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A photo of turkey brine in a large stock pot.
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4.28 from 22 votes

The Best Turkey Brine

The most wonderful turkey brine to totally transform your bird from boring and dry to tender, juicy, flavorful perfection
Prep Time1 day 4 hours
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time1 day 7 hours
Course: 10 Best Turkey Recipes on the Internet, Over 500 Family Dinner Recipes Ideas
Cuisine: American
Keyword: thanksgiving, turkey
Servings: 1 batch
Author: Sweet Basil

Ingredients

Brine

  • 3 Cups Apple Cider
  • 3 Cups Orange Juice
  • 13 Cups Water
  • 2 Cups Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup Kosher Salt
  • 5 Bay Leaves
  • 5 Cloves Garlic minced
  • 4 Sprigs Rosemary leaves stripped off
  • 1 Orange Peel
  • 1 Lemon Peel
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place each ingredient of the brine in a large pot and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. 
    3 Cups Apple Cider, 3 Cups Orange Juice, 13 Cups Water, 2 Cups Brown Sugar, 1 Cup Kosher Salt, 5 Bay Leaves, 5 Cloves Garlic, 4 Sprigs Rosemary, 1 Orange Peel, 1 Lemon Peel
  • Add the turkey and put a lid on the pot.
  • Set the turkey in the brine in the fridge for 24 hours. 
  • Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Allow the turkey to rest in the fridge so it can completely dry.
  • Proceed with classic roasted turkey recipe.

Notes

You can make the brine 2-3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1batch | Calories: 2372kcal | Carbohydrates: 599g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 113490mg | Potassium: 2913mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 558g | Vitamin A: 1593IU | Vitamin C: 408mg | Calcium: 730mg | Iron: 7mg