How to Brine a Turkey for a Holiday Dinner

A Basic Brine Recipe, Plus Tips for Roasting the Thanksgiving Bird

Nov 10, 2009

Cook a Juicy Turkey by Brining with Saltwater, visnup

Brine is a solution made with salt, sugar, water and seasonings. Soaking meat for hours in brine enhances the flavor and makes the meat tender and juicy.

Brine is a lot like a marinade. The preparation method can be used on many different types of meat, vegetables, fowl and some types of seafood. Like marinade, seasoning brine is simply a matter of preference or taste. What exactly is brine? Put simply, brine is seasoned and salted water. Some cooks even add orange juice, apple juice, beer or some other preferred liquid to flavor the water.

Brine a Turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas

It doesn't matter if the turkey is to be roasted, fried, smoked, or cooked by whatever method one prefers. Brine the turkey first for the juiciest results. There are a few guidelines to follow when preparing to brine a turkey:

Do not brine a "self-basting" or kosher turkey. These birds are already prepared.
Kosher salt is preferred over table salt in brine.*
Plan to start the brine process the day or evening before the holiday meal. Allow 1 hour of brine time for each pound of turkey. (I.e. a 16 lb. turkey is going to take 16 hours to brine.) Remember, cooking time has to be accounted for, too.
Have the proper equipment. The turkey has to be completely submerged in the water, so use a large plastic container, a stainless-steel stockpot, clean pail, or brining bag (best for larger turkeys).
An insulated cooler can be used for a really large turkey, but remember the bird has to be refrigerated – kept at 40 degrees F. or less. Add bagged ice (so as not to dilute the brine) to the container to keep the contents cold.
Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before submerging in the brine.
Be certain the salt and sugar are completely dissolved in the water. Some people like to boil the salt/sugar mixture in water first and then let it cool completely before adding the bird.
Add seasonings as desired, but don't use seasonings with salt in turkey brine recipes.
Rinse the bird of salt residue before cooking.
Safely dispose of the brine; do not reuse.

*According to the Betty Crocker website, in the article "A Fine Brine" (no author stated, 2009), "Kosher salt does not have iodine or anti-caking agents (which table salt does), so it has a more subtle, clean flavor." And, "Kosher salt is more coarse and less "salty" than table salt, so you'll want to use a bit less table salt than you would kosher salt."

Is it OK to Brine a Butterball Turkey?

Yes! There are instructions for making turkey brine on the Butterball website, plus the Butterball turkey expert operators confirm that Butterball turkeys can indeed be flavored with brine. Operators will gladly answer product questions @ 1-800-BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372) Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST (Central Standard Time).

Half the fun of using brine is experimenting with many different seasonings. Both the Betty Crocker website and the Butterball website have turkey recipes that start with brining.

Basic Brine Recipe for Oven Roasted Turkey

Here is an easy basic brine recipe for a roasted 16 lb. turkey. Remember to allow space in the refrigerator for the turkey and whatever container is being used to brine the bird.

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey 16 lbs.
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter cut into 8 pieces
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2-4 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups baby carrots
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup white wine

The day or evening before:

Dissolve salt and sugar in a gallon of water in the stock pot or other container. Remove wrappings and place thawed turkey in the container. Add enough cold water to completely cover the turkey. Place in refrigerator overnight or sixteen hours prior to cooking.

Directions for Cooking:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Rinse the turkey thoroughly and place on a rack in the roasting pan. (Discard the brine.)
Carefully push the pats of butter under the skin (4 on each side) on the breast.
Loosely fill the turkey cavity with about half the celery and carrots, one sprig of thyme and one onion.
Arrange the remaining vegetables and thyme around the turkey in the pan.
Pour the wine over the vegetables in the pan.
Cover the turkey with a foil tent to prevent the skin from browning too quickly. Remove the foil thirty minutes before the turkey is done to allow the skin to brown.
Allow 15 minutes roasting time per pound of meat. A 16 lb. turkey takes around 4 hours to cook. The bird is done when thigh juices run clear (not pink). Or, test with a meat thermometer: Butterball experts recommend 180 degrees F. when the thermometer is placed deep in the thigh.
Allow the turkey to stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Preparing a turkey with brine adds flavor to the bird and is an easy way to add seasonings. Prepared correctly, the brine ensures a moist tender turkey that's sure to be a hit for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Follow instructions carefully for handling turkey or any kind of raw meat. Cook turkey to the correct temperature, store leftovers in the refrigerator and be sure to have a safe holiday celebration.

The copyright of the article How to Brine a Turkey for a Holiday Dinner in Cooking Basics is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish How to Brine a Turkey for a Holiday Dinner in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.