Skip to content

Top Navigation

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Course
  • Baking
  • Global
  • Healthy
  • Favorite Ingredients
  • Holidays and Occasions
  • Quick and Easy
  • Convenience Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling
  • How To
  • Extra Crispy
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Logout
Login
Pin FB

Explore MyRecipes

MyRecipes MyRecipes
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights

      Everybody understands the stuggle of getting dinner on the table after a long day. If you're looking for a simple recipe to simplify your weeknight, you've come to the right place--easy dinners are our specialty. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. Read More
    • The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      The Brilliant Secret to Making Better Mashed Potatoes

      Trust me, it’s so worth it. Read More
    • 65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      65 Super Easy Finger Foods to Make for Any Party

      From chips and dip to one-bite apps, finger foods are the perfect way to kick off a party. No forks or spoons required, just easy-to-pick-up party foods, so you can clean up in no time.  Read More
  • Course

    Course

    See All Course
    • Best Appetizer Recipes...Ever
    • Best Drink Recipes for Any Occasion
    • Salad Recipes
    • The Ultimate Guide to Sensational Sides
    • Soup and Stew Recipes
    • Easy Entertaining for Everyone
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Main Dishes and Entrées
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
  • Baking

    Baking

    See All Baking
    • Bread Recipes
    • Our Most-Loved Cake Recipes
    • Cookie Recipes
    • Pie Recipes
  • Global

    Global

    See All Global
    • Spanish Recipes
    • Thai Recipes
    • Vietnamese Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • Mexican Recipes
    • Malaysian Recipes
    • Korean Recipes
    • Japanese Recipes
    • Italian Recipes
    • Indian Recipes
    • Greek Recipes
    • French Recipes
    • Chinese Recipes
    • African Recipes
    • American Recipes
    • Cajun and Creole Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Southern Recipes
    • German Recipes
  • Healthy

    Healthy

    See All Healthy
    • Easy, Healthy Recipes
    • Healthy Breakfasts
    • Healthy Dinners
    • Healthy Desserts
    • Diabetic Recipes
    • Gluten-Free Diet and Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Low Carbohydrate Recipes
    • Low Cholesterol Recipes
    • Low Fat Recipes
    • Low Sodium Recipes
    • Low Calorie Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Favorite Ingredients

    Favorite Ingredients

    See All Favorite Ingredients
    • The Ultimate Guide to Chicken
    • Vegetable Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Cheese Recipes
    • Chocolate Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Pork Recipes
    • Seafood Recipes
    • Shrimp Recipes
  • Holidays and Occasions

    Holidays and Occasions

    See All Holidays and Occasions
    • A Foodie's Guide to Halloween Recipes
    • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
    • Hanukkah Recipes
    • Your Ultimate Christmas Recipe Guide
    • Our Most Festive New Year's Recipes
    • Best-Ever Super Bowl Sunday Recipes
    • Best Valentine's Day Recipes
    • Mardi Gras Recipes
    • The Ultimate Guide to Easter Recipes
    • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
    • Labor Day Recipes
    • The Ultimate Fourth of July Guide
    • Memorial Day Recipes
    • Touchdown-Worthy Tailgate Recipes
    • Wedding and Shower Recipes
  • Quick and Easy

    Quick and Easy

    See All Quick and Easy
    • 15-Minute Recipes for Busy Home Cooks
    • 5 Ingredients or Less
    • Dinner Tonight
    • No-Cook Recipes
    • 45-Minute Recipes
  • Convenience Recipes

    Convenience Recipes

    See All Convenience Recipes
    • Budget-Friendly Recipes
    • Our Top Make-Ahead Recipes
    • Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
  • BBQ and Grilling

    BBQ and Grilling

    See All BBQ and Grilling
    • Grilled Beef Recipes
    • Grilled Fish Recipes
    • Grilled Shrimp Recipes
    • Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Grilled Pork Recipes
    • Grilled Vegetable Recipes
  • How To

    How To

    See All How To
    • 7 Ways With...
    • Videos
    • Ingredients and Tools
    • Kitchen Cleaning
  • Extra Crispy
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Register
  • Recipe Box this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Holidays and Occasions
  3. The Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
  4. Flavorful Turkey Brine Recipes

Flavorful Turkey Brine Recipes

Updated November 01, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Credit: 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.

Start Slideshow

1 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter

Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter
Credit: 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.

1 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon

Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon
Credit: 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.

2 of 15

3 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Dry Brined-Herb Roasted Turkey

Dry Brined-Herb Roasted Turkey
Credit: 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.

3 of 15

Advertisement

4 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Basic Brine for Seafood, Poultry, and Pork

Basic Brine for Seafood, Poultry, and Pork
Credit: 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.

4 of 15

5 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

How to Brine a Turkey

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Melanie J. Clarke

What is Brining?

Brining turkeys is a technique where the turkey (or other meat) is soaked in a saltwater mixture in order to tenderize, moisturize, and flavor the meat. It’s method that comes in and out of style and there are debates about the pros and cons of brining.  Some cooks claim that it’s the only way to get a moist and juicy bird; other claim that it doesn’t make a difference and you can get a juicy bird without brining.

Steps for Brining

Prepare the brining mixture according to your recipe directions.

Use two turkey-size oven bags, one placed inside the other, or buy a food-grade resealable brining bag in order to prevent leaks.  (You can buy these bags at places such as Williams-Sonoma, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or other types of cooking stores.)  Fold down the sides of the bag for a contamination-free seal, then place the turkey in the bag, breast side up.

Transfer the bag to a large cooler filled halfway with ice, snuggling the bag down into the ice. Spread open the top of the folded bag, then pour the brine over the turkey. 

Fold up the sides, press out any excess air, the seal the bag.  Fold over the top of the bag and completely cover bag with ice. You can brine a turkey in a large bucket, stockpot, or other large container, but it needs to stay in the refrigerator. Since most people don’t have that kind of room in the refrigerator, we recommend using a cooler. Also, you can just pour the cooled brine mixture over the turkey, seal the bags, and place the bags directly in the refrigerator instead of covering the bird in ice.  

Check the temperature of the ice with a thermometer to make sure it registers 40 degrees or lower at all times so that bacteria can’t grown. Keep the cooler shut, and refill with ice as necessary.

Soak the turkey in the brining mixture 12-24 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brining mixture and discard the brining mixture. 

Cook the turkey according to your recipe directions.

Brining Tips  

Pay attention to the balance of salt in the brining mixture because too little salt won’t do any good and too much salt will make the turkey taste too salty.

Kosher salt works well for the brine because it dissolves more easily than table salt.

Use a fresh turkey instead of a frozen for brining because many of the frozen turkeys have already been injected with salty solutions.

Recipe: Apple-Cider Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy

For more recipes, see our collection of Turkey Recipes.

5 of 15

6 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Foolproof Brined Turkey

Foolproof Brined Turkey
Credit: 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."

6 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Maple-Brined Turkey Breast with Mushroom Pan Gravy

Maple-Brined Turkey Breast with Mushroom Pan Gravy
Credit: 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.

7 of 15

8 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy

Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy
Credit: 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.

8 of 15

9 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey

Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey
Credit: 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.

9 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Honey and Thyme-Brined Turkey Breast

Honey and Thyme-Brined Turkey Breast
Credit: 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.

10 of 15

11 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy

Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy
Credit: 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.

11 of 15

12 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Brined Turkey Breast with Cranberry Jus

Brined Turkey Breast with Cranberry Jus
Credit: 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.

12 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon

Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon
Credit: 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.

13 of 15

14 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Herb-Brined Creole Turkey

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

Herb-Brined Creole Turkey Recipe

14 of 15

15 of 15

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Credit: 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.

15 of 15

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 15 Dry-Cured Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter
    2 of 15 Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon
    3 of 15 Dry Brined-Herb Roasted Turkey
    4 of 15 Basic Brine for Seafood, Poultry, and Pork
    5 of 15 How to Brine a Turkey
    6 of 15 Foolproof Brined Turkey
    7 of 15 Maple-Brined Turkey Breast with Mushroom Pan Gravy
    8 of 15 Spice-Brined Turkey with Cider Pan Gravy
    9 of 15 Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey
    10 of 15 Honey and Thyme-Brined Turkey Breast
    11 of 15 Brined Maple Turkey with Cream Gravy
    12 of 15 Brined Turkey Breast with Cranberry Jus
    13 of 15 Roasted Beer-Brined Turkey with Onion Gravy and Bacon
    14 of 15 Herb-Brined Creole Turkey
    15 of 15 Apple Cider-Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email
    MyRecipes

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright MyRecipes. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.myrecipes.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Flavorful Turkey Brine Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.