If you are looking for the most flavorful, succulent, delicious Thanksgiving turkey you need this easy Thanksgiving turkey brine recipe. Follow my simple instructions for how to brine a turkey for Thanksgiving. This a recipe for a dry turkey brine mix and it is great for a hostess gift or a gift exchange.
Don't forget to read up on how to thaw a frozen turkey and then how to roast a juicy turkey followed by how to carve a turkey breast. If you want to make a juicy turkey in less time, a spatchcock turkey is for you!
The Best Turkey Brine
This is the best turkey brine because it has a lovely balance of aromatics, citrus, spice, sweetness and salt. The ingredients can be found in most spice cabinets.
What is brine mean?
Brining meat, in this case your Thanksgiving turkey, is the process of soaking the meat in a salt water solution that is full of other flavors. The salt water will help the meat to retain moisture. We all love a flavorful, moist Thanksgiving turkey and this is how I prepare my Thanksgiving turkey each year.
What do you need to make a turkey brine?
- salt
- sugar
- orange peels, dried. (learn how easy it is to make your own dried orange peel.)
- bay leaves
- sprigs of sage
- Rosemary
- thyme
- peppercorns
How to make a brine:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Store in an air tight container until ready to use.
Use dried orange peel in a turkey brine
This recipe calls for dried orange peels. I dried mine in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. It is important for all the moisture to be out of the orange peels if you are going to be storing this dry bring recipe.
** you can substitute lemon peel if you don't have an orange**
Combine all the ingredients and store in a tight container. I have a LOT of mason jars in the house that us in all my caning projects so I store this recipe in a mason jar with a lid and a ring.
Can I substitute fresh orange peel for dried orange peel in this brine recipe?
Yes. If you are not making this brine mix ahead of time (more than a few days) go ahead and use a fresh orange peel. The purpose of drying the orange peel is if you were go give this brine mix and a gift and it needed to sit for long term storage. When I make my Thanksgiving turkey, I just a fresh orange peel in my brine mix.
How to use this brine.
- Use 1 recipe of brine mix, stated above.
- Combine 2 gallons of water with the brine mix in a large pot.
- Stir to dissolve, or heat to dissolve.
- Cool completely.
- Brine the turkey.
How do you brine a turkey?
- Place your thawed Thanksgiving turkey (see how to Safely Thaw A Frozen Turkey in this post) in a large pot.
- Fill the pot with cold water until the turkey is submerged.
- Remove the turkey.
- Pour the brine mixture in the water and stir until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
- Replace the turkey in the brine.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for 12-18 hours.
- Remove the turkey and roast.
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- How to roast the perfect Thanksgiving turkey
- How to thaw a frozen turkey
- 24 Recipes for a Crock Pot Thanksgiving
- Easy Pumpkin Ravioli With Brown Butter Sauce And Sage
- How To Carve A Turkey Breast
Thanksgiving Turkey Brine Dry Mix
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
1 cup salt- ½ cup sugar
- 2 mandarin orange peels (dried.)
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of sage
- 2 tablespoons rosemary
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 2 tablespoons peppercorns
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients.1 cup salt, ½ cup sugar, 2 mandarin orange peels, 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of sage, 2 tablespoons rosemary, 2 tablespoons thyme, 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- Use the entire batch to make a brine.
Notes
- Use 1 recipe of brine mix, stated above.
- Combine 2 gallons of water with the brine mix in a large pot.
- Stir to dissolve, or heat to dissolve.
- Cool completely.
- Brine the turkey.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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First published October 12, 2018
👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 13 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Sarah Mock
I will break the cinnamon sticks with my hands or you can crush them with a rolling pin in a zip top bag. OR if you are not making this to store, you can just leave them whole.
Martha Dietrich
Hello,
From seeing what it looks like in the jar, I assume you use a food processor to break everything down??
Thank you
Sarah Mock
Yes! I would do a tablespoon of chopped/crushed sage per sprig.
Gladys
If you don't have a sprig of sage, could you use crushed/chopped sage? For 3 sprigs, how many teaspoons or tablespoon would that equal? TIA
Sarah
I am glad you like it! Happy Thanksgiving.
Sarah
It is a favorite, for sure!
Wilhelmina Wessel
This is a fantastic looking brine idea! I can't wait to try this out! Thank you!
Beth Lee
Wonderful combination of flavors for your brine. You can use it for wet brining or dry! Great recipe and make ahead idea.
Reesa Lewandowski
Used this on our Thanksgiving turkey and it was delicious!