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.
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?
Turkey 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. The brine needs to be simmered briefly to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add your turkey and all the work is done!
How do you brine a turkey?
You’ll want to make sure your turkey is fully submerged in the brine. 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.
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 brine, 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 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.
Des says
I assume it’s Apple
Cider vinegar?
Sara says
It’s apple cider the drink.
Helen says
Can I use coarse kosher salt? It’s all I have, or regular salt. I saw the above comment to use 1 cup table salt, I can always do that.
We had to defrost our freezer during quarantine, and I couldn’t fit the huge turkey I had in the freezer that was supposed to be for Easter in my small freezer! So I defrosted it and am cooking it anyway. 😀
Sara says
Coarse salt should be fine!
Marsha says
Do you cool the brine until room temperature? I’m waiting for mine to cool and it’s taking ages (but smells delicious).
Sara says
You can add some ice to speed up the process!
Marsha says
Thanks! Have done that. This is my first time brining a turkey. Looking forward to eating it!
Cc says
Does the recipie call for apple cider (drink) or vinegar? Trying to find the equivalent in Sweden.
Sara says
Apple cider drink, you can also use apple juice.
Kim Ferran says
I used this brining receipe for my 14 pound Turkey and then grilled it outside on our charcoal grill, and it was simply the BEST turkey I have ever made!! Thank you so much for posting this receipe. I will definitely be using this year after year.
Cynthia says
How long should I brine the turkey if it’s 14lbs? I don’t want it to be over salty. I did add about an extra half gallon of water.
Sara says
18-24 hours, I’ve used this recipe multiple times this year with a 14 lb turkey and I go for 24 hours. It’s never too salty!
Btg says
If I brine using this recipe, can I still use the drippings to make gravy ? Would the gravy be too salty?
Sara says
It should be fine, just don’t add any salt to the gravy and use unsalted butter.
NatB says
What’s the best thing to put on the turkey after brine and before cooking?
Sara says
I recommend following my recipe for the ultimate turkey! Here it is: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/thanksgiving-turkey-recipe/
Rodney Reynolds says
Ok this is my first time deep frying a turkey, I’ve had the Turkey in the brine for an hour now but was wondering do I still stuff the Turkey before deep frying?
Sara says
You should not stuff a turkey before frying it. Check out my tips and tricks for deep fried turkey here: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/deep-fried-turkey/
Marcelo Tomas Hernandez says
Can you please put a too much salt warning …mine had 18% sodium…I added 47 fl oz to the brine I’m sure that’s not gonna cut it.
Sara says
Can you please clarify? Are you saying that you added an additional 47 ounces of water to the brine on top of what was listed, and that your turkey contains 18% salt solution?
Juluane says
I do not have kosher salt on hand, only table salt. How much salt should I use?
Sara says
Use 1 cup table salt.
Penny Cunico says
Rookie mistake. I brined my turkey yesterday only to read the comments today about butterball turkeys. Turns out mine has 9% sodium. Now what? Do I chance it and cook this turkey or go buy another? Its 27 lbs. I did not double the brine recipe.
Sara says
Did you add more water to the recipe so that it covered the turkey? And how long did you brine it for? Your best bet is to immediately remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it well under cool water.
Penny Cunico says
I did add a lot more water to cover the turkey and it only brined for 12 hours.
Sara says
You should be fine then! Just remove from the brine now and cook it tomorrow like you normally would.
Verna says
If I brine my turkey, should I still stuff the cavity with the herbs, lemon, and garlic? This’ll be my first time brining and roasting a turkey. Wish me luck!! 😊
Sara says
Yes you can still stuff the cavity!