it’s in a cooler to brine, do I still need to put that cooler in my fridge? Or will it be ok just sitting in the cooler for that many hours?
Sara says
Where are you planning to put the cooler? I’ve heard of people putting a cooler outside when it’s snowing etc, but I’d need to know a little more about your location!