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how-to-brine-a-turkey-and-why-you-should
  • Poultry Recipes

How to Brine a Turkey (for the Best Thanksgiving Meal Ever)

Katie WellsNov 9, 2017Updated: Mar 29, 2020
Reading Time: 5 min

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Poultry Recipes » How to Brine a Turkey (for the Best Thanksgiving Meal Ever)
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Why Brine a Turkey Before Roasting?
  • Ingredients for Brining a Turkey
  • How to Make the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey (By Giving It a Bath!)+−
    • No Time? Still Brine!
  • My Favorite Turkey Brine Recipe
  • How to Brine a Turkey (and Why You Should)
  • Where to Find Organic Free Range Turkeys+−
    • Find a Local One from a Farmer
    • Buy One from a Local Grocery Store
    • Order One Online

I love Thanksgiving and how it gives us a day together as a family to pause and reflect on all the things we’re thankful for each year. In fact, it’s not long into the Fall before I start thinking about Thanksgiving and start working on my meal plan for the big day.

I don’t start this far in advance just because I’m into planning (ok, maybe I am a little) but also because I want to have time to brine my turkey before roasting it.

If you’ve never heard of brining a turkey or skipped this step in the past, make this the year to try it! This one simple step makes the traditional turkey meal at least twice as delicious.

Why Brine a Turkey Before Roasting?

Brining involves soaking a turkey in a salt and liquid solution for at least a day prior to roasting, grilling, or frying. Brining adds flavor and moisture and helps the turkey retain flavor during cooking.

This is especially helpful if you use a pastured organic turkey from a local farm (more on that below) since they are not pre-brined like a conventional store-bought turkeys. (With a soy vegetable protein solution … no thank you!)

Brining takes a little planning ahead but really very little hands-on time, and the result is so worth it!

Ingredients for Brining a Turkey

The essential elements of brining a turkey are:

  • Liquid of some kind: Water works but I like to add apple cider and bone broth for added flavor.
  • Salt: The common amount is 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup per gallon of water. I personally like to use 2 gallons of liquid and 1.5 cups of salt.
  • Spices: Add any spices of choice. I like to add minced garlic, cracked pepper, and thyme. I also like to add two lemons and one orange, both zested and sliced.

You can customize these elements to suit your own taste. In a pinch, just use water, salt and any spices you like.

How to Make the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey (By Giving It a Bath!)

If you’re aiming to make the the turkey the star of the show this year, great news … it takes less effort to brine a turkey than to roast one! It’s the truth!

In fact brining makes the roasting process faster and results in a juicy, moist turkey with a whole lot of flavor … not like the dry, bland turkey so many of us grew up eating at holidays.

There are several ways to brine but the main thing is to use a big airtight container that maintains a cold temperature. The two ways I have accomplished this are:

  1. In a large stock pot in the fridge – This only works if you have room in the fridge, and I often don’t this close to Thanksgiving. The best and easiest way I’ve ever done this was the year I did have room in the fridge and I put a frozen turkey in the brine in the fridge two days before Thanksgiving in a 5-gallon food grade bucket. It defrosted and brined in those two days and the results were great.
  2. In a large cooler with replenished ice – A little more work refilling with ice but gives the same results if you don’t have fridge space. Basically, put the turkey in a large air-tight bag or container of some kind and pack ice around it. Check it to make sure that it is maintaining a temperature above freezing but below 40 degrees.

No Time? Still Brine!

Extra bonus: Brining not only makes turkey moist but it also defrosts the turkey quickly! So even a still-frozen turkey only a day or two before Thanksgiving has a hope for being ready on time and seasoned to perfection. The brine actually defrosts the turkey more quickly and infuses flavor as it does.

My Favorite Turkey Brine Recipe

This is my go-to recipe and the one I am prepping for this year…

how-to-brine-a-turkey-and-why-you-should

How to Brine a Turkey (and Why You Should)

Katie Wells
Make this simple and flavorful brine for your turkey this year and be amazed at how much flavor and moisture it adds to the finished meal!
4.62 from 34 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 2 gallons

Ingredients
  

  • 1 gal water (warm)
  • 1½ cups salt
  • 3 qt apple cider
  • 1 qt chicken broth (or more apple cider)
  • 6 sprigs thyme (or 1 TBSP dried)
  • 8 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 lemons (zested and sliced)
  • 1 orange (zested and sliced)
  • 1 tsp whole cloves (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve the salt in the warm water.
  • Add the apple cider, broth, thyme, garlic, lemons and orange and stir to combine.
  • Place the turkey in whatever container you will use for brining (stockpot, 5-gallon bucket, or bag) and add brine.
  • Cover or seal tightly and leave at least 24 hours but no more than 48 before your planned cook time. TIP: Place breast side down and make sure brine is touching all sides, if possible.
  • Before cooking, rinse well and pat dry. I recommend rubbing skin with butter and adding spices before roasting.
  • TIP: Roast breast side down and stuff with 1 apple, 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 onion (all quartered). I roast uncovered at 450 for 45 minutes and then cover and reduce to 325 until done.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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where to find organic and free range turkeys for thanksgiving

Where to Find Organic Free Range Turkeys

I’ve gotten a lot of questions asking the best place to find organic, free-range turkeys for Thanksgiving. There are several options and I’m listing them in order of my preference:

Find a Local One from a Farmer

This is by far my favorite option and what we do whenever possible. The only problem is that it is often difficult to find a farmer with truly free range turkeys and they often have already pre-sold them by this time of year. Also, most farmers ask customers to pre-order in the spring when they hatch the turkeys so for most, it is too late to buy one. If you can find one this way, it is definitely preferable though.

Buy One from a Local Grocery Store

If you can’t get one from a local farmer  in your area, sometimes regular grocery stores carry them. I’ve seen a couple here at different times, though the prices can sometimes be incredibly high. This is probably the second easiest option if your store has them. The only caution here is that many organic turkeys labeled organic have just been fed organic feed but are not truly free range. Still a better option, but no where near the nutrients of truly free range turkeys.

Order One Online

I have done this in the past from companies I trust and have been impressed with them. Butcher Box occasionally has some great quality turkeys and U.S. Wellness Meats currently has some in stock as well.

Are you excited for Thanksgiving this year? Have you ever brined your turkey? Share your favorite recipes or Thanksgiving memories below!

Category: Poultry Recipes

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (49 Comments)

  1. john wall

    November 12, 2017 at 9:48 AM

    This is how I do my “Jacked up turkey. half a fifth of Jack Daniels, half a gallon apple juice, half a gallon water, 2 c apple cider vin. 1 c sea salt, 1 c lemon pepper (homemade from dehydrated lemon)Throw in 5 gallon stock pot add turkey. Cover with linen towel in the pot and brine for 7 days! Take out,pat dry, roast at 350 uncovered 1 hour adding 10 minutes for every pound over 10lbs. The bird will come out looking burnt to a crisp But no fear. This WILL be the bestest turkey you ever have. Put on goggles before piercing! For juice will spray everywhere!

    Reply
  2. Natalie

    November 12, 2017 at 9:09 AM

    Do you remove the peel from the orange and lemon before putting it in the turkey?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 13, 2017 at 11:17 PM

      No, the peel goes in, too!

      Reply
  3. E. Darlene veo

    November 10, 2017 at 9:29 PM

    Are you using apple cider or apple cider vinegar?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 13, 2017 at 11:28 PM

      Apple cider.

      Reply
  4. Ann Marie

    November 23, 2016 at 7:41 AM

    are you using table salt for this? would pink himalayan be better or would it not make a difference when brining? thanks so much!

    Reply
  5. Terri

    November 22, 2016 at 10:09 PM

    Is this ok to do this if you are only cooking a a turkey breast? And would it be okay to use home made chicken bone broth?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 23, 2016 at 10:22 PM

      It should still be fine and definitely ok to use homemade 🙂

      Reply
  6. Deborah

    November 22, 2016 at 6:40 AM

    Does this brine recipe need to be adjusted for a smaller turkey (10-12pds) or fine to use as is?

    Reply
  7. Jackie

    November 21, 2016 at 11:58 AM

    Is it possible to deep fry a turkey after brining?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 21, 2016 at 2:41 PM

      I’ve never tried but I would think so as long as it is really really well dried but I would definitely research to be sure

      Reply
    • LuAnn

      November 22, 2017 at 1:22 AM

      5 stars
      Yes, you can absolutely fry a turkey after brining it! We have done it several times and it’s turned out great! We do pay it dry as best we can, but oil will still splatter, so watch out for that. Otherwise, it’s great!!

      Reply
  8. Sydney

    November 20, 2016 at 10:19 AM

    5 stars
    why breast side down?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 20, 2016 at 1:49 PM

      It isn’t as pretty when it comes out of the oven but the flavor is so much better because more of the meat is in contact with the juices during cooking and anything stuffed inside (lemon, apple, etc) infuses flavor down into the meat while cooking.

      Reply
      • Matt

        November 22, 2016 at 2:47 PM

        5 stars
        Agreed I’ve always cooking mine breast down since people always complain about the white meat being too dry.

        Reply
    • Jan Busman

      November 12, 2017 at 9:07 AM

      Who cares the poor thing is dead anyway
      Bon appetite

      Reply
  9. Hélène

    November 20, 2016 at 9:52 AM

    Turn your oven or electric roaster into a huge crockpot by cooking turkey at 350 for an hour to kill off surface bacteria then turning the temp down to 200. Cover it the whole time, add a cup or so of water to pan before starting at 350. An hour later it’ll have enough juices in there too, it’ll be good till done. Cook it all night till legs come easily off the carcass. If you start late at nite, say 10pm, you can go to bed at 11 after turning down oven. Then it will prob be 11 before its done–for a large turkey anyway. I always cook btwn 20-25 lb turkey. It needs to sit 30 min before carving too so you can put the stuffing in to cook and finish up the mashed potatoes. A holiday meal at noon! Yay!
    And no, the bird doesn’t dry out. It’s wonderfully moist.

    Reply
    • Nancy

      November 21, 2016 at 8:40 PM

      Excellent idea, Helene

      Reply
    • Hélène

      November 22, 2016 at 12:08 PM

      Heres a link to recipes, incl the overnite turkey, that goes into more detail
      http://media.wix.com/ugd/2f8d99_cae60e6afb854ed9ba3e0eb1baed2f79.pdf
      Sue Gregg ckbks but originally from Adelle Davis, diva of nutrition!

      Reply
  10. Alisa

    November 20, 2016 at 8:28 AM

    I have an issue with sodium, even sea salt bothers me. If I use sea salt when I cook, I use the pink Himalayan one that has added potassium. I’d love to try this, but I hesitate. Would it be worth doing with much less salt? Does the salt do that much, or is the liquid and seasoning adequate?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      November 20, 2016 at 1:53 PM

      The salt is really important for the brining because it helps hold in the moisture and flavor. If you can’t do the salt at all, I would either skip brining or use a smaller amount of salt and smaller amount of liquid and just keep moving the turkey around in the brine.

      Reply
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