Use this recipe to create the best Turkey Brine, packed with simple yet delicious flavors that will take your Thanksgiving turkey to the next level.
There is some controversy for sure surrounding brining or not brining a Thanksgiving Turkey. For me, I have made tens (maybe hundreds!) of turkeys over the years, and I think that if you have the time to brine your turkey, it’s worth it.
Bringing turkeys isn’t hard. The extra, easy step of brining your turkey makes it the absolute juiciest!
Brining using this wet brining method is only appropriate for fresh turkeys that aren’t already “pre-brined” or “self-brining”, so be sure to check your packaging for the details on your specific bird. You want to find a turkey labeled “Natural” if you plan to brine it.
Table of Contents
Tip!
The type of turkey you want to buy for brining will typically be labeled as “natural”, meaning that nothing has been added to them yet.
Get ready! I’m about to share all of my tips and tricks to make the best turkey brine. You’ll be amazed at what this simple wet brine brings to the Thanksgiving table.
Want to make your turkey a different way? I have recipes for Smoked Turkey, Grilled Turkey, Oven Roasted Turkey, Instant Pot Turkey, and Spatchcock Turkey too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s Easy: While cooking a turkey using any method can be a fairly involved process, this brine recipe is super easy to make. Simply boil all of the ingredients and then cool them down.
- Adds Great Flavor: The best thing about brining a turkey is that you get to add flavor to the meat that soaks all the way in. Brining adds salty, sweet, savory, and herbal flavors. This brine uses brown sugar and oranges, which is a great combination for turkey.
Best Turkey Brine Ingredients
Nothing very fancy is needed to make the most amazing turkey brine ever. Simple herbs and pantry ingredients do the trick.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Water: This wet brine starts with a total of two gallons of water. This will make enough to brine a large turkey.
- Brown Sugar: Sugar is what makes a brined turkey especially delicious. Brown sugar adds an extra bit of molasses flavor that I really love.
- Salt: Brining turkeys requires salt, and a good amount of it. 1 cup of regular table salt goes into this turkey brine.
- Seasonings: Here is where the flavor magic happens! We’re adding fresh garlic cloves, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and sliced oranges.
Tip!
Lightly smash the garlic cloves to get more flavor from them!
How to Make Turkey Brine
Making the best turkey brine is as easy as mixing all of the ingredients together and heating them up to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Mix: To a large saucepan or dutch oven, add four cups of water, brown sugar, salt, and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar and salt completely.
- Add More Water: Pour in the rest of the water and allow the brine to cool down COMPLETELY to room temperature. It’s super important that the brine is cool. Refrigerate if necessary.
Tip!
In a hurry? Add ice cubes in place of water in the second step to speed up the cooling process.
Substitutions
Change the liquid: Fruit juice (orange or apple) can be used to replace some of the water.
Use other citrus: Lemon slices are good in place of or in addition to the orange slices.
Herbs: If you can’t find fresh herbs, you can use dried instead. You can also leave the herbs out entirely if you prefer.
Choose Your Turkey Brining Vessel
You might be wondering, where am I going to put this turkey to brine it? It’s ok, you have options. Whatever container you choose, be sure that you’ll be able to fit it in your refrigerator, or otherwise keep it at or below 40°F/4°C.
This brine recipe for turkeys makes 2 gallons, and you’ll also need space for the turkey itself, so a large vessel will be needed.
Brine in a Bucket – Use a clean (new, if possible) 5 gallon/19 liter bucket to brine your turkey. In quarts, you will want at least a 22 quart sized container. It will give you plenty of room for your brine and a large turkey. Need to buy a bucket? I suggest getting a food grade container such as a Cambro container (these are squared, which I like), or a bucket made specifically for brining. For easy clean-up, line the bucket with a food-safe bag.
Brine in a Turkey Brining Bag – These bags are really convenient, and allow you to brine the turkey in your roasting pan. You can usually find these at the grocery store around thanksgiving time, or you can get some here. You can choose a bag that seals with a tied knot or twist tie, or one with a zip top.
Brine in an Insulated Cooler – This method is a bit more tricky, but useful to know, especially if fridge space is a concern. You’ll need to ensure that the turkey will stay at a safe temperature for the duration of the brine time. With this method, you should use a brining bag (see above) and seal the turkey well inside of it. Then fill the cooler with ice. Only open the cooler to check the temperature. A standard size cooler with 15 pounds or so of ice should stay cold for 12 hours.
How to Brine a Turkey
- Submerge the Turkey: Add the turkey to the completely cooled brine, inside of a brining bag or bucket as described above. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. A larger turkey will need at least 24 hours to brine. If the turkey is not completely covered, you can add additional water at this point.
- Get Ready to Roast: Before roasting, take the turkey out of the brine and place it on a wire rack so that the liquid can drip off. Use paper towels to pat dry. To ensure crispy turkey skin, allow the turkey to air dry in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours, or overnight.
- Roast: After brining, roast the turkey according to your recipe. Need a great recipe? Use these Roast Turkey Instructions.
Ways to Cook Your Turkey
What Sides to Serve with Turkey
Get ready for the best Thanksgiving Dinner ever! I have lots of thanksgiving side dish recipes for you to choose from, and here are my favorites.
Mashed Potatoes that are made in the Crockpot. I love this recipe because it frees up the oven for the turkey!
Green Bean Casserole or Crockpot Green Bean Casserole, a must for your holiday dinner.
Classic Stuffing or Sausage Stuffing, choose your favorite!
Cranberry Sauce and Gravy.
Creamed Corn for something different.
FAQs
The amount of time needed for brining depends on the size of your bird! As a general rule, the larger the turkey, the longer you can leave it in the brine. As an example:
A 16 to 20 pound turkey needs 12 -24 hours in brine.
A smaller 12-14 pound turkey should brine for 12 hours
If brining a chicken, you need just 6-8 hours.
I don’t recommend brining any size turkey for longer than 24 hours. After that, the brine has already done its job, and the salt in the brine will start breaking down the turkey meat too much. If you aren’t ready to roast after 24 hours, remove the turkey and store it dry in the fridge until you are.
Do NOT rinse the turkey after brining it! Rinsing will wash away all of the flavor from the skin. Instead, let the turkey dry as instructed.
The sugar isn’t completely necessary. This brine will work the same way if you omit the sugar, but it won’t have the slight sweetness that the brown sugar adds. Sugar in the brine also promotes browning.
While most fresh turkeys will benefit from this delicious turkey brine, there are a few types of turkeys that you should NOT brine:
Kosher Turkeys and Self-Basting Turkeys.
These turkeys have already been brined, so adding additional brine will make them too salty.
I don’t recommend it. Butterball turkeys are pre-brined.
For food safety reasons, your turkey must stay at or below 40°F/4°C at all times prior to cooking it. I’ll remind you one more time, be sure that you have room in your fridge for the turkey.
This recipe will likely be too much for a chicken. Instead, use my delicious chicken brine recipe! I also have an amazing Pork Chop Brine recipe that you should save for later.
I have so many answers for you! Check out my Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving Turkey where I go into all the details and help you make the best roast turkey ever.
I’m here to help if you need more tips or ideas for making Thanksgiving dinner! Leave a comment with any questions, and be sure to pin this recipe so you aren’t searching for it on the big Turkey Day.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Best Turkey Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 gallons water 8 liters
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup salt
- 5 cloves garlic lightly smashed
- 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 bay leaves
- 1-2 oranges sliced
Instructions
- To a large saucepan or dutch oven, add four cups of water, brown sugar, salt, and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar and salt completely.
- Pour in the rest of the water and allow the brine to cool down COMPLETELY to room temperature. It’s super important that the brine is cool. Refrigerate if necessary.
- When the water has completely cooled down, submerge the turkey in brine breast side down, cover, and refrigerate for at least a day but you can do up to 2 days. If the turkey is not covered in liquid, add more water.
- Before roasting, take the turkey out of the brine and place it on a wire rack so the liquid drips off, use paper towels to pat dry. Allow to air dry in the fridge for 1-2 hours, preferably overnight. The drier the skin, the crispier it will be when roasted.
- Roast/cook according to your recipe.
Notes:
- Time: The amount of time needed for brining depends on the size of your bird. As a general rule, the larger the turkey, the longer you can leave it in the brine. As an example:
A 16 to 20 pound turkey needs 12 -24 hours in brine.
A smaller 12-14 pound turkey should brine for 12 hours
If brining a chicken, you need just 6-8 hours.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Felicia says
Hello,
Is 2 gallons enough water for a 24lb turkey? Thank you!
Diana says
For a 24lb turkey, I think you will need 2.5 gallons of water.