1. Recipes
  2. Marinade
  3. American
  4. Turkey Brine

You can use whatever assortment of herbs you want, additionally marjoram, thyme, or savory. I normally put the turkey in a bag in a cooler with some ice. Oven roasting bags or brining bags both work well.
We are aiming for 6% salt by mass for the brine. That is roughly 1.8cups of Morton's kosher salt to 1 gallon of water. This recipe is for using a moderately salty broth.

Mood: Thanksgivingy
Prep Time: 10 min
Rest Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 0 min

    Food Stuffs
  • 1/2 gallon chicken broth
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 orange
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 5 sprigs rosemary
  • 1/2 gallon apple cider
  • 1 gallon water
  • ice
    Seasonings
  • 3/4 cups kosher salt
  • 2 tlbs pepper
  • 1 tlbs sage
    Equipment
  • measuring cup
  • knife
  • cutting board
  • pot
  • oven bag
    Steps for Completion
  1. Add all the ingredients to the pot except the cider, water, and ice. Add the orange and lemon zest and juice but no peel. Heat up the mixture to dissolve the salt. Do not bring to a boil. After dissolved, take off the heat. Add the cider and some ice to cool it faster.
  2. Put the turkey in the brining bag and add the brine. Make sure the brine is completely cool before mixing it with the turkey. Top off the liquid with water so the turkey is completely submerged when the bag is closed.
  3. Brine the turkey for at least 12 hours.