Things have changed and so have turkey fads. Now days you are expected to spice, rub, inject and brine before you slow roast, spatchcock or fry your turkey. I am no exception to the rule and have fallen victim to experimenting with the next great thing. Mainly for one reason: I don’t really care for turkey. *GASP* I know, I know. However, I am adventurous and determined to find a turkey preparation that I DO enjoy.
One of my reasons for not like the gobble gobble is that it all too frequently ends up dry. Solution: brining your turkey. I set out to find a the best brine recipe ever for the juiciest turkey. Do you know how challenging it is to find whole turkey at the grocery store at any time during the year except Thanksgiving?
Here it is, I am teaching YOU how to brine a turkey with these easy brining tips and tricks. Make sure to scroll down to get the full recipe. You can use this simple brine recipe for turkey, chicken or pork and can be used before any other full recipe to add moisture.
TIPS FOR BRINING TURKEY:
- Wet Brine- This technique is called wet brining. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep a turkey from drying out, wet brining is the answer and will result in the juiciest turkey ever! Wet brining adds moisture to your turkey- nearly an entire pound of it for a 12 pound bird. The only downfall to wet brining a is not getting crispy turkey skin. But don’t worry, I have a solution so you can have a juicy turkey and browned, crispy turkey skin.
- Use Kosher Salt- Not all salt is created equal. Salts have different flavor profiles, chemical structures, shapes, ability to dissolve (although they all will eventually) and sizes, resulting in varying density. On tablespoon of Kosher salt is not the same as one tablespoon of table salt. Make sure to use Kosher salt with larger crystals to get the correct salt to water ratio for brine, which is 1 heaping tablespoon of kosher salt for every cup of water.
- Add flavor- The types of flavor you can add to your brine are endless. For a simple brine recipe using just salt and water, there is no need to boil because the salt will dissolve regardless, but for more flavor, boiling is ideal to infuse water.
- How Make the Crispiest Turkey Skin- Because brining adds to much moisture and flavor, it also makes the skin super wet and prevents browned, crispy skin. To get the best of both worlds, brine your turkey for 24 hours, then remove from brine and allow to dry out, uncovered, in the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours. Then rub with compound butter. Do not baste during the cooking process.
- How to make turkey stock- And after you are all finished, save the bones to make Turkey Stock and Turkey Noodle Soup, the quickest and tastiest way to use up leftovers!
Do you cook a turkey breast up or down? This is debatable! If you want super crispy turkey skin, roast with the breast up so the skin has time to dry out. I would suggest injecting the breast with liquid to prevent the meat from drying out too. If the breasts start to brown too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
But if you are going for super moist and aren’t too picky about browned skin, cook breast side down, allowing gravity to flow the juices downward. You can also fill the bottom of the pan with water, wine or chicken stock and baste the turkey with it’s own drippings through the cooking process.
Can you brine for turkey breast? You can brine any meat! In fact, use this same brine recipe for turkey breast, chicken and even pork. Cut the recipe into a quarter and there you go!
Ingredients
- 12 pound turkey
- 16 cups water
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 yellow onion cut into quarters
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 garlic cloves , lightly smashed
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 bay leaves
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 4 cups Ice
Optional Add-Ins
- Orange Zest or Orange Slices
- Lemon Zest or Lemon Slices
- Carrots , cut into slices
- Fresh Parsley
- Celery , cut into small pieces
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Cloves
- Anise Pods
- Nutmeg
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