Turkey Brine Recipe

A whole turkey in a pot of turkey brine.

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!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Total Time 13

Servings

Calories 43kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider DO NOT use apple cider vinegar
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. If your turkey does not fit into the pot, place the turkey and the brine into a brining bag.
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.

Video

Notes

Here are my favorite turkey recipes to pair with this 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.
Be sure to use apple cider the drink, do NOT use apple cider vinegar! If you can't find apple cider, apple juice will work fine.

Nutrition