Learn how to brine a turkey in just 3 easy steps: make a frugal, flavorful brining liquid, brine the turkey, and roast the turkey for a moist, juicy, tender main dish!
Growing up, I never paid attention to how my mom cooked the turkey at Thanksgiving.
Why would I? I was the kid, too busy playing with my friends and cousins to bother being in the kitchen.
However, it’s my turn to cook the bird and with 15+ people at our table, it’s important that I find the best way to cook a moist and delicious turkey!
I did some research and learned that a turkey in a brine recipe was the way to go.
So, I tried it out, and you know what? My family LOVED the turkey!
Luckily, it’s easy for you to learn how to brine a turkey too!
WHY LEARN HOW TO BRINE A TURKEY?
Brining is a method of soaking meat (usually poultry) in a salt-water solution for several hours before cooking.
It creates a bird that is incredibly tender, moist, and flavorful. Plus, it makes overcooking the turkey nearly impossible!
(Which is perfect for those of us who are now responsible for feeding the masses!)
No dry, over-roasted turkeys here! You’ll end up with a succulent, juicy turkey full of flavor.
And the best part is, you can make this easy turkey brine using ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
TURKEY IN BRINE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For this turkey in brine recipe, you need liquid and flavor.
- Turkey. I usually use a 14-pound turkey. You can also brine a turkey breast if you are not feeding as many people.
- An extra-large Ziploc Big Bag. This makes the process of brining a turkey SUPER easy, but you can also use a large pot or large gallon bucket or even a cooler. These methods work great if it’s cold around Thanksgiving, but if you live in an area where it’s usually warmer, a Ziploc Big Bag makes the job easier since it will need to rest in the fridge.
- Kosher salt. You need a lot of salt to brine a turkey, and kosher salt is best. The larger granules give you the correct salt-to-water ratio compared to table salt, which has smaller crystals and will give you an oversalted turkey.
- Vegetable scraps (or vegetable stock). I make homemade vegetable stock for free using kitchen scraps, but if you don’t have any stock available, just toss in any vegetable scraps you may have at the time.
- Whole black peppercorns. I have black peppercorns in my spice cabinet because we have this pepper grinder. If you don’t have whole black peppercorns, substitute an equal amount of ground black pepper.
- Ground clove. Some turkey with brine recipes call for allspice berries, but I’ve NEVER bought those in my life! I know that you can swap ground clove for ground allspice in most baking recipes, so we’re doing that here too.
- Ginger. Fresh ginger is best, but you can use ground ginger too! You don’t need much, and it’s much more practical than buying candied ginger for such a small amount.
- Water. You’ll need anywhere from ½ gallon to 2 gallons of water to fully submerge the turkey in the brine.
You’ll also need a medium pot (like this one) to prepare the brine.
My turkey brine recipe is basic but flavorful. If you want to take your turkey with brine to the next level, you could also add more flavor by adding these aromatics to the brine: sliced oranges or lemons, apple cider or apple juice, onions, garlic, bay leaves, nutmeg, or fresh herbs.
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HOW TO MAKE TURKEY IN A BRINE RECIPE
To make this turkey in a brine recipe, start by mixing up the brining liquid.
Step 1. In a medium pot, place salt, spices, and 4 cups of vegetable stock (or water).
Step 2. Cook this over medium heat just long enough to dissolve the salt and spices.
Step 3. Remove the brine from the heat and let it cool before using it for brining a turkey.
HOW DO YOU BRINE A TURKEY
So how do you brine a turkey? Here’s my method:
- 2-3 days before you plan on cooking the turkey: Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator. This may take longer depending on the size of your turkey.
- Early on the DAY BEFORE roasting turkey: Prepare the brine. Place the turkey in the large Ziploc bag or stock pot or cooler and pour the cooled brine over the turkey. Add enough water to fully submerge the turkey. You can also add ice to the brine to help it cool faster.
- Seal the large brining bag and refrigerate the turkey with brine until the next day. (Or cover the turkey and place it in a cold location, like the garage or even outside.)
- The morning of the day you want to cook the turkey: Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey with cold water, pat it dry with paper towels, and place it on a large roasting pan.
HOW TO ROAST TURKEY
Once you’ve followed the steps to brine a turkey, it’s time to roast it!
- Early the day of roasting: Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the bird with cold water, pat it dry, and set it on a roasting rack. Let it come to room temperature before roasting (1-2 hours).
- To roast: Place the oven rack on the lowest setting and roast the turkey at 500F for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and cook the turkey until the temperature reads 161 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. (A 14–16-pound bird requires around 2-2 ½ hours). Turkey that has been brined cooks faster than unbrined turkey, so start checking a bit earlier than you would otherwise.
- Once done, let the turkey rest, covered loosely with foil, until you are ready to carve it.
BRINE THE TURKEY RECIPE TIPS
- It’s best to use a FRESH turkey for brining, rather than a frozen turkey. That means letting a frozen turkey thaw first and then brining it.
- In the week leading up to the day you brine, save your kitchen scraps! You can use them instead of vegetable stock and save money!
- For best results, follow this brine the turkey recipe and keep the bird submerged for 12-24 hours. A longer brine will help get more flavor deep into the meat, but any longer than 24 hours will start to break the meat down and give you a mushy texture.
- Make turkey stock with the bones and drippings! Don’t let anything go to waste and use this chicken stock recipe to make turkey stock.
SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH BRINED TURKEY
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
- Lemon Pepper Asparagus
- Rosemary Olive Oil Bread
- Cloud Dinner Rolls
- Slab Apple Pie
- Chocolate Pie
- Cheesecake Baked Apples
BRINING A TURKEY FAQS
How long to brine a turkey?
The longer you brine, the better. I recommend 24 hours for the juiciest, flavorful bird. However, a turkey brined for 4 hours will taste better than a turkey that wasn’t brined at all.
Should you rinse a turkey after brining?
Yes! Since the brine the turkey recipe is very salty, you want to rinse the turkey before roasting it to avoid an overly salty finished dish. Don’t forget to disinfect your sink afterward!
Is it better to brine a turkey wet or dry?
I prefer this wet brining method since it’s easy to mix up and pour everything into one bag or container. Wet brines also work faster than dry brines, which can take up to 72 hours.
FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER MENU PLAN
Now that you know how to brine a turkey for a delicious main dish, get ready for the rest of the big meal with this FREE Thanksgiving dinner meal plan including traditional dishes, gourmet sides, and dessert ideas. Save time and money with this ready-to-go food menu and shopping list.
Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
Sign up to get instant access to my Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, complete with recipes and shopping list!!How to Brine a Turkey
Learn how to brine a turkey in just 3 easy steps: make a frugal, flavorful brining liquid, brine the turkey, and roast the turkey for a moist, juicy, tender main dish!
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 27 hours
- Yield: 1 Turkey 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 turkey (I usually use a 14 pound turkey)
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 3–4 cups kitchen scraps (carrot peels, apple peels, celery ends and leaves, onion paper, garlic papers, etc.)
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns (or black pepper)
- 1 ½ tsp ground clove
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger (or fresh ginger)
- ½ – 2 gallons water
Instructions
- In a medium pot, place the salt, kitchen scraps (or vegetable stock), peppercorns, clove, and ginger. Add 4 cups of water if you’re not using stock.
- Cook the brine over medium heat, just long enough to dissolve the salt and spices. (The black peppercorns will not dissolve – that’s okay).
- Remove the brine from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
- Do not discard the solids from the brine! This is flavor and you’ll need it for the turkey.
How to Brine Turkey
- On the morning of the day before you plan to roast the turkey, place your thawed turkey inside a large Ziploc bag or stock pot or cooler.
- Pour the cooled brining liquid over the turkey.
- Add additional water in order to fully submerge the turkey.
- Seal the bag and refrigerate until the next day. (Or cover the turkey and place it in a cold location, like the garage or even outside.)
- Before roasting the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey with cold water and place it on a large roasting pan.
Roast Turkey
- Preheat the oven to 500F.
- Place the oven rack on the lowest setting and roast the turkey at 500F for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350F until the temperature reads 161 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. (A 14-16 pound bird requires around 2-2 ½ hours).
- Once done, let the turkey rest, covered loosely with foil, until ready to carve.
Notes
- It’s best to use a FRESH turkey for brining, rather than a frozen turkey. That means letting a frozen turkey thaw first and then brining it.
- The week leading up to the day you brine, save your kitchen scraps! You can use them instead of vegetable stock and save money!
- For best results, follow this brine the turkey recipe and keep the bird submerged for 12-24 hours. A longer brine will help get more flavor deep into the meat, but any longer than 24 hours will start to break the meat down and give you a mushy texture.
- Make turkey stock with the bones and drippings! Don’t let anything go to waste and use this chicken stock recipe to make turkey stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 143
Tami
If using fresh ginger, what amount should be used? Thank you!