Looking for the best turkey brine recipes? If you want succulent and moist turkey, a homemade brine is something you should use.
Tips on deep frying turkey and roasting turkey. I also offer turkey marinades and rubs that are wonderful.
Turkey Brine Recipes
What is a brine? It is a method of marinating a food item in salted water in order to increase its moisture content.
Amazingly, it doesn’t make the turkey taste salty, but nicely seasoned and juicier than you could imagine. You can brine any poultry meat that you wish.
To begin, of course, you have to know how large a turkey is needed. A little more than 50 percent of a turkey’s weight consists of bones, fat and skin. Figure on approximately one pound of whole turkey per person, or slightly less if feeding a lot of children.
Each person will enjoy about eight ounces of pure meat, using this method. If you like lots of leftovers for sandwiches and casseroles, be sure to factor that in as well.
If you can, buy a fresh, unfrozen turkey for the best flavor. If you have a frozen turkey though, transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw completely before you brine it.
A fully frozen turkey can take up to a whole day to thaw for each four pounds that it weighs (i.e. three days for twelve pounds).
Be sure to remove the packet of giblets from the cavity of the bird. These are the heart, kidneys, and liver, and sometimes the neck. You can reserve them to make gravy if you desire.
Following are some of my favorite brine recipes.
Turkey Marinades
Turkey Roasting 101
This is THE best turkey brine recipe to use. Use for deep frying, smoking or roasting – it’s hands down the BEST. To be honest, I don’t want to try another, this is perfect because the compliments are never ending…..
2 gallons of water (or enough to cover turkey completely)
1 cup kosher salt (NOT TABLE SALT)
1/4 cup homemade worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup homemade brown sugar, packed
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 TBS garlic, minced
1 TBS freshly ground black pepper
Bring the water to a boil and add all ingredients. Take off the heat and stir until the salt and sugar is dissolved. Set aside until turkey brine is at room temperature.
Place the turkey in the brine mixture and soak in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Rinse well and pat completely dry.
Place in the smoker, deep fryer or oven and cook until juices run clear. Then call me and I will be right over to eat.
HONEY BRINE
1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (10 to 14 pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly.