Make a Better Turkey – Turkey Brining Recipe
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This turkey brine recipe is just what you need for your turkey to come out moist and delicious for Thanksgiving! This easy turkey brine is a must!
Ok, turkey day is fast approaching. Do you have your menu planned? Grocery list made? How about your table setting planned?
As you prep for the holiday, make sure you put this easy turkey brine recipe on your planning list. It will take your Thanksgiving turkey from good to great with just a few steps.
So, first, what does brining mean?
Brining is similar to marinating but doesn’t use the large amounts of acid (vinegar, citrus, etc) that marinating does. It involves soaking the meat in a salt water solution for somewhere between 30 minutes to several days.
How to brine a turkey?
Brining a turkey is actually really simple. On a basic level, it involves soaking the turkey in a salt solution for several hours.
How long to brine a turkey?
There is really no exact answer on this one. I typically brine my turkey overnight because that is what is easiest. The recommended amount of time is a minimum of 8 hours to be most effective.
Now, some people tend to shy away from brining because they think it is difficult or a big hassle. It really is neither!
Not to sure how to brine a turkey? All you need is some salt, brown sugar, vegetable broth, peppercorns, allspice, and ginger.
You will combine all of the items and bring them to a boil. Let the mixture cool completely before adding to the turkey. You can even refrigerate it overnight before adding to the turkey.
We use coarse kosher salt but sea salt would also work great.
When you’re ready to use the brine, take your turkey and place it in a bucket or a turkey brine bag and add in your broth mixture, water, and ice. Leave it overnight in the fridge to sit in the brine.
When you’re ready to cook your turkey, take it out of the brine and just wash it in cold water.
How do you cook a brined turkey?
After you use this turkey brine recipe, you simply cook your turkey the way your normally would. Using the best turkey brine recipe (this one!) you can find doesn’t really change how you ultimately prepare your turkey for the meal.
For us, cooking the turkey involves using a turkey brine recipe and then cooking the turkey in a roasting bag. We have friends who love their turkeys deep fried. You pick your favorite.
If you loved this Turkey Brining Recipe, check out these other great Thanksgiving recipes:
- The Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
- 13 Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers
- Quick and Easy Leftover Turkey Curry
Essential items for this recipe:
- Large pot
- Bucket
- Large plastic bag
Ingredients
- 14-16 lb thawed turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 tsp whole allspice berries
- 1 1/2 tsp candied ginger chopped
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
Instructions
- The day before plan to cook your turkey, combine the the salt, brown sugar, vegetable broth, peppercorns, allspice and ginger in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the solids. Boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use {you can do this 1-2 days in advance of when you plan to use it}.
- The night before your are cooking your turkey, add your turkey to the bucket or bag. Add the ice, water and broth mixture from step one. Cover and refrigerate {or keep cold by adding more ice} overnight and until ready to cook the turkey.
- When ready to cook your bird, remove it from the brine and wash it with cold water. Season and cook as you usually would.
