Brining and Roasting Turkey
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Brining and Roasting Turkey produces a juicy, flavorful bird that infuses flavor and richness down to the bone without a rub or injection. This simple method takes some planning ahead, but the results are well worth it.
In this post we are sharing our favorite basic herb and salt brine recipe, but we also have a Buttermilk Brined Turkey recipe that is fantastic as well. It just uses a different recipe but still yields juicy, flavor filled results and a tender bird.
If you find yourself with turkey dinner leftovers, consider turning them into a new dinner like this Homemade Turkey Soup or Leftover Holiday Pie.
Is Brining a Turkey worth it?
The process of Brining and Roasting Turkey is not difficult, but it does require you plan ahead so you have your cooler or brining bag ready and the room set aside in your fridge. In our opinion, it is absolutely worth it. Brining brings flavor to the otherwise mild bird and will help retain moisture that many turkeys lose during the cooking process.
How long should you Brine a Turkey?
Brining is a long process that takes planning but the results are well worth the wait. Most recipes recommend brining the turkey for anywhere from 6 hours up to 18 hours. It is important to follow the recipe for the correct brine time, as allowing the turkey to brine for too long will result in an overly salty bird and even a spongy texture.
We brine our turkey overnight or roughly 8 hours, rinse it thoroughly and allow it to dry completely before cooking. This creates a moist and flavorful interior meat with a beautifully crisp, flavorful skin.
What is the formula for Brine?
A simple salt brine is the most basic brine and roughly follows the ratio of 1 tablespoon salt for every cup of water.
You can add extra herbs into your brine to infuse more flavor which is what we did. Our salt brine also includes honey, black peppercorns, fresh rosemary, and low sodium broth for added flavor infusion.
What is the best salt for Brining?
Kosher Course Salt is an excellent choice for a salt brine. It will dissolve fully because the crystals are thin, flat and flaky. Other salts may require you heat some of the water in order to get the salt to dissolve fully before adding it to the brine container with the bird.
Do you have to refrigerate a Turkey while Brining?
Yes, a turkey needs to be kept cold while brining. Raw turkey cannot sit out at room temperature even while brining, so make sure you have a spot in your fridge large enough to store the turkey in it’s brining container or bag.
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Brining and Roasting Turkey
The best, most simple turkey brine recipe I have found is this one. The flavor this brine gives the bird is amazing and the meat is REALLY juicy!
Ingredients
For the Brine:
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 Cup Honey
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth (or Turkey Broth)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh or thawed turkey, neck and giblets removed
Stuffing ingredients:
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half and sliced thin
- 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, quartered
- 1 garlic bulb, halved
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
Instructions
For the brine:
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Add salt, honey, broth, peppercorns and rosemary into the saucepan stirring to dissolve salt.
- Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.
- About 6 to 8 hours before you plan to roast your turkey, place brine mixture in a large clean bucket, stock pot or cooler and stir in 1 gallon of ice water.
- Place turkey in the bucket, breast side down, cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged, adding more ice water if necessary.
To roast the turkey:
- Preheat the oven to (Convection roast mode if you have it) 450°F. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out, with cool water and pat dry.
- Discard brine solution.
- Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper.
- Stuff turkey with onion, apple, garlic and rosemary.
- Place on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan and tuck the wings back.
- Brush the entire turkey with avocado oil or other oil, that is stable at high heat.
- Cover breast portion with foil and place turkey on lowest rack in oven and roast 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 350°F and roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted between the breast and thigh without touching the bone.
- Remove foil from breast about 45 minutes before the turkey is done.
- Remove turkey from pan, place on a platter and tent with foil. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
The video below shows you how to buttermilk brine a turkey. This is also a great brine to use when roasting a turkey. Just make the brine you prefer and follow the cooking instructions for roasting here. OR if you want to bake your turkey, follow the video baking instructions. Either method will give you a great bird.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
8 0z.Amount Per Serving Calories 218Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 74mgSodium 8551mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 1gSugar 19gProtein 11g
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Do you know how long a 20 lb turkey will take to cook with your brine recipe? Thanks!
Hi Susie, If you follow the recipe with the brine and light stuffing and initial roasting at 450 degrees F the roasting time will be close to what you see in the recipe. Add one more hour to your cooking schedule and make sure the internal temperature is correct before removing the turkey to rest. Happy Thanksgiving!
WoW, you explained in such an easy way the brining process. I always want to do but never knew which process to follow. I’m bookmarking yours for my next turkey dinner – Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Molly. I hope you enjoy this method of roasting a turkey. We sure did!
That is one mighty fine looking turkey. I have never cooked a whole turkey but I am keen to try, the brining technique is very interesting! Thanks for sharing
Thank you Ange! brining is a good prep method for roasting a turkey.
Nice looking bird!!! I think that to brine is the best method to cook a turkey as it penetrates the flavor all inside the meat…
Thank you Manal! We agree brining produces an excellent roasted turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!
I have never brined a turkey so this is really helpful – thanks x
Christie I’m so happy to share my experience with this method of brining and roasting a turkey. We were so impressed with the results. It’s not hard to do, just needs planning ahead. Let me know, if you do this, if you have any questions during the process and how it turns out for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
I have never brined a turkey…but have heard wonderful things about them. Perhaps I will have to give it a try after reading this post. Sounds awesome!!
Hi Gloria, I was very impressed with the results achieved by bringing. Let me know if you try it. I’d love feedback on this post!
Wow – I’m so intrigued by brining….I’ve never had any of my family do it this way! Glad yours turned out!
Hillary, It really did make a juicy flavorful bird. I’m not making a turkey this year.(Going to the relatives) But If I were, this is the method I would use!
Wow that’s a pretty looking bird, frozen or organic, I’m thinking I’d eat it !! lol
I’ve never use brining as a prep technique. Will have to give it a shot.
Let me know how it turns out for you Noel!
I would love to try this recipe, but I noticed in the instructions you mention the use of honey, when I reviewed the ingredients list I didn’t see honey listed… Is honey an ingredient and if so, how much?
Thanks!
Daisy, Thank you so much for your question. Upon reviewing the recipe I have inluded honey in the instructions and ingredients. The brine is a salt and honey wet brine. I hope you do try this recipe and please let me know your results! Happy Thanksgiving!
Wow, this is lovely and looks so incredibly delicious. I cant wait to try this out.
I hope you enjoy it Fareeha. Please let me know hw it turns out for you!