Turkey Brine Recipe
A simple recipe for a juicy and delicious turkey that is sure to please a crowd.
Equipment
- 1 5 gallon food grade bucket with lid
- Large cooler
- Ice
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey
- 1½ c kosher salt or 1 c sea salt
- ⅓ brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns, whole
- 1 tbsp rosemary, dried
- 5 sprigs thyme, fresh or 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 8 c warm water
- 1½ gal cold water
Instructions
- Clean the turkey by rinsing, removing any organs, timers, etc.
- Add salt, sugar, and spices to the 5 gallon bucket.
- Add warm water and stir to dissolve salt and sugar.
- Place turkey in the bucket and cover with remaining cold water until the turkey is fully submerged.
- Place lid on the bucket and allow to brine in a large cooler filled with ice, or a refrigerator (if you have room for a 5 gallon bucket).
- Allow turkey to brine for a minimum of 12 hours and no longer than 48 hours.
- Remove from brine, rinse, and pat dry.
- Bake according to the size of your turkey. I recommend to bake at 425℉ for the first 15 minutes and reduce the temperature to 325℉ for the remainder of the time required to reach an internal temperature of 165℉. During the last hour of cooking I like to "tent" or loosely cover the turkey with foil to prevent any overcooking of the skin.
- Allow the turkey to rest for at least 15 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!