This basic turkey brine recipe will teach you how to brine a turkey - the easy way! Takes just 5 simple ingredients and is fail proof. This is the best recipe for beginners and makes a great Thanksgiving dinner!
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Brine time: 12 hourshours
Total Time: 12 hourshours10 minutesminutes
Servings: 16
Equipment
large food-safe plastic bag or deep non-metallic container
Ingredients
12-15poundsturkey, do not use Kosher or pre-salted
3-4quartswater
1cupMorton kosher salt, or 3/4 cup sea salt
1cupbrown sugar
4cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
¼cupfresh rosemary leaves
Optional: Orange peels and fresh herbs (such as sage, thyme, or bay leaves)
Instructions
Thaw the turkey (will take about 4 days in a refrigerator or 8 hours in cold water).
Remove neck and giblets from body and neck cavities, and discard.
Place turkey breast side down in a bag or large container.
Mix together the water, salt, brown sugar, garlic and rosemary leaves. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add in orange peels or other herbs, if desired. Pour over the turkey. Close the bag or cover the container with a lid. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.
When ready to cook, thoroughly wash the turkey under cold water to remove excess salt. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels really well. Let rest for 30 minutes before prepping.
Follow with cooking instructions. See my favorite roasted turkey below. Note that a brined turkey will cook about 20-30 minutes faster.
For a sweeter brine: add in 2 cups of apple juice with orange peels.
For a savory brine: double the garlic and add a bundle of thyme and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Containers: I like to use the 5-gallon buckets from home depot to brine my turkey in. If you don't have the fridge space, you could also use a cooler packed with ice. Make sure to keep it in a cool place and cover the top of the turkey with ice.