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Turkey Brine

This is a tasty turkey brine recipe for any poultry. It will make your bird very juicy, and gravy to die for! This is enough brine for a 10- to 18- pound turkey.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 40 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 15 people
Calories 1025.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Stockpot For boiling the brine mixture.
  • 1 Food-Grade 5-Gallon Bucket For brining the turkey safely.
  • 1 Whisk To ensure salt dissolves and ingredients combine.
  • 1 Measuring Cups/Spoons For accurate ingredient measurement.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 gallon vegetable broth
  • 1 cup sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon dried sage
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dried savory
  • 1 gallon ice water

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Will Dickey / Food Styling: Margaret Dickey / Prop styling: Phoebe Hauser
  • Combine vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature. When broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean food-grade 5-gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Rinse and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place turkey, breast-side down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Remove turkey carefully, draining off excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine. Cook turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS

Notes

Ensure the brine cools completely to room temperature before adding the turkey. Introducing a warm or hot brine can promote bacterial growth and cook the turkey prematurely. For enhanced flavor, consider adding citrus peels, whole black peppercorns, or a few bay leaves to the brine mixture as it boils. Since this brine recipe uses a full cup of sea salt, be mindful of any additional seasoning on the turkey before roasting to avoid over-salting. Brined turkeys cook faster and retain more moisture; monitor internal temperature closely and anticipate a reduced cooking time by 20-30 minutes. Always discard used brine as it has come into contact with raw poultry.