Turkey Brine Marinade Recipe

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5, 000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

When Thanksgiving approaches, there's no shortage of discussions about the best way to roast a turkey because a dry one is a big disappointment. Time and time again, brining comes up as a key way to help ensure a juicier, tastier holiday turkey. Water, salt, sugar, garlic, and herbs make up this quick turkey brine for a 12 -to 15-pound bird. (Dry brines are different altogether and don't involve submerging the turkey in salty, herbed water.)

Once the brine has come together, let it cool. Some people like to put the turkey in an extra-large resealable plastic bag inside a cooler loaded with ice, which makes it easier to pour the brine in and even easier to move the turkey around; it also doesn't take up precious space in your refrigerator at a time of year when space is at a premium. You can use a cooler or simply add the turkey and the brine to a large container.

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*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2, 000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama and tests and develops recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and Health. She received her bachelor's degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. After university, she dipped her toes in the restaurant industry and never looked back. She completed her culinary degree at The Culinary Institute of America. Elizabeth has been a part of the Meredith Food Studios since 2017. Prior to that, she cooked in restaurants in New Orleans, Charleston, and Chicago.

Everyone wants a moist and juicy turkey, but roasting a turkey can be a challenge. Often roast turkey is dry and bland. A brine is a solution of seasoned liquid that flavors and adds moisture to meat before roasting.

Turkey brine is a solution of salt, sugar, and flavorings designed to add flavor and moisture to turkey. During the brining process, salt draws out moisture from the turkey before returning it, along with other flavors of the brine.

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A turkey brine solution is typically made with salt, sugar, and a base of apple cider and water. This recipe includes lemon and apple cider vinegar as well as a variety of fresh aromatics—black peppercorns, sage, thyme, bay leaves and garlic. 

The key to making turkey brine is to dissolve the salt and sugar completely, then let it cool completely before using it. Never put a raw turkey in hot brine.

In order to use the cooled turkey brine, place the turkey in brine, and place a plate upside down on top of the turkey to submerge it completely. Chill for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours, or about 1 hour per pound.

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You do not need to rinse the turkey after brining; simply pat dry with paper towels. You do not need to season the exterior either.

We recommend letting the turkey air dry overnight to dry out the skin. You can do this by placing the brined turkey on a platter in the refrigerator, with no covering. Drying the turkey overnight helps seal in the moisture and create a crispy skin once the turkey is in the oven.

Because of the large amount of sugar between the cider and brown sugar in the brine, you may need to tent the turkey with foil as it finishes cooking to prevent the skin from overbrowning.

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When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.Turkey Brine creates a tender, moist and juicy turkey with sweet citrusy flavoring and a hint of spice all submerged in a water bath for your turkey to soak from the inside-out. Make your turkey irresistible this holiday season!

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This Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without side dishes! If you love side dishes try this World’s Best Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Wild Rice Pilar or Roasted Honey Cinnamon Butter Sweet Potatoes with Easy Turkey Gravy drizzled over top. Don’t forget Grandma’s Famous Pumpkin Pie to enjoy for dessert afterwards!

All the rich flavors soak into the turkey brine leaving the turkey ready to cook and have a nice crisp outside with a tender and juicy inside.

Turkey is a lean type of meat especially the breast meat. Since it does not have a lot of fat it tends to dry out and become tough when being cooked.

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Brine is a simple solution of water and salt. The added flavoring only enhances your turkey on the inside and out for the big day.

It is a great way to be on the safe side just in case your turkey is over cooked when you are preparing for the holidays.

If it is overcooked, it will still come out tender and juicy. A brined turkey will stay juicy and taste good through and through.

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Depending on the size of turkey and how much salt you add to the brine is how long you should brine your turkey for.

This will ensure your turkey is being brined from the inside and out with more time to soak in the flavors and become juicy when cooking.

You will want to make sure you do not brine past 3 days though. This will leave your turkey on the salty side.

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If you only have a few hours or not very long, it is still worth it to submerge your turkey for as little to as long as you can for best results when cooking.

Gravy is usually made with turkey drippings. Once the turkey is brined and then cooked, use the drippings from the pan to create a flavorful gravy.

The drippings that are left over from a brined turkey is salty and pure water with a little bit of flavor that was not soaked in from the turkey.

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Cooked turkey that has been brined takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours but can vary depending on different variables like oven and how big your turkey is.

To make sure your turkey is cooked to perfection, check the temperature of your turkey in the thickest part of the thigh. It will need to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yes, you should refrigerate the turkey while letting it brine. Just stick the turkey (breast side down) in a bag or container and pour the brine over. Close the bag or cover the pan and let the turkey marinate in the fridge overnight (or at least 12 hours).

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You can put a partially frozen turkey in a brine, as long as you use a large pot and refrigerate the bird while it’s defrosting and brining. A large turkey takes a few days to defrost, so wait until the last day to brine your Thanksgiving turkey in cold water so you don’t over-brine it.

Add any spices or rubs to your turkey before cooking. Baste the turkey with juices and brush it will butter on the outside for a crispy skin.

Calories: 481 kcal Carbohydrates: 7 g Protein: 71 g Fat: 18 g Saturated Fat: 5 g Cholesterol: 232 mg Sodium: 14533

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