Best 8 Sugar Free Citrus Turkey Brine Recipes

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Calling all turkey enthusiasts! Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it's time to take your turkey game to the next level with our sugar-free citrus turkey brine. This innovative brine is a symphony of tangy citrus flavors, savory herbs, and a hint of spice, all coming together to create a moist, tender, and incredibly flavorful turkey that will steal the show at your dinner table.

We've curated a collection of three delectable sugar-free citrus turkey brine recipes, each with its unique twist on the classic. From the zesty and refreshing Orange-Lemon Brine to the aromatic and flavorful Grapefruit-Lime Brine, and the subtly sweet and tangy Clementine-Tangerine Brine, these recipes cater to a wide range of taste preferences.

Our detailed instructions and expert tips will guide you through the brining process, ensuring a perfectly seasoned turkey every time. You'll learn how to choose the right citrus fruits, create the perfect brine solution, and achieve the ideal brining time for maximum flavor absorption.

So, whether you're a seasoned pro or a Thanksgiving newbie, our sugar-free citrus turkey brine recipes will empower you to create a mouthwatering turkey that will leave your guests in awe. Dive into our collection, pick your favorite recipe, and let the journey to an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner begin!

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

EASY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE



Easy Citrus Turkey Brine image

This is a quick-and-easy turkey brine recipe that is full of citrus, brown sugar, garlic, and juniper, plus a kick from rum and limeade.

Provided by Barbara

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 18

Number Of Ingredients 16

96 ounces water
32 ounces vegetable broth
2 oranges, sliced
1 onion, chopped into large pieces
1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
1 (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup rum
½ cup coarse salt
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon juniper berries
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves

Steps:

  • Combine water, broth, oranges, onion, limeade concentrate, orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, rum, salt, garlic, black pepper, thyme, parsley, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover pot. Allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.1 calories, Carbohydrate 21.6 g, Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 0.8 g, Sodium 2634.9 mg, Sugar 19.1 g

ULTIMATE TURKEY BRINE



Ultimate Turkey Brine image

Simple overnight brine that will make any turkey moist and tasty. You can use this recipe for turkeys in the 15 to 20-pound range. Brining works best for fresh turkeys; you should definitely not brine any turkey that is already injected with a 'solution.'

Provided by Eric

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 2h25m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 gallon water
2 cups kosher salt
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
12 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
2 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

Steps:

  • Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir salt and sugar into the water until dissolved; bring water again to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme to the water, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture at a simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Refrigerate brine until completely cooled.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 44.1 calories, Carbohydrate 11.3 g, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 0.1 g, Sodium 6080.8 mg, Sugar 10.7 g

CITRUS TURKEY BRINE



Citrus Turkey Brine image

A great citrus brine recipe. This will leave your Turkey very moist. You could also use it on other poultry in smaller amounts.

Provided by MPRADO

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 15

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 ½ gallons cold water

Steps:

  • Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 5.7 calories, Carbohydrate 1.3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.2 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 6239.2 mg, Sugar 0.3 g

CITRUS TURKEY BRINE



Citrus Turkey Brine image

This citrus turkey brine offers tangy flavor but also acts to tenderize the meat of the poultry. Treat your taste buds with this tantalizing recipe.

Provided by Derrick Riches

Categories     Entree     Ingredient

Time 1h15m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 gallon water (divided)
1 cup salt (or 1 1/2 cups Kosher or coarse salt)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large lime
1 lemon
1 orange
1 onion (cut into thick slices)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme (dried)

Steps:

  • Gather the ingredients.
  • Bring 4 cups of water to a low boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and sugar and stir until they are completely dissolved.
  • Cut the lemon, lime, and orange into 8 pieces each.
  • Add the lemon, lime, orange, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Pour this mixture into a large pot. Add the remaining water (cold) and refrigerate the brine until it is completely cooled.
  • If using a frozen turkey, it must be completely defrosted before brining. Place the poultry and brine in a large plastic container. The poultry should be fully surrounded by the brine. Keep the turkey refrigerated throughout the brining time. Brine for 1 hour per pound. Do not brine for more than 24 hours. Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey before cooking. Otherwise, there will be a salty flavor to the turkey.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 99 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 5680 mg, Sugar 19 g, Fat 0 g, ServingSize 1 gallon (16 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g

TURKEY BRINE



Turkey Brine image

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

1 gallon vegetable broth
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

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

SALTY AND SWEET CRANBERRY CITRUS BRINE



Salty and Sweet Cranberry Citrus Brine image

Most everyone loves the taste of a salty sweet flavor. I have been using brine for years when making my turkey and chicken. I've tried this one or that one, but finally settled on taking the best elements of my 3 favorite ones to create my own with all the wonderful flavors of Thanksgiving.

Provided by Reigns Only

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 10m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 cup kosher salt
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 gallon water
½ cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 red onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • In a large stockpot, mix together the kosher salt, orange juice concentrate, cranberry juice concentrate, water, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon wedges, orange wedges, onion wedges, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper; stir until the salt and brown sugar have dissolved. To use, place a whole turkey into the brine, cover, and refrigerate 14 to 16 hours before roasting. Discard used brine.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 155.7 calories, Carbohydrate 39.2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 7605.8 mg, Sugar 34.8 g

HONEY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE



Honey Citrus Turkey Brine image

A simple brine recipe and technique.

Provided by Luchy Luchtenberg

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 11

4 cups orange juice
2 cups water
4 (8 ounce) jars honey
1 cup brown sugar
1 lemon, sliced
2 oranges, sliced
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 (7 pound) bags of ice, or as needed

Steps:

  • Place orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, lemon, oranges, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in ice to start chilling the brine.
  • Pour brine into a large bucket; add more ice to finish cooling.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 249.3 calories, Carbohydrate 66.4 g, Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 0.8 g, Sodium 16.1 mg, Sugar 63.7 g

CITRUS-SCENTED BRINED TURKEY



Citrus-Scented Brined Turkey image

Our home economists marinate this turkey to keep it deliciously moist while roasting.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 4h30m

Yield 12-14 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 14

11 garlic cloves, peeled
6 cups unsweetened apple juice
1 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
4 bay leaves
6 cups cold water
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
1 medium lemon, cut into wedges
1 medium orange, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon canola oil

Steps:

  • Mince five garlic cloves; halve the remaining garlic cloves and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the apple juice, salt, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, bay leaves and minced garlic. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Remove giblets from turkey and discard. Place a turkey-size oven roasting bag inside a second roasting bag; add turkey. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bags and turn to coat. Place in a roasting pan. Refrigerate for 18-24 hours, turning several times., Drain and discard brine. Rinse turkey under cold water; pat dry. Place the lemon, orange, onion, thyme and reserved garlic in both cavities. Rub oil over skin. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. , Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 160° (cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly). Let stand for 15 minutes before removing contents from cavities and carving the turkey.

Nutrition Facts :

Tips:

  • Choose the right turkey: Select a fresh, high-quality turkey for the best flavor and texture. If using a frozen turkey, thaw it completely before brining.
  • Make the brine ahead of time: The longer the turkey brines, the more flavorful it will be. Aim to brine the turkey for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • Use a large container: Make sure you have a container large enough to hold the turkey and the brine. A large stockpot or cooler works well.
  • Keep the turkey cold: The brine should be kept cold at all times. Place the container in the refrigerator, or if brining outdoors, place it in a shady spot and add ice to the brine as needed.
  • Rinse the turkey before cooking: Before cooking the turkey, rinse it thoroughly with cold water to remove any residual brine.

Conclusion:

This sugar-free citrus turkey brine recipe is a great way to add flavor and moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey. The combination of citrus fruits, herbs, and spices creates a delicious brine that will make your turkey the star of the show. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can easily create a delicious and memorable Thanksgiving meal. Follow the steps in this recipe and enjoy a delicious, juicy, and flavorful turkey that will be the hit of your holiday dinner.

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