The Best Turkey Brine For A Moist Tender Turkey

Turkey brine is the perfect way to create a star main dish. If you happen to have any leftover roasted turkey, try cutting it up in Turkey Noodle Soup or Turkey Tetrazzini.

Tender + Juicy

Whether you’ve been given the sometimes daunting task of roasting the turkey for that special occasion, or just want a touch of extra for an everyday dinner, you will be the turkey king! All it takes is a little prep to achieve the most deliciously moist and flavorful turkey, and one way to do that is to make a turkey brine. Brining a turkey involves soaking it in water that contains salt and any other flavors you desire. The salt and spices soak into every fiber of the turkey resulting in flavorful tender meat. These simple extra steps are not hard, and are well worth the effort. Trust me!! Just whip up your favorite sides, and enjoy!

how to brine a turkey

BROTH. Add 1 quart of vegetable broth to a medium pot over medium heat. Mix in the poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, thyme, bay leaves, brown sugar, and salt. Bring the broth to a simmer, and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. TURKEY. Prepare the turkey by removing the neck and giblets. Pour the broth with seasonings into a large stock pot or 4-5 gallon bucket, and add the remaining vegetable broth and cold water. Stir to combine. REFRIGERATE. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side down, making sure that the cavity fills with brine and the brine covers the turkey. Refrigerate the turkey in the bucket overnight (a good rule of thumb is to brine for 1 hour per pound, so a 14 pound turkey should brine for about 14 hours). PREP FOR COOKING. When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the brine, let the excess brine drain from the cavity, and discard the brine. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels before cooking.

Brining Tips

There are many different brining mixtures out there and I really like this one that I’m sharing today. No matter what the recipe is you use for the brine there are a few things that you don’t want to overlook: Fresh Turkey: Many frozen turkeys already have a salty solution of some kind. Choosing a fresh turkey helps make sure that it is not overly salty. However, you can still successfully brine a frozen turkey.

If using a frozen turkey be sure that it completely thawed before brining Read the labels of frozen turkeys to find one with a low sodium level Try pre-soaking the turkey for 30 minutes in cold water. Drain and then brine. You can reduce the salt In the recipe by either choosing a low sodium broth or reducing that added amount of sea salt.

Brine Time: Allow 1 hour of soak time per pound of turkey. If you wish you can flip the turkey over for the last ⅓ of the soak time to help with a more even brine. Pat dry: Once you have finished brining your turkey, allow the extra liquid to drain out and then pat it dry. This will help give a nice crispy skin. Cook Time: To ensure that your turkey is cooked and ready to be served at the desired time you’re going to have to do a little calculation. If the turkey if frozen you’ll need to start with how long it will take to thaw it + brine time + cook time

Thaw a turkey: When thawing in the fridge, plan on 4-5 hours per pound. If thawing in Cold water, plan 30 minutes per pound. Be sure to change the water every 30 minutes. Brine a turkey: 1 hour per pound Cook time: This varies. Be sure to check your cooking recipe and factor in the size of the bird.

Fun Tip: As I was researching this recipe I saw that several people posted that they clean out a refrigerator or drawer. Then, they place the turkey and brine in a brining bag and seal it closed. Next, they place the bag in the clean drawer and allow it to chill there for the allotted time period.