Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (2024)

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Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe – moist, juicy, and succulent meat every time. With very little effort, and a few ingredients including water, apple juice, aromatics, and seasonings, the brine does all the work tenderizing the meat and infusing it with the most delicious flavor!

Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (1)Whether you’re looking for a new easy turkey brine recipe or you’re just wanting to learn the tips and tricks behind getting more moisture into your meat, learning how to brine a turkey is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

It’s an easy way for any home cook to feel like a professional chef!

You can brine anything from a whole turkey to chicken breast, to pork loin because sometimes cooking lean meat that doesn’t have a lot of fat can be finicky. It’s easy to overcook and dry out, which is why allowing it to sit in a brine ahead of time is magic!

Let’s get started. I promise you’ll want to keep this recipe handy from now on!

Why Brine a Turkey?

A brine is composed of two main ingredients. Salt and water. Sometimes sugar, and of course other ingredients for flavor. There is also often an acidic component whether it be apple juice or lemon juice.

The salt helps the protein in the meat absorb and retain more water. It plumps up the bird and allows it to hold onto that moisture as it cooks. There will always be a loss of moisture as the meat cooks, but because we’re starting off with even more moisture, it balances it out.

If we were to not use brine and still lose that moisture, we may be left with less than moist meat.

Using brine isn’t always a must but it’s definitely always a bonus!

Easy Turkey Brine Recipe Ingredients

  • Water: The base of most brine is water. It’s the liquid in which all other ingredients are combined and what helps to add moisture to the meat.
  • Apple juice: Adds flavor and acidity which helps break down the fibers to tenderize the meat.
  • Herbs: Fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and dried bay leaves give the brine an herbaceous element.
  • Aromatics: Cloves of garlic and sliced onion. They are there to impart flavor, so no need to chop or dice anything. All of the brine will be discarded once the meat is ready to use.
  • Seasoning: Salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, Montreal Steak spice or original Mrs. Dash spice. Salty, sweet, and deliciously spiced!
Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (2)

How to Brine a Turkey

Step 1: In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, or whatever big soup pot you have, add all of the ingredients except the onion. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat.Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (3)

Step 2: Add a gallon of ice and the onions. Allow it to cool and then add your turkey and make sure it’s completely submerged.

Step 3: Transfer the pot with the turkey to the fridge or cover it and keep it in a cold garage. Leave it sitting in the brine overnight.

Step 4: Once it’s ready, remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Use it as directed in any of your favorite turkey recipes like this easy Thanksgiving turkey recipe with stuffing!

How Long to Brine a Turkey?

This depends on how big your bird is, how much time you have, and when you plan on cooking it. If you’re cooking a whole bird, leave it in for at least 8 hours to 18 hours. Depending on the size of your turkey, some people have been known to leave theirs in for 72 hours!

If you plan to leave it for that long, be sure to check on it occasionally. When you leave it for too long, then the salt starts to break down the meat too much leaving it soft and overly salted.

Recipe Tips

  • Bringing a big turkey in a large pot can take up a ton of room in your fridge. If you live in a cold climate, it’s always a great space saver to keep it covered in your garage or cold room.
  • If you’ve left the turkey in longer than 8 hours, feel free to rinse it off before patting it dry. You may want to get rid of any salt that’s sitting on the surface of the skin. Or not, it’s up to you!
  • You can brine the turkey in advance. Once the 18 hours is up, even if you’re not ready to cook it, rinse it, pat it dry, and leave it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  • Discard the brine. Do not use it! It’s been contaminated with raw poultry, so you can’t use it for anything else.

After brining a turkey, do I still need to season it?

Not necessarily! The brining adds so much flavor, plus there will be residual salt on the skin so some people find this is enough. Others like to season as directed, so it’s really up to you!

How do I ensure crispy skin after it’s been so moist?

The best way is to make sure to pat the bird dry and allow it to sit uncovered in the fridge for a while. Once it’s completely dry, drizzle oil or add some butter to the skin to help it brown up nicely.

Can I brine a frozen turkey?

Yes! It’s actually an easy way to thaw the turkey at the same time. You’ll want to leave it in longer, maybe even up to 48 hours (longer if it’s a huge one) as it’ll not absorb anything until later on in the process.

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Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe

Love Keil

Super easy turkey brine recipe for roasting juicy moist turkey for Thanksgiving.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Thanksgiving Recipe

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Calories 1764 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 gallon water
  • 3 cups apple juice
  • 2-3 stems fresh rosemary
  • 5 stems fresh thyme & bay leaves
  • 1 whole garlic sliced
  • 1 cup Kosher salt or to taste
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon peppercorns
  • 2 tablespoons Montreal Steak spice
  • 1 gallon ice
  • 2 onions sliced

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a big pot except the onions.

  • Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add 1 gallon of ice and sliced onions. Let the turkey brine cool, then add turkey and soak for over night inside the fridge or if you live in cold place, place the pot in the garage.

  • After, remove turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Notes

Also, check out my Mom’s Turkey Brine that she uses to brine turkey every Thanksgiving!!!

All content & images are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this EasyTurkey Brine Recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

Nutrition

Calories: 1764kcalCarbohydrates: 448gProtein: 7gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 57103mgPotassium: 1939mgFiber: 13gSugar: 401gVitamin A: 235IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 787mgIron: 7mg

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Super Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to brine a turkey? ›

Wet brines take no longer than 24 hours, whereas dry brines can be effective for up to 72 hours.
  1. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and add to prepared container.
  2. Dissolve 2 cups of kosher salt into 2 cups of hot water. Allow to cool.
  3. Pour salt solution over turkey. Add remaining water.
Sep 21, 2023

What is the shortest time to brine a turkey? ›

With a few simple tweaks, like adjusting the amount of salt and liquid used, you can speed up the entire brining process, bringing it down to just 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. Turkey brines are incredibly easy, and this one's no exception. You don't even even need a ton of ingredients for it!

What is the formula for brine? ›

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

What is the ratio salt to water for turkey brine? ›

Use about 50g coarse salt to 1 litre water. Don't brine for longer than necessary, or you will end up with salty, mushy meat. Calculate 1 hour per 500g meat.

What is the best brine method? ›

Cold Brine (brrr!)
  1. Step 1: Mix together liquid, salt, and sugar (if using) until salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
  2. Step 2: Add the protein to the brine, making sure that it is fully submerged.
  3. Step 3: Leave the protein in the brine for an hour per pound.

Do I rinse turkey after brining? ›

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

Is it better to salt or brine a turkey? ›

One key reason is the taste—whether you wet-brine or dry-brine, using all! that! salt! infuses the bird with flavor, giving it an extra boost before you add any spices or aromatics. It also helps the meat retain its moisture and can help you avoid over-cooking, our associate food editor Kelsey Youngman explains.

What happens if you don't have time to brine a turkey? ›

Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.

Is it worth brining a turkey? ›

The first time I brined a turkey, I immediately noticed the improvement in flavor and juiciness of the finished bird. Never made one without brine since! A brined turkey is flavorful and moist … well worth any extra time it takes to get it ready for the oven! I have a cooler that I use …

How much sugar do you put in brine? ›

Ingredients
  1. 4 cups water.
  2. ¼ cup packed brown sugar.
  3. ¼ cup kosher salt.

How do you make brine at home? ›

The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons. Keep in mind, also, that different kosher salt brands vary in how salty they actually are.

How much sugar goes in a brine? ›

Mix 1 cup (227 grams) of salt for each gallon (3.78 liters) of water you use in your brine. If you make sweet brine, mix 1 cup (227 grams) of brown sugar plus 1 cup of salt per gallon. Cut the salt and sugar by half if you need just a half gallon (1.89 liters), or by 3/4 if you need just 1 quart (. 946 liter).

Can you put too much salt in turkey brine? ›

It is the salt that you need to pay particular attention to, as if the concentration of salt in the brine is too high then the turkey could become too salty, particularly if you are soaking it for a long period.

How many cups of salt do I need to brine a turkey? ›

Standard Turkey Brine Formulas
Turkey SizeWaterSalt (Kosher)
8 to 12 pounds (3.6 to 5.4 kilograms)2 gallons (7.6 liters)2 1/2 cups (450 grams)
13 to 17 pounds (5.9 to 7.7 kilograms)2 1/2 gallons (9.5 liters)3 1/4 cups (570 grams)
18 to 22 pounds (8.2 to 10 kilograms)3 gallons (11.4 liters)3 3/4 cups (675 grams)

Can you over brine a turkey? ›

Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly-salty and has a spongy texture. If you're not ready to roast the bird after 18 hours, remove it from the brine, rinse it, pat it dry, and refrigerate for up to two days.

How long should turkey be in brine? ›

As a general rule of thumb, you'll want to let the turkey brine for at least 1 hour per pound of turkey. Here's a breakdown of how long to brine a turkey based on size:
  1. 12–14-lb. turkey: 16–18 hours.
  2. 14–16-lb. turkey: 18–20 hours.
  3. 16–18-lb. turkey: 20–22 hours.
  4. 18–20-lb. turkey: 22–24 hours.
Oct 23, 2023

Is it better to brine a turkey wet or dry? ›

Turkeys that have been wet brined often yield slightly less brown skin due to more water in the skin. Dry brines work by drawing out moisture in the turkey at the beginning of the brining process, but then the moisture will redistribute with the infused flavors towards the end of the process and during cooking.

How long does turkey sit in brine? ›

Shoot for at least 16 hours but no longer than 24 hours. If you brine it any longer than 24 hours the turkey will be too salty.

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