Flavorful Turkey Brine Recipes

November 01, 2016
Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
A great Thanksgiving turkey begins with a great brine. Brining the turkey makes it juicy and flavorful, which is a great reason to begin with this step. There are many kinds of brines that you can use, from a basic seasoning mix to even using other ingredients such as beer or maple syrup. Whatever brine you use, learn how to perfect the technique with these great recipes. Your dinner guests will certainly thank you for it.
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Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter Recipe

Cindy Daniel of Healdsburg Shed in Northern California rubs her turkey with salt 2 days before roasting to season it beautifully without the messiness of a brine. A flavorful herb butter adds juiciness. Daniel likes the free-range turkeys from Northern California BN Ranch (eatlikeitmatters.com). As for wine, she pours local Pinot Noirs from DuMol and Copain Trousseau and the dry Radio-Coteau Platt Riesling.

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Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon

Photo: Christina Holmes
Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon Recipe
Adding Guinness, or any dark beer, to the brine gives the turkey a toasty flavor and helps give the skin a dark brown color.

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Dry Brined-Herb Roasted Turkey

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller 
Dry Brined-Herb Roasted Turkey Recipe
Skip the cumbersome wet brines that call for soaking turkey and making the skin flabby. This classic overnight dry brine--a simple herb, salt, and sugar mixture--gives the turkey deep flavor and a crackly crust. Be adventurous and create your own signature dry brine using our sugar and salt ratios as a guide, or try one of our three variations below.
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Basic Brine for Seafood, Poultry, and Pork

Photo: Iain Bagwell
Basic Brine for Seafood, Poultry, and Pork Recipe
Brining is a technique that submerges food in a salt solution to prevent moisture loss during cooking, creating succulent, juicy bites. Use our Basic Brine for fish and shrimp, or for white meat, such as chicken, turkey, or pork chops.

 

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How to Brine a Turkey

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
How to Brine a Turkey
Brining a turkey before roasting it is one way to get a tender, moist and flavorful bird.  Here are some steps for successful brining.

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Foolproof Brined Turkey

Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart 
Foolproof Brined Turkey Recipe
Brining a turkey is well worth the day-ahead time investment. It removes all guesswork, producing an incredibly moist bird that's more forgiving of being slightly overcooked. If you can't find an organic turkey, look for a fresh one without "added solution."
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Maple-Brined Turkey Breast with Mushroom Pan Gravy

Photo: Ellen Silverman; Styling: Toni Brogan
Maple-Brined Turkey Breast with Mushroom Pan Gravy Recipe
Because you're starting with a boneless cut, the brining time is much shorter than if using a whole bird.

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Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Jan Gautro, Leigh Ann Ross
Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy Recipe
You can use a double layer of turkey brining bags, then keep the bagged turkey in a stockpot in the refrigerator to guard against punctures. Garnish the turkey with fresh herbs and apples, if desired.

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Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey Recipe

Make Ahead: Dry-brine the turkey two days before Thanksgiving, and smoke it the next day. Cut the turkey into pieces (legs, breast, wings, etc.), and place in a zip-top plastic bag. Store in refrigerator. About an hour before dinner, place turkey pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet, and cover with aluminum foil. Warm in 300° oven until heated.

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Honey and Thyme-Brined Turkey Breast

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro
Honey and Thyme-Brined Turkey Breast Recipe
Even if you are only serving the turkey to a small group, it is great to have leftovers for sandwiches. Briefly boiling the thyme and black pepper in water extracts the flavor and helps infuse the brine. If the turkey starts to brown too fast, shield with aluminum foil. Serve with mashed red potatoes and roasted baby carrots.

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Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Jan Gautro
Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy Recipe
Brining makes for a juicier bird, and the subtle flavors of the brine soak into the turkey. Kosher salt works well for the brine because it dissolves more easily than table salt. If you have time and refrigerator space, the brining procedure is worthwhile. If not, the turkey will still be quite good.

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Brined Turkey Breast with Cranberry Jus

James Carrier
Brined Turkey Breast with Cranberry Jus Recipe
Brining the turkey makes it juicy and flavorful; using a bone-in, skin-on breast keeps it moist during roasting. Don't brine the breast longer than 24 hours, or it will become too salty. If you're not ready to roast the breast, chill it, uncovered (for crisper skin), up to 1 day after step 2. The sweet-tart pan juices that go with this turkey were inspired by Faz Poursohi, chef and proprietor of the Faz restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon

Photo: Christina Holmes
Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon Recipe
Adding Guinness, or any dark beer, to the brine gives the turkey a toasty flavor and helps give the skin a dark brown color.

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Herb-Brined Creole Turkey

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst
Herb-Brined Creole Turkey Recipe

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Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke
Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy Recipe
This turkey is a pleasure to offer on your table. It's incredibly moist and flavorful, and it received our highest Test Kitchens rating. Brining is an overnight process, so if you're using a frozen turkey, be sure to thaw it well in advance. Choose turkey-sized plastic oven bags for brining the turkey. Use two bags to prevent brine from leaking, and place the turkey in a large stockpot as another precaution. This recipe goes with Savory Herb Gravy.
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