Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about the centerpiece of your feast: the turkey. If you're looking for a flavorful and juicy bird, then you need to try brining it.
Brining is a process of soaking the turkey in a seasoned liquid for a period of time, typically overnight or up to 24 hours. This helps to infuse the turkey with flavor and moisture, resulting in a more tender and delicious bird.
There are many different brine recipes out there, but we've compiled a list of our favorites that are sure to please everyone at your table. From classic brines to more unique and flavorful options, we've got you covered.
Our classic turkey brine recipe is made with a simple combination of water, salt, sugar, and spices. This brine is perfect for those who want a traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
If you're looking for something a little more flavorful, our herb-infused turkey brine is a great option. This brine is made with a variety of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, and sage, which give the turkey a delicious savory flavor.
For a truly unique and memorable Thanksgiving meal, try our citrus-infused turkey brine. This brine is made with a combination of orange and lemon juice, which gives the turkey a bright and tangy flavor.
No matter which brine recipe you choose, you're sure to end up with a delicious and juicy turkey that will be the star of your Thanksgiving feast.
THE BEST TURKEY BRINE
This is our go-to brine for turkey. It's simple, flavorful and most importantly leaves you with a succulent, juicy, perfectly-seasoned bird. It's also perfect for chicken, pork chops, Cornish game hens - you name it. While we like the combination of thyme and sage, you can also use other hearty herbs such as rosemary, oregano or marjoram.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories condiment
Time 10m
Yield 12 to 14 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine 1/2 cup salt, the sugar and 1 quart water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the peppercorns, thyme, sage and lemon strips. Let steep and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the brine into a large stockpot or bucket and add 3 quarts cold water. Remove the neck and giblets (reserve for gravy) from the turkey and put it into the brine, pushing it down to cover. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Cook according to your favorite method.
TURKEY BRINE
This is a tasty brine for any poultry. It will make your bird very juicy, and gravy to die for!! This is enough brine for a 10 to 18 pound turkey.
Provided by SHERI GAILEY
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 8h20m
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
- When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
- Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
- Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2.8 calories, Carbohydrate 0.6 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 5640.3 mg, Sugar 0 g
GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY
This holiday season, serve Alton Brown's most-popular recipe: a brined and roasted turkey from Good Eats on Food Network.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories main-dish
Time 9h45m
Yield 10 to 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Two to three days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
- Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
- The night before or early on the day you'd like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
- Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
- Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
OUT OF THIS WORLD TURKEY BRINE
Best brine for smoked turkey around. This recipe was given to me by my uncle. He is always smoking meat. EDITOR'S NOTE: This recipe uses canning or kosher salt, not table salt. Using table salt in this amount will make the brine too salty.
Provided by SUDEMERS
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a food-grade large bucket or container large enough to hold your turkey, mix together the water, salt, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Store in a refrigerator, and soak turkey for 2 days before smoking or roasting.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 32.1 calories, Carbohydrate 8.1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.2 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 13913.4 mg, Sugar 6.5 g
AROMATIC TURKEY BRINE
Make and share this Aromatic Turkey Brine recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Gagoo
Categories Very Low Carbs
Time P1DT20m
Yield 1 Turkey
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine water in a large pot with salt and sugar, over high heat until dissolved.
- Add Worcestershire, peppercorns & garlic, making sure Worcestershire is well combined.
- Cool back to room temperature.
- Wash the turkey inside and out with cold water.
- You will need 2 gallon turkey size oven roasting bags.
- Place one roasting bag inside the other, roll down the edges of the bags to help them stay open.
- Put bags in a heavy roasting pan that will hold turkey.
- Place turkey breast side down, with legs facing you in the inner bag.
- Pour the cooled brine into the cavity and over the turkey.
- Gather the inner bag as tightly as possible and secure with a twist tie.
- Secure outer bag with twist tie.
- Refrigerate in the roasting pan for 12-18 hours.
- Remove from bags, rinse very well, pat dry with paper towels.
- It's now ready for your favorite recipe.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 9543, Fat 412.1, SaturatedFat 116.2, Cholesterol 3488.4, Sodium 116835.5, Carbohydrate 343.1, Fiber 4.9, Sugar 320.5, Protein 1051.3
Tips for the Perfect Aromatic Turkey Brine
- Use a large container for brining the turkey, such as a brining bag or a clean bucket. - Make sure the turkey is completely submerged in the brine solution. - Keep the turkey in the fridge for the entire brining time. - Use a combination of aromatics and herbs in the brine solution, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, onion, and citrus fruits. - Use a mixture of salt, sugar, and water for the brine solution. - The ideal ratio of salt to water is 1 cup of salt to 1 gallon of water. - The ideal ratio of sugar to water is 1/2 cup of sugar to 1 gallon of water. - Add additional flavors to the brine solution, such as apple cider, white wine, or beer. - Brine the turkey for at least 12 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. - After brining, rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water and pat it dry. - Roast the turkey according to your favorite recipe.Conclusion
Brining a turkey is a great way to ensure that it is juicy and flavorful. By following these tips, you can create the perfect aromatic turkey brine that will make your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner a success.
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