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Brining A Turkey

Brining turkey is so easy, and makes the most tender and delicious turkey! This recipe works for a 18 – 25 lb turkey. Time is 12 – 24 hours.

The best, most tender and flavourful turkey!

This is a recipe worth sharing over and over again! Have you ever brined a turkey? Or eaten one that’s been prepared this way? Roasted turkey that has been brined is SO moist, flavourful and delicious. They are truly amazing. When it comes to turkey preparation, brining a turkey is a the top of the list for us. So don’t be afraid, it isn’t as hard as you might think.


  • MAKES A TENDER TURKEY – This method makes the most delicious and tender turkey.
  • USES SIMPLE INGREDIENTS – Simple, easy to find ingredients.
  • EASY TO DO – Brining a turkey is easier than you think! Just assemble and wait.
recipe and tips for Brining Turkey

Tips for Brining a Turkey:

  • Size of Turkey:  This recipe is for a 18 – 25 lb turkey.  If you have a smaller bird, like half the size, just cut the recipe in half.
  • Make sure your turkey is thawed.  The turkey must be almost completely thawed before it goes into the salt mixture. If it’s a little little bit frosty, that is fine.
  • Gravy:  If you make gravy from the pan juices of a turkey that has been brined, you will likely find that it is quite salty.  I just cut down the saltiness with water from the potatoes I boil for this dinner.  Just taste test as you go.
  • Make it Festive!  Tis the season right?!  To make an extra festive brine, add 1 cup of whole fresh cranberries to the mixture.  It just makes it look pretty.
  • What type of container to use? Place the turkey in a container large enough to hold it and all of the brine. You can use a stock pot, a cooler, a bucket – whatever, as long as it is clean. Just make sure to clean it (with bleach) after you are done!
  • How long to let the turkey soak in the brine? Let your turkey soak for about 12-24 hours, in the fridge. We prefer 24 hours.
  • Turn it!  You should turn the turkey once during the brining process.
  • Roasting Instructions:  For roasting instructions, I use this recipe here.
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Brining Turkey

Brining turkey is so easy, and makes the most tender and delicious turkey! This recipe works for a 18 – 25 lb turkey. Time is 12 – 24 hours.

  • Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Marinating Time: 24 hours
  • Total Time: 24 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 turkey 1x
  • Category: Turkey

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 28 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups coarse salt
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 1 bottle dry white wine (Riesling)

Instructions

  1. Rinse your turkey and remove all the innards (neck, giblets, etc.). Pat it dry
  2. In a large saucepan, mix 4 cups of the water with the salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and coriander.
  3. Bring to a boil, and stir until all the salt has dissolved. Cool.
  4. Place the turkey in a container large enough to hold it and all the brine. You can use a stock pot, a cooler, a bucket – whatever, as long as it is clean. Make sure to clean the container (with bleach) after you are done brining the turkey.
  5. Add the remaining water (24 cups), wine, garlic, onions, fresh thyme and cranberries.
  6. Let your turkey soak in the brine for about 12-24 hours, in the fridge. We did 24.
  7. You should turn the turkey once during the brining process.
  8. Once your turkey is done brining, remove it from the mixture and rinse.
  9. Now it’s time to roast your turkey.  Here is the recipe I use for the roasting instructions.

Keywords: turkey brine recipe, how to brine a turkey

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8 Comments

  1. Hey Jo-Anna,
    Inspired by you, I have brined a chicken once and will now brine our turkey for this weekend, after your on-line reminder about your recipe. When I did the chicken, I cut the skin over the breasts and slipped in lemon wedges and lemon thyme, a tip I read in another recipe (it actually called for lemon wedges and sage but I adapted it to what I had growing out front). The chicken turned out moist and lemon-y, it was so delicious! I thought I would share this variation. Keep up the good work!

  2. I am unexpectedly out of town this Easter weekend after my father-in-law had a heart attack. He will be discharged from the hospital in time for Easter supper, which also happens to be my mother-in-law’s birthday. With all of my brother in-laws coming to see him, I am so happy to be able to access this recipe and do something special for them at this time!

  3. To brine the turkey it is completely thawed right? I have never made a turkey dinner before, this is my first year. I have the turkey in my deep freeze. Do I thaw the turkey in my fridge? Or just in a container in kitchen?

    1. Hi Katie! Yes, the turkey should be completely thawed. I usually take mine out about 4 or 5 days before I want to cook it, and I always unthaw it in my fridge. When you go to brine the turkey a day or 2 ahead, the turkey may still be a bit frozen but that’s ok, it will continue to unthaw in the brine! You can do it…it’s really easy to cook a turkey!