Have you ever had a bone-dry turkey? Something that tastes similar to cardboard? Let’s solve that problem forever and always shall we?! It’s easy peasy all you need to do is brine your turkey before cooking it.

What is a turkey brine you ask? It is a whole heck of a lot of salt which breaks down certain proteins in the meat and makes it ultra-super juicy. No one is complaining about this, correct?

Last year I ordered my turkey pre-brined. This year I brined it myself. And I have to say, it wasn’t terribly challenging or time-consuming. But there was a lot of sanitizing of sinks and counters so if you want to skip that step, I would recommend ordering a pre-brined turkey. If you’re not that fussed about a little clean-up, then follow this recipe!

An easy way to get your thanksgiving turkey super tender - brine it. There is a turkey in a bag with a liquid brine around it

Turkey Brine

Makes enough brine for 1 turkey (up to 25 lbs)

Ingredients

+ turkey (duh) and one brine bag (or pot large enough – I did both!!)
+ 3 cups turkey stock
+ 16 cups water
+ 1.25 cups salt
+ 1 apple, sliced
+ 1 cup brown sugar
+ 3 sticks celery, chopped
+ 5 bay leaves
+ 1 Tbsp rosemary
+ 1 Tbsp peppercorns

Instructions

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add all of your ingredients (except the turkey and the bag!!!) and bring to a boil.
  2. Mix until the sugar and salt are fully combined and let cool entirely.
  3. Once cooled, add your turkey to your brine bag, and add your brine.
  4. Let soak in the fridge for approximately 24 hrs.
  5. Cook your turkey as you normally would. I read brined turkeys can cook faster so check it slightly sooner than you otherwise would (PS mine did NOT cook faster).