Our Favorite Turkey Brine: A Simple Solution to Foolproof Moist Turkey
Brine it on! This easy method ensures the juiciest, most flavorful bird! Just remember to give yourself an extra day, since the turkey sits in the brine overnight before it’s cooked.
Favorite Turkey Brine; photograph by Olga Ivanova.
The first time I made Thanksgiving dinner on my own was freshman year of college, in 2005. I was determined to do everything from scratch and needed everything to be perfect. I had it in my head that winning at Thanksgiving dinner somehow translated into winning at being an adult. (Reader: I was definitely not a grown up despite my big age of 18 years old.)
Back then, I was mostly still cooking out of books and printing off recipes from the very first celebrity chefs. We hadn’t quite entered the heyday of the food blog era. I spied a recipe for a “spiced and super juicy roasted turkey” in one of my favorite holiday books. The headnotes promised tender, moist meat; I was immediately sold.
Brining a turkey was still a pretty novel technique at the time, but after eating a lot of dry turkey over the years, I was hopeful. Without internet reviews or comments to double check, I put a lot of trust in that list of ingredients and a technique I hadn't ever tried in my life.
Fortunately, it turned out wonderfully. Brining the turkey before cooking really does reduce the margin of error for the cook. This is especially helpful if you’ve never made a turkey before, but it's also a great buffer if you’ve been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for decades. It takes a little bit of planning ahead, but greatly reduces stress the day of — an easy trade-off in my book.
Jump ahead to:
What are the benefits of brining a turkey? >>
What ingredients do I need to brine a turkey? >>
What kind of salt do I use to brine a turkey? >>
Do I need special equipment to brine a turkey? >>
Get the recipe: Favorite Turkey Brine >>
What are the benefits of brining a turkey?
Taking the time to wet brine your turkey almost guarantees super juicy meat. Letting the turkey rest in the salt water solution for several hours gives the salt and water time to make its way into the meat. The turkey holds onto this added salt and water through cooking, producing a turkey that is seasoned and full of moisture. If you have ever struggled with cooking a moist turkey, brining may be a technique that would work well for you.
Brining a turkey also takes a little bit of planning ahead. I actually find this to be a positive. With everything prepped and ready to go ahead of time, you don’t have to do any last minute maneuvering. And no surprises like finding the turkey still frozen just hours before dinner is scheduled.
What ingredients do I need to brine a turkey?
Photograph by Meleyna Nomura
Water and salt are the only two required brine ingredients. But adding aromatic fresh herbs and spices makes for a more flavorful brining solution. This Favorite Turkey Brine recipe includes:
Brown sugar
Apple juice
Orange juice
Sliced whole oranges
Whole peppercorns
Fresh thyme
Fresh rosemary
Bay leaves
Fresh garlic
What kind of salt do I use to brine a turkey?
Any kind of salt can be used for turkey brine, but it is important to pay attention to the weight. Different salts have different weights. The smaller grains of table salt typically weigh more than the same volume of kosher salt. But even different brands of kosher salt can vary in weight. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh 7 ounces of salt for this recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use one of the following options below:
1 1/4 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2/3 cup Morton’s kosher salt
1/2 cup table salt
Do I need special equipment to brine a turkey?
The only equipment needed to brine a turkey is a pot large enough to hold the turkey in the brine, and enough fridge space for the turkey to rest in the pot for up to 18 hours. If you don’t have a large enough pot, opt for a clean 5-gallon bucket, or a brining bag set in a large bowl.
After you’ve found an appropriately sized vessel for your turkey to soak, make sure you’ve got enough room in the fridge for it to camp out for up to 18 hours. If your refrigerator is too small, or just too full of other holiday ingredients, the turkey can be kept in an ice chest. Keep enough ice in the cooler to maintain a constant temperature below 40°F.
How to brine a turkey
Follow these simple steps before cooking your turkey for a truly flavorful bird
1. Make the brine base
Heat one quart of water and one quart of apple juice over medium heat. Add the salt and sugar; stir to dissolve.
2. Add the aromatics
Add two sliced oranges, 15 cloves garlic, several sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, bay leaves, and three tablespoons of peppercorns to the brine.
3. Cool the brine
Photograph by Meleyna Nomura
Fill a large bowl or sink with ice water. Set the pan of brine in the ice water. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
4. Finish the brine
Transfer the cooled brine mixture, one quart of orange juice, and four quarts of cold water to a large stock pot or brining bag.
5. Brine the turkey
Photograph by Meleyna Nomura
Add a 12-17 lb. turkey, breast side down. Chill for 8-18 hours, turning halfway through.
6. Prep for cooking
Photograph by Meleyna Nomura
Remove turkey from brine. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Optional: Place turkey on a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator, uncovered, for 24 hours, to dry for crispy skin.
Get the recipe: Favorite Turkey Brine
This turkey brine is guaranteed to give you a Thanksgiving turkey worthy of your holiday table. Not just a beautiful bronzed bird worthy of a Norman Rockwell painting, but the juiciest meat you’ve ever had.
Turkey talk
There's a lot to learn about cooking a perfect turkey. Read these turkey guides for more perfect turkey entrees.