Even novice cooks can prepare an elegant and delicious meal when following my guides for how to cook a turkey, how to cook a ham, and how to brine a turkey.
Tips On How To Brine A Turkey
It’s crucial that you let the liquid cool so that your raw turkey does not come to an unsafe temperature sitting in warm salt solution. Sometimes when I need to speed up the process, I add a handful of ice cubes to the room temperature brine to cool it off quickly. I find that it can be difficult to find a container large enough to hold a turkey for brining. The easiest way to contain a bird and brining liquid is to buy brining bags. You can find these bags online or in kitchen stores. The bags seal shut and there is minimal cleanup because they are disposable. You can even place your brining bag in a large pot to help hold the shape of the bag and make it easier to carry. If you’re planning to smoke your turkey, try using my smoked turkey brine recipe. This recipe calls for kosher salt, which is available in almost all grocery stores. Kosher salt has a more balanced flavor than table salt which is why I use it in the recipe. If you need to use table salt, reduce the amount by 1/3. Don’t want to deal with finding a container large enough to hold a turkey and all that liquid? You can also do a dry brine turkey. Use any pan drippings from the cooked bird to make some turkey gravy!
Flavor Variations
This is a base brine recipe that you can alter to customize the flavors to your tastes. Enjoy your brined turkey with some of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes like Thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potato casserole with pecans, homemade cranberry sauce and glazed carrots.
Apple Cider: This recipe requires apple cider NOT apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is unfiltered apple juice that often is darker in color than traditional apple juice. If you can’t find apple cider, you can substitute apple juice. Black Peppercorns: I typically use black peppercorns for this brine. You can use other kinds of peppercorns or peppercorn blends. However, the peppercorns end up being discarded with the brine so you don’t need to get expensive peppercorns. Garlic: Garlic gives the brine a lot of flavor. Simply remove the garlic skins and smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife. You want your garlic to be smashed outward but generally in one piece. Oranges: Select any ripe oranges. Wash them and cut them into slices with the peel included. You can cut the slices in half moon shapes.
Let the liquid cool completely, then place it in a large container or bag that will fit your turkey. Make sure your turkey is submerged, then let it sit in the salt solution in a refrigerator. After the turkey has soaked up the brine for 18-24 hours, remove it from the liquid. Pat it dry and remove any herbs. Finally, cook it using your desired method.
Herb Roasted Turkey Cajun Turkey Spatchcock Turkey Deep Fried Turkey Smoked Turkey
If you only want a turkey breast try these great turkey recipes!
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Instant Pot Turkey Breast Smoked Turkey Breast Grilled Turkey Breast Roasted Turkey Breast
Herbs: Instead of sage and rosemary, try adding other fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme or marjoram. Sweetener: Swap out the brown sugar for honey or maple syrup for a different flavor. Spices: Feel free to add other spices such as cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, star anise or fennel seeds. Citrus: You can use lemon slices instead of or in addition to your orange slices.
Once you try a turkey prepared with this technique, you’ll never want to make turkey any other way!
How to Brine a Turkey Video
