Learn how simple it is to brine a turkey correctly and then expand on that to add flavors that will make this year's feast outstanding. Do it simple, or kick it up a few notches with these easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.
You should use this recipe only for unbrined and uninjected turkeys. If injected, it is with a salt-containing solution for tenderness and flavor. Do not add more salt by brining.
Ingredients
Turkey—12-20 lbs. whole and not brined or injected with anything!
Water and ice
Salt
Optional Ingredients—all recommended
Apple cider or juice—substitute for an equal amount of water
Sugar
Oranges
Pantry ingredients—Peppercorns, Allspice, Ginger(fresh or powder), Whole cloves
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Featured Comment from Mary:
"5 stars I am very happy with your Turkey brine suggestions."
Learn how to brine a turkey the right way and then expand on that to add flavors that will make this year's feast outstanding. All you need is a food-safe bag or other container and simple pantry ingredients.
A brine for your holiday bird will add a lot of moisture and tenderness. And you can add your custom flavors. But you can easily make mistakes.
The fancy technique is from Christine at 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic aka Little Miss Martha, for her love of everything Martha Stewart—there is a lot of Martha Stewart in this method.
🦃How to brine a turkey
Basic Turkey Brine is 2 gallons (8 quarts or 16 cups) of water and 1 ½ cups of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use 1 cup if using Mortan or ¾ cup table salt).
Optional ingredients (all recommended):
2 quarts apple juice or cider to substitute for an equal amount of water.
2 tablespoons peppercorns and 2 tablespoons allspice combine and coarsely crush. ½ cup sugar, 6 slices ginger( or 2 teaspoons powdered), 8 whole cloves.
Combine all ingredients you are using except the oranges or other fresh fruit into a stockpot and boil for 10 minutes, then cool completely before proceeding.
Trim and place turkey in a brining container (I love big plastic bags; the Ziplocs are great). See Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? about handling poultry.
Add the cooled brine and enough water/ice to cover the turkey. Note the large pan in the picture to support the bag. It will help you handle the hefty bag better. Also, if using fresh fruit, add it at this time.
Seal and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Be sure to keep the turkey under 40° for food safety. Carefully rinse the bird inside and out when removed from the brine. Pat dry and proceed with the cooking. Clean the whole area after rinsing off the brine and wash your hands and arms for food safety.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
How long to brine?
Generally, 8 to 18 hours with an absolute maximum of 24 hours. You can over-brining making the turkey too salty and the texture spongy.
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***Here is a reminder I will put in this post several times: NEVER BRINE AN INJECTED OR PREVIOUSLY BRINED TURKEY***
🧂Basic Simple Brine
Basic brines for turkey will be about a cup of kosher salt to one gallon of fluid. This can be a little less to prevent over-salting. Here, we are using ¾ cup per gallon.
The salt-to-fluid ratio is the main work of a brine. The salt and water get into the meat and say. It then breaks down some of the proteins and makes more tender meat.
The rest of the components add flavor and make the brine even better for taste but not texture, so they are optional.
Safe Brining
You need a large bag. Fortunately, these are easier to find, but large oven-roasting bags will do if you can't.
Garbage bags are NOT a good choice since they are not designed for food storage, and the chemicals may not be safe.
To brine a turkey, the bird must be thawed and kept under 40°. I have always had a second refrigerator, but if it is not available, many people use a large cooler and lots of ice.
The turkey should still be in a food-safe bag and sealed to prevent the brine from being diluted. This is poultry, so let's be careful out there.
See the USDA Food Safety Page and Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for safety recommendations.
🦃Turkey Recipes
Check out some of my favorite turkey recipes like Roasted Turkey Breast—The Easy Way, Butter Turkey Tenderloin, Grilled Turkey Breast, and Easy Turkey Tetrazzini. To make homemade gravy, see How to Make Gravy from Scratch—Quick & Easy.
🦃Which turkey to brine
The turkey should have no additives, brine, or anything else injected or added in any way. If the bird is frozen, then thaw completely according to package directions.
But be aware that almost ALL frozen turkeys have some salt injection and should not be used for brining unless you are SURE it has not been injected or brined.
Remove any giblets from the neck and body cavities. We generally special order a fresh turkey from the meat department. It's just one phone call.
Tell them the size you want and the date you want to pick it up. You can do it. You generally need a good pound plus per person. We love leftovers, so we up that.
NEVER BRINE AN INJECTED OR PREVIOUSLY BRINED TURKEY
👨🍳How brining works
The brine is a salty water "marinade." The salt and water will absorb and cause the breakdown of the proteins in the meat. This will give you a more tender, moist, and flavorful turkey.
Adding other things like spices can also add tons of flavor. So this is a buffed-up brine.
❓Brining FAQs
The type of salt Kosher salt here means Diamond Crystal or the equivalent of other salts. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.does not matter in brine, but the amount of sodium does.
A little, maybe, depending on the original recommendations. For this recipe, I have already decreased to a "light" amount of salt by decreasing the sodium by 25% from many recommendations.
The salt does the work and can not be omitted. It breaks down some tissue in the bird and brings water into the turkey.
There are only a few studies on the amount of salt absorbed by brining a whole turkey. It seems that about 200 mg is added per 4 oz. But there are lots of variables here, and it could be higher. Please don't quote me on this. If you are watching sodium intake, you should not be brining it.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Brine a Turkey—A Basic Brine with Enhancements
Ingredients
- 1 turkey - Whole and not brined or injected 12-20 pounds
- 2 gallons water
- 1½ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- enough ice and water to cover the bird in the bag.
- 2 quarts apple cider or juice - substitute for an equal amount of water
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons allspice
- 6 slices fresh ginger - or 2 teaspoons powder
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 oranges - cut in quarters
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine all ingredients you are using except the oranges or other fresh fruit into a stockpot and boil for 10 minutes, then cool completely before proceeding.
- Trim and place turkey in a brining container (I love big plastic bags; the Ziplocs are great). Add the cooled brine and enough water/ice to cover the turkey. Note—use a large pan to support the bag. Also, if using fresh fruit, add it at this time.
- Seal and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Be sure to keep the turkey under 40° for food safety.
- Carefully rinse the bird inside and out when removed from the brine. Pat dry and proceed with the cooking. Clean the whole area after rinsing off the brine and wash your hands and arms for food safety.
- Gatherings are ready-made for food safety issues and leftovers at the party. Let's plan for food safety and get it right. Check out the USDA Food Safety recommendations.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- The ratio of 1 gallon of fluid to about ¾ cup of kosher salt is a good basic ratio for a wet-brining turkey.
- Whenever kosher salt is called for, it will mean Diamond Crystal or the equivalent of other salts. Approximate equivalents are 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- All the other ingredients are for taste.
- Be sure to use a food-safe bag, not a garbage bag.
- Brine for 12-24 hours.
- The salt needs to be rinsed off after a brine before cooking. This is a food safety issue, so let's be careful. Wash everything and your hands both before and after rinsing.
- Do not add any more salt to the turkey.
- This recipe is a 2-gallon recipe and is good for 12-20 pounds. You can adjust from there.
- PLEASE REVIEW FOOD SAFETY: Chicken… To Rinse or Not To Rinse? and the USDA Food Safety Page.
- Nutrition is for 8 oz of white meat with 200 mg of sodium added per 4 oz., which is an estimate of sodium transfer to the turkey. It may or may not be accurate.
- If you have sodium concerns, brining is not for you.
- Final Tip: NEVER BRINE AN INJECTED OR PREVIOUSLY BRINED TURKEY- and somebody will still do it.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published November 11, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Dazz Donnellan says
Hi from Australia,
I'd like to share my experience with brining. It was difficult to find food-safe brining bags or appropriate containers big enough for a really large turkey. I managed to find a 27-litre plastic container made by a company called Sistema, from New Zealand. There are smaller ones too. Sistema storage containers are all BPA and phthalate free with the international food food-safe logo stamped on the bottom. Although the container is a little large, I'm placing water-filled, sealable containers in the tub to reduce the volume of brine necessary.
I really liked your brining recipe and instructions. Another recipe to look at is the Nigella Lawson Christmas Turkey brine. Merry Christmas, Dazz
Ashley says
Do you still have the full monty recipe? It was the best turkey I ever had and made. But it says the page is missing when I go to the link now.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Ashley,
I responded by email.
For the readers, this brine recipe came from a post that needed a full rewrite and removed. It was an excellent recipe and can be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20161113235625/http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cider-brined-herb-buttered-martha/
You can email me for a PDF copy of the recipe card.
DrDan
Jon says
You state several times you can’t brine a previously brined bird. Have you ever done this? It sounds like you haven’t. You can brine a turkey that has been brined before. It doesn’t matter what the percentage is, through osmosis the meat will take on whatever the salt percentage is in the solution. If it was injected/prebrined at 10% but you brine again in 8% it will lower down to a little over 8%. So you can brine again but the texture of the meat can change if you brine too long. I understand the caution because you don’t want someone to ruin their thanksgiving meal. But I have only ever injected crappy frozen turkeys and have never been to salty. Other wise this is a solid basic brine recipe.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jon,
Welcome to the blog.
The answer is about 15 years ago, I brined an injected turkey, the injunction was buried on the print on the back of the package, and I found it after digging the package out of the garbage. I learned not to rush quite so much. It was not a good experience.
Now, I do understand your argument. First, if you are injecting, you inject more salt, then there is no equilibration; you are just adding salt. If you are using a wet brine, it can equilibrate since it can go both ways. You would need to use a low concentration brine, and due to the thickness of the meat, a long time period would be necessary to equilibrate.
If you feel comfortable doing it, that is fine—you are only risking some taste and not a safety issue. But to avoid a poor experience for most readers, I'm staying with never do it, and I don't myself.
Thanks for the comment, and it will have people think about the science of it, if they understand it.
Dan
Sandy says
Cloves??? Cloves of what???
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sandy,
Welcome to the blog.
The cloves referred to is https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/herbs-and-spices/spices/cloves-whole It is optional.
Dan
raisa says
My turkey is brining, after rinsing is it ok to leave it on the counter before baking in a pre heated oven?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Raisa,
Welcome to the blog.
The brief answer is yep that is fine. The food can not be in an environment with a temperature between 40 degrees and 140 degrees for more than 2 hours. So see the safety post I just did. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/thanksgiving-food-safety-and-food-help/
Dan
Mary says
I am very happy with your Turkey brine suggestions. We did it last year. My only fear was if I would be able to find a large enough container for a 20lb bird. We used a 5 gallon bucket. It did fit, bu it was snug.
Thank you for your recipe.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Mary,
Welcome to the blog.
This is a brine we really enjoy when doing a big bird. I have a huge metal bowl I used for monster cookies when the kid were in school. I use a huge brining bag and the mixing bowl to support it..
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Vivi says
While making this brine I used 2 Tablespoons of ground allspice instead of the allspice that isn't ground up. Do you think the turkey will taste to much like allspice?
DrDan says
Hi Vivi,
Welcome to the blog.
That seems a little heavy to me but Food52 says you're good. https://food52.com/blog/15413-how-to-convert-whole-spices-to-ground-measurements .
I will yield to their opinion.
Enjoy your bird.
Dan
Stephanie Thompson says
Can you brine with everything but the salt of it has been injected previously? Or would that be pointless?
DrDan says
Hi Stephanie,
Welcome to the blog.
I think it would be pointless. Using something like this brine without the salt would not do much.
You could inject things like juice, stuff things under the skin but nothing with salt.
I will say this is my opinion but based on the science of brining and the movement of the salt and water with the molecules of the other flavorings. Also, I read a lot of recipes, food sites, and books on the science of cooking and never seen anything that would make me think it would do much.
Have a good holiday.
Dan
Melanie says
Will it specifically say "injected w ...."?? I have a nice fresh turkey that states "basted with a 9.5% solution of broth, salt and sugar.. Is it ok to brine this one? I really want to try the citrus herb brine this year it sounds delish! But set. Dont want a salty bird!
DrDan says
Hi Melanie,
Welcome to the blog.
I will be Scrooge and say "no brine for you". Maybe next year. It would be way too salty.
Here is a link to a citrus turkey recipe that you might find interesting. https://www.thanksgiving.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/easy-and-delicious-orange-anise-and-thyme-roasted-turkey But the doctor in my says please, please do not rest the bird at room temperature for one hour. But parts of the recipe may be useful to you.
Have a good holiday and thanks for asking.
Dan
Linda says
Can I brine the turkey, rinse it and then cook it in the oven using the turkey bag?
DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
If you are talking about those large oven baking bags, it should be fine. They are food safe so brining in it should be fine and as long as it is not damaged then be sure to rinse out any residual salt and it should be fine. I have never baked a turkey in one so I have no suggestions for time etc.
Dan
Monica says
What happens if you brine a previously injected or brined turkey?
DrDan says
Hi Monica,
Welcome to the blog.
If you brine a previously injected/brined turkey or turkey breast, it will be way too salty and probably not eatable.
Dan