Turkey is the star of your Thanksgiving table. Utilizing a wet turkey brine, the turkey meat becomes infused with flavor and you’ll have the juiciest meat and crispy skin. My guest’s have told me this was the best turkey they had ever had! This easy turkey brine recipe needs to be added to your Thanksgiving menu.
Wet brining a turkey
A wet brine is when you submerge the turkey in a salted liquid overnight. The turkey’s proteins absorb the salt overnight, which in turn helps the turkey retain moisture while roasting. When you plain roast a turkey most of it’s juices will release while cooking, but by wet brining it retains that additional moisture leaving you with a juicy bird and infused with the flavors you brine them with. You can also check out my dry brine recipe.
Turkey brine
In it’s simplest form, wet brining is water and salt. With wet brines, you can really infuse great flavors with added ingredients into the brine. The molasses and honey are added to give the skin a nice golden brown and crispy texture once roasted. The soy sauce, since salty, helps with the brining process but also injects flavor into the bird while being absorbed. Then we have delicious herbs and aromatics: garlic, sage, and thyme.
Brining Equipment
To brine the turkey you can use: a large stock pot (like one you cook lobsters in), a brining bag, or you can use a cleaned 5 gallon bucket with a brine bag inside. Make sure you submerge the turkey breast side down and that you allow the cavity to fill with the water. If you’re using a brining bag, push all the air out prior to closing. Then it’s time for the brine to work its magic.
Post brining
Remove the turkey from the brine and remember the body is filled with water so be careful and pour it out before putting on the rack. Dry the whole turkey with paper towels including the inside.
Next comes the good stuff, the herb butter! Using a mix of butter, fresh sage, fresh thyme, and lemon zest mix it up and start stuffing! This herb butter will flavor the skin of the turkey while it’s roasting. Sometimes it’s hard to get under the skin so before coming at it with the butter, use your fingers or carefully use a spoon to loosen the skin. Add the herb butter under the skin and I also rubbed some on the outside after.
Turkey Tips/FAQ’s
- Thaw turkey based on weight
- 4-12 pounds: 1 to 3 days
- 12-16 pounds: 3 to 4 days
- 16-20 pounds: 4 to 5 days
- 20-24 pounds: 5 to 6 days
- According to Alton Brown, you can express thaw and wet brine at the same time in two days.
- Brine for 18 hours, max 24 hours. If you brine for too long the turkey can get overly salty and tough. If you have reached the brining time and not ready to roast, remove from brine, pat dry, and place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Tent the turkey with aluminum foil (shiny side out) for the first half of the roasting so the skin doesn’t burn. Uncover for the second half to allow the skin to brown and crisp.
- Time: Since turkey’s are different sizes, use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is fully cooked. Do not rely on “pop up” turkey tabs.
- 12-14 pounds at 350 degrees F: about 2 hr 45 min-3 hours
- 15-16 pounds at 350 degrees F: about 3 hr 30 min-3 hr 45 min
- 18-20 pounds at 350 degrees F: about 4 hr- 4 hr 25 min
- 21-22 pounds at 350 degrees F: about 4 hr 30 min- 4 hr 45 min
- Turkey temperature should register 165 degrees F before you remove it from the oven. Check with a thermometer in two places to ensure it is fully cooked
- Innermost part of the thigh and wing
- Thickest part of the breast
- Allow the turkey to rest. Wait at least 20 minutes before carving the turkey to allow the juices to settle.
I’ve had family members call this the best turkey they have ever had and I hope your family loves it too. This easy wet turkey brine is the way to cook your turkey this Thanksgiving!
In need of some Thanksgiving sides?
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Loved this recipe? Leave me a star review below!
Wet Brined Turkey
This easy wet turkey brine leaves you with moist turkey meat and crispy browned skin for your Thanksgiving meal!
Ingredients
Turkey Brine
- 14 to 18 pound turkey, cleaned, innards removed
- 6 quarts water, divided
- 1 ½ cups coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup molasses
- 2 cups honey
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 10 fresh thyme sprigs
- A few fresh sage leaves
- 2 heads garlic broken into individual cloves, unpeeled & crushed
- 5 pounds ice cubes
Herb Butter
- 16 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 lemons, zested
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- If frozen, thaw turkey according to weight [see notes]
- In a medium pot, boil 3 quarts of water and mix in the salt until salt is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In the same pot, add the molasses, soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, garlic, and mix until blended.
- In your brining pot or large bucket/cooler, add the ice, the remaining 3 quarts of water, and then carefully pour the brine mixture in and mix until fully combined.
- Place the turkey into the pot breast side down and push the bird down to allow the cavity to fill with the brine mixture. Cover the cooler and let the bird sit overnight 18 hours, max 24 hours [see note].
- Once done brining, carefully remove the bird from the brine. Remember the cavity is filled with liquid, so allow it to pour out into the pot. Dry it fully inside/out with paper towels. Place bird on roasting rack+ pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Assemble the herb butter in a small bowl. Using your fingers, by the neck loosen the skin on the turkey so you can get under it and insert the herb butter. You can also use the extra herb butter to rub on the outside as well.
- Put on the lower rack and loosely tent with foil for the first half of cooking, then remove for final half for the skin to brown and crisp. Roast until the internal temperature of the turkey on the innermost part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast is 165 degrees F [see notes].
- Remove turkey and transfer to a cutting board or serving dish and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving/serving.
Notes
- Thaw turkey based on weight
- Brine for 18 hours, max 24 hours. If you brine for too long the turkey can get overly salty and tough. If you have reached the brining time and not ready to roast, remove from brine, pat dry, and place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Tent the turkey with aluminum foil (shiny side out) for the first half of the roasting so the skin doesn't burn. Uncover for the second half to allow the skin to brown and crisp.
- Time: Since turkey's are different sizes, use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is fully cooked. Do not rely on "pop up" turkey tabs.
- Turkey temperature should register 165 degrees F before you remove it from the oven. Check with a thermometer in two places to ensure it is fully cooked
- Allow the turkey to rest. Wait at least 20 minutes before carving the turkey to allow the juices to settle.
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Nice article. I got the information I needed (how to brown the skin of a brined turkey).
It’s a good tip to mention that the choice of turkeys should not include one that has butter injected under the skin (Butterball, for example). I did that one year and it was so salty, we just ate the side dishes 🙁
I’ve been baking my turkeys (over 30 years) upside down, meaning the breast is down, back, up. Because the juices drip downward, the breast holds the juices last. It really works; I just haven’t had a gorgeous turkey hump to put on the table…for decades; (we’re okay with that). I’m curious about your thoughts on ‘flipping the bird’? (LOL)
JJ, I’ve heard of a lot of people cooking breast side down. It sounds like a great idea and maybe I’ll try next year! For me, I always choose taste over looks, so if it’s not as pretty but tastes amazing, that’s perfect in my book! I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving.
Basically, after I made this turkey for my husband’s family last year. I’ve been signed up by my own mother-in-love to make the turkey every year from now on. I don’t mind, it was pretty darn good!!! I’ve never had turkey that wasn’t dry, this was the juiciest turkey I’ve ever had.
I was advised to turn the pan every hour so the turkey would cook evenly and it definitely helped.
I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed the turkey Rebecca! The same thing happened to me, after my family had this recipe I’m now always on turkey duty too ?
Can you make turkey gravy from this recipe??
Hi Jeanette, I typically do not make my gravy from this recipe because due to the salty brine it can come out too salty. Perhaps if you pour some low sodium turkey broth at the bottom of the pan to dilute it and just use some of that to boost the flavor of your gravy it could work? I have not tried this before though