Recipes|Featured Main
How to Brine a Turkey
Difficulty Level: Easy
-
Prep Time:10 Minutes
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Cook Time:PT8H10M8 Hours
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Yield:1 Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ΒΌ cup sugar, honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 1 gallon water
- Herbs, spices or aromatics (see notes)
- Or:
- Our Own Brine Kit (Bulk Foods/see notes)
- 1 fresh turkey (12-16 pounds)
- 236.59ml kosher salt
- 59.15ml sugar, honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 4.55L water
- Herbs, spices or aromatics (see notes)
- Or:
- Our Own Brine Kit (Bulk Foods/see notes)
- 1 fresh turkey (12-16 pounds)
Juicy, tender and bursting with flavor, brining is a prep game changer you won't want to skip.
Preparation
STEP 1
Line a large sturdy container such as a stockpot or clean bucket (that will fit your turkey and fit in the refrigerator) with a brining bag. Using a bag will use less brine to cover your turkey completely, but you may need more or less brine depending on your turkey size and/or the size of your container.
STEP 2
Add salt, sugar and water to a large pot and stir until all is dissolved. Add herbs, spices and aromatics if using.
STEP 3
Place cleaned out, nearly thawed turkey in bag and pour brine over. Pull top of bag up to close, getting as much air out as possible. Make sure brine completely covers turkey inside and out. If not, make more brine and add to cover. Secure bag with a twist tie.
STEP 4
Place in refrigerator for 10-12 hours.
STEP 5
Remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold water and pat skin very dry. Season and cook as normal. Turkey should be cooked to 165° F.
Options
If using Our Own Brine Kit from the bulk foods department (includes brine bag), increase your water to 1 ¼ gallons. The suggested additions below can still be considered.
Additions to a brine can include dry or fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaves), peppercorns, garlic cloves, onion, fennel, citrus peels, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, mustard seeds or dried chiles.
A great way to bring out the flavor of any herbs, spices or aromatics in a brine is to bring the seasonings to a boil with the salt, sugar and ¼ of the water (4 cups), turn off heat and let steep for 15 minutes, then add ice to equal the rest of the water (about 13 cups of ice). You can also omit the sugar and use apple cider in place of half the water.
This same brine ratio can be used for any poultry or pork, just adjust the brining time down to 1 hour for smaller cuts like pork chops or chicken breasts.