:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/54641-turkey-brine-mfs071-2x1-1-abb80b25c93343a8b244273211315a43.jpg)
This is a tasty turkey brine recipe for any poultry. It will make your bird very juicy, and gravy to die for! This is enough brine for a 10- to 18- pound turkey.
A good brine is the key to a juicy, flavor, and tender turkey that will impress everyone at your table. Looking for the best turkey brine recipe? We've got you covered.
This top-rated wet brine, seasoned with aromatic ingredients like rosemary and thyme, will become an annual tradition in your house.
What Is Brining?
Brine adds moisture and flavor to all kinds of meats, including turkey. Since turkey is a lean meat without a lot of fat, this step ensures your dinner isn't tough and dry.
At its simplest, a brine is a basic solution of water and salt. Many brine recipes, though, contain extra spices and seasonings to amp up the flavor.
Wet vs. Dry Brine
There are two types of brines: wet and dry. A wet brine (such as this one) saturates the turkey in salt water. The meat absorbs the water and the salt helps the muscles retain the liquid, which results in a juicy turkey that isn't oozing water.
A dry brine, meanwhile, doesn't contain liquid. It works because the salt mixes with the meat juices and is absorbed into the turkey.
Turkey Brine Ingredients
This brine is easy to throw together with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Here's what you'll need:
- Vegetable Broth: You can use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth as the base for this recipe. Chicken broth will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Salt: Sea salt infuses the bird with savory flavor through osmosis. It also helps keep the meat tender and juicy.
- Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, and Savory: Earthy herbs and spices like rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory (an aromatic herb in the mint family) add flavor and complexity.
- Water: Ice water adds volume to the brine. Plus, it keeps the turkey juicy and tender.
How to Make Turkey Brine
Making the brine couldn't be simpler: Just combine all the ingredients (besides the ice water) on the stove and bring to a boil. Stir the mixture frequently. When the salt is dissolved, remove from heat and let the brine cool completely.
How to Brine a Turkey
There are a couple of different ways to brine a turkey. For this method, you’ll just need to follow a few simple steps. You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect:
- Make the brine by boiling the first six ingredients in a stockpot.
- Let the brine cool slightly, then transfer it to a bucket or stockpot. Add the ice water and stir.
- Place the prepared turkey in the brine and refrigerate overnight.
- When your turkey is done brining, remove it from the bucket and drain carefully.
- Discard the brine, making sure to disinfect anything it comes in contact with.
- Cook the turkey using the method of your choosing.
How Long to Brine a Turkey
A good rule of thumb is to brine for at least an hour per pound of turkey. So, if the bird weighs 12 pounds, you should brine it for at least 12 hours. This should ensure that the turkey is completely permeated and the brine has enough time to do its job. If you have extra time, you can brine for up to 48 hours for the juiciest, most flavorful turkey.
To prevent foodborne illness, do not brine for longer than two days and make sure the turkey stays refrigerated throughout the process.
Can You Brine a Frozen Turkey?
It's best to brine a fresh or thawed turkey. However, if you find yourself in a pinch, you can brine and thaw your turkey at the same time. Of course, it'll take a little more time when you start from frozen. You'll need at least 24 hours to simultaneously thaw and brine your turkey in the fridge. Reminder: Never, ever leave a fresh or frozen turkey at room temperature for more than two hours. The turkey should be refrigerated when you're not actively working on it.
Cookdap Community Tips and Praise
“I really enjoyed this recipe,” says Gwenn. “I never made a turkey before and was very apprehensive. However, brining it made it so extremely juicy and tasty.
“This is a wonderful brine,” according to Jerome Zawolkow. “I made a small tweak. During the roasting process, I baste the bird with butter that has been warmed on the stove with rubbing sage mixed in. Oh my gosh. I will never cook an unbrined bird again.”
“WOW,” raves DILETTANTE. “Great recipe. I first tried this recipe a couple years ago. I received so many compliments on Christmas Day. So moist and flavorful. No need to baste at all! I like a bit of sweetness in the brine, so I added 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar. You could also try just plain white sugar, or for something extra special, some maple syrup.”
Ingredients
- 1 gallon vegetable broth
- 1 cup sea salt
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried savory
- 1 gallon ice water
Directions
Step 1
Gather all ingredients.
Step 2
Combine vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
Step 3
When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5-gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
Step 4
Rinse and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
Step 5
Remove the turkey carefully, draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
Step 6
Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.
Step 7
Enjoy!
Editor’s Notes:
Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of brine ingredients. The actual amount of brine consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 15 | |
| Calories 3 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat0g | 0% |
| Sodium5640mg | 245% |
| Total Carbohydrate1g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber0g | 1% |
| Protein0g | |
| Potassium57mg | 1% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Powered by the ESHA Research Database ? 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
source by allrecipe
-
This was excellent and a big hit with our family! I added about 3 cups of orange juice but couldn’t tell if it made a difference or not since this is the first time I’ve tried it. The gravy was absolutely wonderful and got rave reviews as well!
-
Easy and simple recipe adds soooo much flavor and moisture to your Turkey. My aunt said that it was the best Turkey she ever tasted!
-
I needed a LOT more vegetable broth to cover my 10 pound turkey in my 5 gallon cooking pot. I had to get up in the middle of the night to turn the bird since 8 cans on top of what was called for didn’t cover him. Also I wish I had brined it for longer…now that I am reading up on this topic.
-
Regarding Step #2:
Please be sure to use a Bucket and not a pot or other container. The Bird must be Upright in order for the Brine to fill up around the bird and in the Cavity. Good luck with the recipe!
-
Even without the Savory, which I couldn’t find, this made my turkey come out full of flavor and fall off the bone perfect! I am a convert. I am brining my turkeys from now on!1
-
Best turkey ever! I’ll never make a turkey without brining it 1st!
I had a 22lb turkey & used 1&1/2 of the ingredients. Be sure to use a 5 gallon paint bucket. It gives you more than enough room and makes clean up a breeze. -
Excellent recipe. We used this recipe for a smoked turkey and it was fabulous. Thanks!
-
Hey! This was the best turkey I ever ate! The flavor was fantastic and the meat was very moist and tender–even though I cooked it longer than necessary. I only use small to medium turkey and I never stuff them except for some chopped onions and carrots. Thanks! My Mom was impressed!
-
this turned out GREAT! Even my mother-in-law plans to brine her turkey next year after having our Christmas turkey brined this way this year!
-
I used this on the first Turkey I ever roasted and ended up with the juciest turkey I ever tasted. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t do this!
NOTE: I used chicken boullion instead of vegetable stock, just for the expense. Boullion cubes cost $3 around here, but a gallon of stock costs about $16. It still came out fine.
-
We have now used this twice with rotisserie chickens. I never have vegetable broth, though, so I’ve had to use chicken broth. It’s still wonderful. I imagine it’s perfect for turkey, too. I will never again cook a chicken or turkey without brining it, and this is my favorite brine so far.
-
I tried this recipe this week with a chicken in one container and a boneless pork loin roast in another container.I added some peppercorns and 1/4 cup of sugar.I will make this again and again.The best flavour and texture ever!Now I am wondering if it will do the same with beef.Has anyone tried yet?
-
I always use apple juice or cider instead of broth, as suggested by many other brining recipes — Fabulous! I love the simplicity and taste of this one.
-
AWESOME – and very forgiving! Just did a turkey breast, left it in the oven too long and it was STILL moist, tender and delicious – also didn’t have Savory and gravy was great too which is very unexpected when only roasting the breast
-
Made this for my family, and it was the juciest turkey they have ever had. The herbs sink all the way into the meat. Didn’t have to baste at all! WONDERFUl!
-
I used this for a turkey breast for Chrismtas dinner. I will never prepare turkey any other way from now on. This was wonderful. The meat was so juicy and tender, and above all, very flavorful. You will not be disappointed using this brine.
-
Worked great. We used apple juice and then smoked the turked the next day. FANTASIC
-
Worked great. We used apple juice and then smoked the turked the next day. FANTASIC
-
After using this recipe for our recent Thanksgiving get-together of three families, I have been proclaimed the official turkey roaster. 12 out of 12 said it was the best turkey they ever tasted. (My son said it was the best turkey he had in the past 5 years. When I asked him whose turkey he had 5 years ago that was better he said that was merely as far back as his memory went!) The most difficult part of this recipe was finding a bucket large enough to accommodate the turkey. Then the bucket wouldn’t fit into the fridge. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it out all night, so I found a large cooler, placed the bucket in there and surrounded it with freezer packs. It worked very well – it was still very cold the next morning. After checking out several “brine” recipes, I didn’t read of anyone actually stuffing the turkey so I wasn’t certain whether the stuffing would end up too salty. I stuffed it anyway, but rinsed the turkey with cold water first. It was excellent! Try this once and you’ll never go back to your regular recipe!
-
This is one of the best brine solutions I’ve tried. It is especially great for smoking in a smoker(a twist on the T-Day Bird and a welcome surprise). I have made this many times for my pastor wife family for their holiday, even the bones left.Use a tall trash bag with the large pot or 5 gal. bucket to retain the solution, lessen air contact and spillage.
-
LOVE IT! I substitute 1/2 gallon of apple juice and 1/2 gallon chicken broth for the vegetable broth. This is the recipe I used to make my first turkey and I have never had a better turkey in my life – this recipe is IT for me!
-
Best gravy ever!
-
I used this brine last year & the year before…I’m back this year to get the recipe again this year! Thank you, my turkey has been voted better than Grandma’s!
-
WOW!!! Now I know the Colonel’s secret!! SOOOO moist and delicious.. only thing we changed was the sage.. cause I had about a 1/4 tsp left in my spice cabinet and it still rocked our Turkey!!
-
A good overnight brine and cooking to the right temperature with a probe are keys to an outstanding turkey. This brine is very good and as simple as most. I added an 1/2 cup of sugar and then I used 1/2 gallon of unsweetened apple juice. Everyone who ate this baked turkey said it was the best they ever ate.
-
Excellent instructions!
-
I have never brined a turkey before so I tried it for Thanksgiving on a 30 lb. turkey. My store was out of dried rosemary so I tripled some fresh and used that instead. I let it soak for nearly 24 hours and then roasted as I normally would. The only problam I encountered was that the turkey finished cooking over an hour early! It was delicious and juicy and very easy to carve. The whole house smelled wonderful as it was baking. I will definitely do this again next year since it pretty much guarantees a great turkey. Thanks for the great recipe.
-
FANTASTIC! The turkey was juicy and moist. My husband is not a big turkey fan, but he raved about this year’s Thanksgiving turkey.
-
This was my first year brining a turkey and it turned out fabulous. I did use half vegetable broth and half apple cider instead of just vegetable broth. The meat was just so tender and carving had never been easier. Everyone raved about how juicy the turkey was and I was already begged to do the same turkey for Christmas dinner too!
-
I heard brining was great, and everyone is right. I did substitute some apple juice for some of the veg broth like another reviewer suggested, and wonder if thats why the turkey got so brown so quickly (the sugars. It also did get done way faster than normal, so I highly suggest using a thermometer to judge it. I roasted the turkey using the “Perfect Turkey” also on the site, just used this brine instead of that one. Great!
-
Excellent way to prepare your turkey. Initially, while boiling the brine, I thought the smell of it was horrible and wasn’t sure if I wanted to finish. BUT, I’m glad I did. The aroma that came from the turkey while it cooked was fantasic and everyone commented on how flavorful it was. I do recommend that when soaking the bird overnite, that you place the bucket in a cooler packed with ice. We were too afraid to leave it out all night unrefridgerated. It worked beautifully! Happy Cooking!!
-
WOW – this was the moistest turkey I’ve ever eaten! I’ve never brined before, which was quite difficult for a novice chef, but it worked great! I must admit it was a little sweet, perhaps a bit too much Rosemary for my taste. But the gravy was FABULOUS! I got so many compliments on the gravy.
To cook I coated my 13 lb. turkey with Canola oil and baked at 500 for 30 minutes for a fabulous brown skin, then lowered to 350 for 2 1/2 hours. YUMMMY!
-
It doesn’t get any better than this. This is the second year I’ve brined my turkey using this recipe. Always rave reviews on how moist and flavorful it is. This year, I used apple juice instead of broth and did notice that it browned faster than I was expecting at the beginning (my wing tips got a little burned!). But I covered it up quickly and had a nice, golden turkey. A friend of mine who also used the same recipe then deep-fried her turkey and she said the whole thing turned black! It tasted great, though, but the sugars in the apple juice couldn’t take the high temps of the oil. I think next year I’ll go back to broth.
-
I loved this recipe! It took a bit of time to prepare and cool but was well worth the effort. Also, my husband had to help me pour everything into the bucket and then carry it outside so I would say this is a two person job. The turkey was moist and juicy and I will definitely be brining again next year. The gravy was spectacular! Thanks so much.
-
My best turkey ever! I improvised some by using approx. 1/2 gallon apple juice plus water instead of vegetable broth, and used the commercially blended “Poultry Seasoning”. I started the bird at 500 degrees for 20 minutes to brown, then down to 350 and covered the bird with foil until 180 degrees in the thigh. No one even wanted gravy!
-
I simmered chopped onions, carrots and celery along with the all spices on medium-low for a few hours to make the vegetable broth. I was concerned about the bird tasting very salt but I was wrong, our turkey turned out wonderful! The juciest ever! We will definately be doing this to all our turkeys in the future!
-
Awesome brine recipe. I have tried several other brine recipes and they were simply too salty but this was just right.
-
Our Thanksgiving turkey soaked in this brine was the best ever. My husband cooked the turkey in our Weber grill. The drippings made fabulous gravy. We will be using this brine recipe from now on. Thanks for this recipe!!
-
Just wonderful! I used a frozen Butterball and worried it would be too salty since they’re already preinjected but no worries! Makes a tremendous difference in the meat. Thanks Sheri! We’ll do this again at Christmas!
-
This was a very simple recipe to follow. I used this recipe for my first time brining a turkey, and it was fabulous.
-
Wonderful Brine Recipe!!
Thank you Sheri! This made our Thanksgiving turkey the juiciest ever. I’ll be using it again for Christmas, chickens, you name it. I’m a brining convert! -
This was are first time trying a Brine for a Turkey. It was the best Turkey we ever had
-
I have not made a turkey in years! So, when I saw this brine recipe and read the reviews, I knew I had to make it for Christmas. My turkey was excellent!! Like another reader, I was concerned about my turkey staying out all night, but when I took it out of the brine the turkey was very cold. I followed the instructions except for the savory. I live overseas and it was not available to me. I also used half of the vegetable broth and the other half was apple juice. I stuffed the turkey with celery leaves, onions, garlic, apples, and cranberries for added flavor. I also followed another “fan” by baking my turkey uncovered for 30 minutes at 500 degrees and I cooked the turkey for the rest of the time at 350 until the temp read 180 degrees(which was about 2 hours and I also covered with foil). I did not baste my turkey. I oiled my pan and rubbed my turkey with olive oil before baking. By the way, the gravy was excellent! Thanks for the recipe and I will use this recipe again for sure!
-
I used this brine for my Christmas turkey.
The meat was absolutely tender and juicy, didn’t even baste once, I will always use this brine when making turkey -
An easy recipe that gives awesome results. I let the turkey breast sit for close to 24 hours. The results were awesome – very moist without any basting. The spices added a wonderful flavor to the bird. My only complaint is that there were no leftovers – everyone loved it!
-
Best turkey ever – followed by an olive oil/herb baste every 30 mins. Definitely a keeper!!
-
I used this for a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey and smoked it. The flavor was great, and it browned up nicely. I’ve brined other meats before and am always impressed by how flavorful the meat is without being too salty. This was nicely tender, and the leftovers tasted so good in turkey tetrazzini a few nights later!
-
WOW! Great recipe. I first tried this recipe a couple years ago. I received so many compliments on Christmas Day. So moist and flavorful. No need to baste at all! I like a bit of sweetness in the brine, so I added 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar. You could also try just plain white sugar, or for something extra special, some maple syrup! Try this!!
-
I had never prepared a turkey in this manner. It was wonderful. My store did not have dried savory, only fresh, so I used a little less. The only hard part was finding a 5 gal bucket, but a trip to Home Depot to buy a new paint bucket solved that problem.
-
very good brine recipe. i used a five gallon bucket but i had to double the recipe to get it to cover turkey.
-
I’ve brined many turkeys using various solutions, but never made gravy with the drippings as I do with a conventional roast turkey. The turkey tasted pretty good and was moist, but I thought the gravy tasted weird. Same with the stuffing. I was really looking forward to this based on the great reviews, but thought it was just OK.
-
I brined my Christmas goose with this recipe! It was exceptional! I made my own vegetable broth using this recipe: http://vegetarian.allrecipes.com/az/WorldsGreatestVegetableBro.asp. skimmed the veggies and use those for the stuffing and then used the broth for this brine. Both the stuffing and the goose were raved over! Second and Third helpings on Christmas day made sure there was no stuffing or goose left!
-
Wow! I used this recipe for a couple of 3 pound fryer chickens, and it worked great. Really great for preparing the day before. The amount of flavour surprised me, and the gravy was superb. (although use water to thin your gravy, chicken stock made it a little salty) I will definitely use this next time I make a chicken or turkey. Also, I didn’t have a pail, so I used my really huge stock pot.
-
This is fabulous. I used a chicken instead of a turkey and it was super moist and tasty. My husband wouldn’t stop raving about it.
-
Exceptional!!!! I am not the worlds best turket cooker! But NOW everyone thinks I am!!! This turkey was incredible! Better than any I have ever had!
-
I meant to review this after Thanksgiving. The brine was spectacular and the turkey came out great. I even accidentally overcooked the turkey (my meat thermometer was apparently broken). It still came out juicy and got raves.
-
Great! I used a 1/3 batch with a 7.3 lb. roasting chicken for 6 hrs.(short on time)It was excellent, I’ll use this recipe all the time for roasted poultry.
-
My turkey turned out beautiful after letting it sit in the brine over night. Very Moist unlike most turkeys I have had. I also used the herb roasted turkey recipe from this site. Very delicious!!
-
For Christmas, I brined a turkey breast in this recipe. It was the rave of the dinner. I will deffinetly be using this with all my special occasions with turkey
-
Made this for Christmas and my mother-in-law stated she wouldn’t have deep fried turkey again. I’ve cooked turkeys for 20 years and will never cook it any other way. I baked it uncovered at 500 degrees until brown and then covered and baked at 350 degrees. This turkey was the most beautiful brown glazed turkey you would ever see! My husband actually took a picture of it! I am making it again this weekend! Thanks!
-
Not always a big turkey fan because it tends to be too dry, but this turned out really awesome. Will use this method from now on, exclusively. Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. Jazzy-girl
-
The very best roasted turkey I ever made. It also makes the best gravy and lots of it. I highly recommend it. You won’t be dissapointed it’s worth trying.Instead of a cup of sea salt try useing 1/4 cup of Morton Tender Quick Cure its the best.Not so salty and keeps the meat moist.
-
This made for a very tender, moist turkey with amazing flavour! Will defintely make again.
-
This was my first time brining a turkey, I will NEVER do it any other way from now on! I used the recipe as called for except I was a little short on the Veg. broth so I topped it off with apple juice as suggested by previous posters. I only had 14hrs for it to soak, and I wayyyyyy overcooked because I had accidently turned off the alarm on my temperature gauge (oops) but the turkey was still moist and very very tender. It had such a nice flavor and the gravy from the drippings was good although a tad salty. I omitted the salt I normally put in my potatoes and it balanced. ^__^ Thanks for the recipe!!!! <3
-
* 5 STAR RECIPE!! * I use this brine for chicken, and it’s outstanding! (I omit the Savory seasoning since I never can remember to buy it.) I adjust the recipe to 4 servings for a 5lb. chicken, then place it into the largest rubbermaid container I own. Add seasonings mixed with two cans of vegetable broth. Fill to top of container with cold water making sure chicken is thoroughly soaking in brine. Cover, and let marinate for 24 hours in fridge. Bake at 325 degrees for about 2-1/2 hours… FANTASTIC!! My very picky 7 year old loves this recipe!! As do the rest of us 🙂
-
This was my first turkey ever and it was fantastic. I was worried about my first turkey being too dry or lacking in flavor, but this turkey was definitely neither of those. It was oh so tasty. If I ever dare make another one, this will be the recipe I use.
-
Cannot even describe how amazing this was. My mom’s turkeys have always been just okay, and so I decided to take charge for Easter dinner and make this. It was my first turkey and no one could believe how incredibly juicy, tender, and moist it was. I followed the recipe for the brine exactly, including just letting the bucket sit in a cool place overnight. To cook it, I put an onion, carrot and celery stalk into the cavity. It started breast side down in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours. Then I turned it over and it took another 45 minutes or so to be done. For the last 15 minutes I turned the oven up to 400 to finish browning and basted it with a little butter. Did not cover it with foil, and otherwise didn’t bother basting it. The meat was literally falling off the bones it was so tender and the flavor went all through the meat. It was seriously about as foolproof as you could get. The only change I’ll make next time is to either reduce the sea salt or substitute water for some of the vegetable broth. It was just a touch on the salty side, I think because broth is often high in salt to begin with. Don’t be afraid to try this recipe, it really was that easy. Cannot recommend it enough.. and ditto the other reviewers’ comments on the drippings — they make amazing gravy.
-
I made a turkey breast using this brine for Easter dinner, and oh my gosh it was sooooooo good as was the gravy! I will never cook a turkey without it! I did leave it in a large stock pot in our fridge overnight though cause it made me nervous leaving it in the garage!!
-
This was my second time at making a turkey, and I’m giving this three stars because my turkey did turn out very moist and tasty, but it wasn’t any better than my Mom’s turkey’s and she doesn’t soak her’s in brine. So, I’m not sure if the brine helped or not.
-
This was awesome. What more can I say, not a dish I’ll make all the time cause hubby has to watch salt intake. But it makes for a very moist juicy bird, and our guest loved it.
-
Too salty
-
This brine smelled so good while it boiled that I dipped rolls into it to eat. It tasted so good. That being said, the turkey ended up being way too salty. We didn’t even eat the leftover turkey because the salt was so overpowering. The gravy was good, though. If I cut way down on the salt next time, I think it will be perfect.
-
I only have one problem with this recipe……My family drools when they smell me cooking the brine. They know what is coming and they go CRAZY. Oh yes, and now I am the one volunteered to cook all the birds for our family functions. This recipe makes a very moist and tasty bird.
-
Love it! Used it before smoking our turkey too, and it was great. I cut it to 2 servings for a turkey breast and it was perfect.
-
I used half cider and half chicken broth since I couldn’t find vegtable. It came out great though and was very good. Thank you for sharing.
-
I cut everything in half and used it on a chicken. It was simple and DELICIOUS! I’ll try it on turkey next time. Thanks!
-
one of the best ways that I have found to get a flavorful, moist turkey without having to parboil it. Especially good for a large, mine was 15.5 pounds, bird that gets brined at low temperatures.
-
The only way to make Turkey! Tastes like it was filled with the most amazing stuffing
-
I used less salt than recommended, however I think the full amount would have been alright as well. Either way the turkey was FANTASTIC!!! Thanks allrecipes!
-
I really enjoyed this recipe! I also found the perfect bucket to fit both the turkey and the refrigerator. I used an oval shapped bucket that I bought cat litter in. Of course I cleaned it thouroughly but it sure looked funny putting that bucket in my refrigerator! I used 1/2 apple juice as suggested by others. I also turned the oven up to 500 for the first 30 minutes. But that was a little too long at that heat because the skin turned black on top. I tented it with foil and cooked it for the remaining time at 350. My 19 lb turkey took about 3 1/2 hours. It was the best turkey I have ever made. I will most definately do it this way again.
-
I made a “test run” utilizing the recipe and it was out of this world, very moist and flavorful. I soaked the turkey in a 5 gallon bucket for approximatly 36 hours, then put it on the smoker, came off golden brown and tastey!! Thanks!
-
This recipe is incredible! I first used it a couple of years back and am now the family turkey “pro”! I would suggest only using food grade buckets and bags (like turkey bags)however. Home Depot buckets and garbage bags are often made with post-consumer plastics (garbage!)and can be toxic.
-
This is wonderful.We have been using brine for our turkeys for a while.I have found that a small cooler works great.We keep one just for that purpose.
-
We read all the reviews and took a little info from each review. The turkey was a success! We used 1/2 broth and 1/2 apple juice as suggested, but we added some red grape juice and broccoli broth from some steamed broccoli earlier in the day. We added a cinnamon stick and some fresh rosemary. **IMPORTANT NOTE: We studied about the different types of salt to use(there were a lot of comments about the turkey being too salty). If you substitute the sea salt for kosher – it is twice as strong and its as if you are doubling your salt content. BE SURE to use sea salt and if you are using KOSHER salt – cut the the amount in half. **
We used one full cup of sea salt for a 22 lb. turkey and was perfect. The gravy was also out of this world! -
This made my first Thanksgiving away from home a huge success! I used chicken broth instead of veggie, added a cup of splenda, and left out the sage and savory. The turkey was wonderfully tender and juicy, even better than my Mom’s! (but don’t tell her I said that…)
-
My turkey turned out perfectly. I was worried it would be too salty based on what others have said, but it was not at all. Everyone kept asking how I prepared the turkey. My brother who is an “unofficial” food critic actually said it was the best turkey he has ever had. Note: I soaked the turkey outside overnight in a cooler (when adding liquid, be sure to push down on turkey in solution to get an accurate gauge if you have enough liquid to cover, as the turkey will float in salt water-hold down with heavy object for full immersion overnight) I then followed roasting instructions from :”Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way”(the one with vegetable broth). I included all the salt from the roasting instructions, but, still, the turkey was not too salty. It was PERFECT!
-
This was my first time making a turkey and I decided on this recipe after looking at it for almost a year. I used this along with another recipe on the site and OMG this was the best turkey I ever had. It was so juicy, even the white meat which tends to be dry. Everyone raved over it. I will use this recipe from now on.
-
This was easier than I thought. I 1 and a half times the recipe for a 19 pound turkey. I double garbage bagged the turkey and put the brine with it and kept it in a cooler in the garage..stayed cold and there was no clean up. The turkey stayed moist but there weren’t many dripping to make gravy out of. I just had to add some chicken stock. What drippings there were made for a bit salty gravy. But no one seemed to mind, as the turkey was so great!
-
Thanks for this recipe! This was my first time brining, and I’ll continue to use it from now on. My guests couldn’t believe how juicy the turkey was! If you’ve never tried this before you should! Fantastic!!!
-
This was the BEST turkey I have ever made, or tasted. I baked my turkey in a brown paper grocery bag ( a first for me, it’s fantastic) and it was so tender and juicy you almost didn’t even have to chew it! It made tons of stock, so I had enough stock to make a huge batch of gravy. The gravy was so good that one of my guests jokingly asked me if I had a straw so he could drink it! When my guests took the first bite of turkey I heard a lot of ooh’s and ah’s. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, I will always make my turkey this way.
-
great recipe! I’m only giving it 4 stars because I didn’t necessarily taste the spices throughout the meat. Although it was VERY moist it almost seemed like the spices didn’t do TOO much to it. I will definitely use again though! Thanks for the recipe!!!
-
I veered away from my usual brine recipe & used this one. My Turkey wasn’t as moist it usually is. The flavor of the brine was great though. I am stuck in the middle with this one.
-
I made my first Thanksgiving turkey this year and this recipe was great! Everyone loved it. The turkey was so juicy and tender and very flavorful. Best Turkey I ever had!
-
I had very high expectations for the turkey after reading all of the reviews. I don’t know if we overcooked our turkey or what (it was the first we ever made), but we thought the taste was just about equal to every other turkey we had. I would probably try something different next time.
-
Great idea for a brine. I made the vegie stock out of vegie bouillon cubes and omitted the salt altogether. I used fresh rosemary, dry sage, fresh thyme and omitted the savory as I didn’t have any. I added fresh garlic, onions, and an orange cut in half. I kept the turkey in the bine for 48 hours and then stuffed the turkey with the spices, onions, garlic and orange from the brine. I also infused the turkey with sage and garlic butter. I always put sage butter in between the skin and the turkey breast cover the turkey in olive oil and season the outside with salt, pepper, sage, garlic and poultry seasoning and cooked the turkey in a bag. It was moist and flavorful. The gravy was wonderfully seasoned. I will use this brine again!
-
Second year to do this…sans the savoury. Moist and delicious…
Used a gallon of apple juice with homemade vegetable broth. I also used regular salt. Left it outside for 14 hrs. soaking in a huge bucket.
Will do this every year! -
Followed the recipe with fresh herbs and soaked it for 12hrs, it was fabulous!! Everyone loved it!!
-
EVERYONE LOVED IT!! I made this for Thanksgiving Day. I admit I was extremely nervous trying something new on Thanksgiving. My husband thought I lost my mind when he saw me putting the turkey in the cooler on Tuesday. I did make a few changes that other people suggested. I used equal parts chicken broth and apple juice instead of vegetable broth, simply because that’s all I had on hand. I cooked the chicken broth, seasonings, & salt along with fresh carrots, onions & celery for about an hour. I removed it from the heat and added the apple juice and let that cool down. I used a 5 gal “sports drink” cooler instead of a bucket. I put the turkey in wings first. I added the brine and enough ice water to cover it. I let the bird soak for 2 days, checking it periodically and adding more ice to make sure it kept cold. I cooked it breast side down at 325. Now some people said it cooked faster, but mine did not. Not exactly sure what happened, so make sure you keep checking that thermometer. My 21 lb’r took over 5 hours. Other than dinner being a liitle later than planned, it was amazing. It was well worth the wait. It was incredibly moist…including the white meat. Oh, I did notice the stuffing was a tad bit salty, so make sure you don’t add any salt when you’re preparing it. I will use this recipe from now on. It was a huge hit.
-
what a delicious way to prepare turkey! I actually made a turkey breast only, but still wanted to try the brining process on a small scale. I cooked and cooled the brine, then lined a large stockpot with a roasting bag. I placed the breast in the bag, then filled and tied the bag. It was perfect– the stockpot kept it under control in the fridge, and the bag kept the turkey soaking in the juices.
-
I made a very rich, homemade vegetable broth, cut the salt in half (for fear of it being too salty…which it wasn’t but I did remember to rinse the brine off the bird before smoking it) & added a bottle of apple juice. Put it all in a huge pot that fit right down inside our roll-around cooler, which we kept out in our garage. Poifect! ;o) The turkey was very tasty but general consensus was that the fryed turkey had more flavor & was juicier.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/7971181_Snickerdoodle-Zucchini-Bread_Yoly_2x1-0bb7f6f64a6b404092aca7db665fc4f3.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/7642173-Caramel-Apple-Pie-Cookies-DDMFS-1x2-5353-bc59d99ce17c4703ac6621502f904f87.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/7969063_Turkey-Burgers-with-Rice-Krispies_lutzflcat_2x1-3e7a25febade4d798c74b7ff31f59023.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/UltimateThanksgivingLeftoverBurger2x1-626f6e44496541e7bfcdca522059e17f.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/7967888_Sweet-Potato-Cobbler_Aly-in-the-Kitchen_2x1-762f88c6f7af4d49a5d38d2a1d6a4cb7.jpg)
Leave feedback about this