Nothing's worse than a dry piece of meat, especially a dry turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. To avoid this, many people are fans of turkey brining. Here, we show you how to brine a turkey and share an easy wet brine recipe. Plus, our handy chart shows how much brining liquid you need for different cuts and quantities of turkey, chicken, and pork.
What is Brining?
Brining is the process of submerging meat in a saltwater bath, allowing any lean type of poultry or pork (like turkey, a whole chicken, or pork chops) to absorb extra moisture while raw. This way, it won't dry out during cooking. And because the water is seasoned, it flavors the meat from the inside.
If you are interested in a different kind of brine, learn the differences between dry and wet brine.
Before brining your turkey, keep these tips in mind:
Brine fresh turkeys. Because most frozen turkeys are prepared with a sodium solution, if you brine the frozen turkey, you risk it becoming too salty. Look for turkeys that are not pre-salted (check the label), and avoid those labeled as kosher or enhanced.
Clear your fridge. Brining a turkey requires space. You'll need a large enough pot to fully submerge the turkey, but one that also fits in the refrigerator. Alternatively, some people brine their turkey in the fridge's crisper drawer—it's large, out of the way, and can be lined with a brining bag for easier cleanup.
Plan ahead. Because brining is a lengthy process—and the bigger the cut of meat, the longer it needs to brine—it's best to brine your turkey the day before cooking. It won't have enough time to soak up the liquid and flavors if you brine it the morning of your feast.
Do not brine a turkey in a cooler or container that doesn't fit in your refrigerator. Your turkey must be kept cool (40 degrees or below) before cooking to avoid bacteria growth and foodborne illnesses.
How Long to Brine Turkey
Depending on the size of your turkey, you should brine it for anywhere from eight to 24 hours. A 12-pound turkey needs about 12 hours of brine time. However, don't brine a turkey longer than 24 hours—it may be too salty, and the protein can start to break down, causing mushy meat. Follow the guidelines on our chart below to see how long to brine various types of meat and how much brining liquid to use.
For 1 quart of brine, use this recipe. Multiply it 2, 4, or 8 times (as necessary) to make 2 quarts, 1 gallon, and 2 gallons, respectively.
Ingredients
1 cup water
3 Tbsp kosher salt (or 2 Tbsp table salt)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 bay leaf
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
Directions
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.
Turn off the heat. Add 3 cups of cold water to the mixture and cover.
Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
For extra flavor, add citrus peel, fennel, chiles, fresh herbs, and spices (like cumin, coriander, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), which can subtly flavor the meat. Add one or two of your favorites to the brine, along with the bay leaf and peppercorns.
How to Brine a Turkey
Follow these steps to easily brine your turkey before cooking.
Make the Brine
Mix the brine following the recipe above. Be sure you have enough liquid to adequately cover your turkey. Let the brine cool to room temperature before adding the turkey.
Be sure to let the brine cool before using it since warm or hot liquid on a raw turkey can cause bacteria growth.
Submerge the Turkey
Place the raw whole turkey in a large pot and cover with the brine. Or, add the turkey to the same large pot used to make the brine. The important thing is to ensure the turkey is completely covered in the liquid.
If the turkey is floating, place a plate in the pot to help push it down.
Refrigerate the Turkey and Brine
Cover the pot and place in the refrigerator. Brine the turkey for about 12 hours and no more than 24 hours. (The brining time will depend on how large the turkey is.)
Rinse the Turkey
Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse it in a sink full of cold water. (You could also submerge it in a large pot of water.) Rinse the outside of the turkey and the cavity to help remove excess salt. Discard the brine—do not reuse it.
Thoroughly clean your sink after rinsing the turkey to avoid cross-contamination.
Dry the Turkey
After rinsing, pat the turkey dry using paper towels. Optional: For crispier skin, place the turkey on a rack or pan in the refrigerator and allow it to dry overnight.
Roast the Turkey
Cook the turkey using your standard roasting method. It's OK to roast it right after finishing the brining process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you mix the brine ahead of time?
Yes, you can make your turkey brine a few days before you're ready to brine the turkey. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Do you rinse a turkey after brining it?
Though we generally advise against washing raw meat (of any kind) due to food safety, we do recommend rinsing a turkey that's been brined. It helps remove excess salt, so you don't end up with an overly-salted bird. Carefully rinse the cavity and outside of the turkey and thoroughly clean the sink and kitchen surfaces afterward.
Does turkey need to be seasoned after brining?
It's not necessary to season your turkey after brining it. The salted brining liquid has penetrated the turkey from the inside. Though no additional salt is needed and could create a salty bird, feel free to coat the turkey in herbs or other spices for added flavor.
How Much Turkey Per Person Is Enough? A Guide for Serving Turkey
Turkey is a relatively lean bird, and the breast-to-leg ratio isn't ideal: By the time the dark meat is cooked through, the breast meat may have overcooked. For many home chefs, wet brining is one way to counteract the dryness.
Dry-brining involves rubbing a turkey with salt (and possibly some aromatics), then allowing the skin to dry out in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days. This method is best for achieving crispy skin—but if you want an extra-juicy bird, consider the wet brine.
Mix together water, salt, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper in a food-grade bucket or container large enough to hold your turkey. Carefully submerge turkey in brine. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Soak for two days before smoking or roasting.
Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.
According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.
It's best to brine turkey for 12 to 24 hours. Brining it for longer than 24 hours can result in mushy meat and an overly salty flavor. If you do accidentally over-brine it, you can soak the turkey in cold water to remove some of the excess salt, but it likely won't have the best flavor or texture.
There's wet brine when you submerge the poultry in salted water, and dry brine when you rub salt all over the bird, inside (underneath the skin) and outside. Wet brining can take as little as 12 hours, whereas dry brining takes at least 24 hours, max 48 hours.
"If you want to you can, but you don't have to," says Miller. "Most turkeys are already brined. Butterball turkeys have a solution in them that really helps to keep them moist and juicy and tender. If you're going to brine it, we do suggest that you cut down on the salt.”
This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. If needed, prepare more brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup salt per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey. Cover and refrigerate.
Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.
After brining, remove from liquid and discard remaining brine. Rinse and pat your bird dry. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and generously seasoning the outside and cavity with salt and pepper. Place compound butter under the skin of the bird and rub the entire outside with the butter.
During brining, the seasoned saltwater penetrates the meat, drawing in moisture and other flavorings. The compound butter, made by combining room-temperature butter with our turkey herbs, is rubbed under the skin and on the outside of the bird.
A traditional water-based brine is a mixture of water, salt, sugar and aromatics — like herbs, spices and citrus peel — that infuses turkey with moisture, seasoning and flavor. That mixture is brought to a boil and then cooled before you plunge your bird in to take a bath in it (usually for no more than 24 hours).
The most common brine proportions are 23.3% salt concentration to 76.7% water. However, you can also add to conventional sodium chloride and use either magnesium chloride or calcium chloride. Keep in mind that the concentrations of those chemicals are drastically different.
Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties. Breaking out the sugar is my favorite way to ensure that my turkey comes out perfectly tender and golden brown every November.
By brining meat, you can decrease the amount of total moisture loss by 30 to 40%. To demonstrate, I cooked three identical turkey breasts in a 300°F (150°C) oven to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). One was brined, the other was soaked overnight in plain water, and the last was left alone.
When meat is initially brined, salt is drawn from the brine solution into the meat, while some moisture is drawn from the meat into the brine. The meat contains more salt and less water than before it went into the brine.
According to research published in the Journal of Food Science , the salt in the brine dissolves a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers, and allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture during cooking. This makes the poultry juicier, more tender and improves the flavor.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/how-to-brine-turkey-4737c24e69ff4ba68fb8f99a89f54a03.jpg "Follow Our Turkey Brine Recipe for an Extra Juicy Turkey on Thanksgiving (1)")
