Holiday Turkey Brine

Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, and there's no better way to guarantee a delicious bird than by using this Holiday Turkey Brine Recipe. This brine is packed with flavor, thanks to apple cider, brown sugar, zesty oranges, garlic, onion, and fresh rosemary. Plus, the scent of this brine will have your whole house smell like Thanksgiving.

Total Time

25min

0.0

0 Ratings

Author: Anna at SideChef

Servings:

Ingredients

•

3 cups

Apple Cider

•

1 cup

Ginger Ale

•

32 cups

Water

•

Large Onion

•

1 1/2 cups

Kosher Salt

•

5 cloves

Garlic , minced

•

2 cups

Brown Sugar

•

3 Tbsp

Peppercorns

•

Bay Leaves

•

4 sprigs

Fresh Rosemary

•

Oranges , peeled

Cooking Instructions

In a large pot, combine Apple Cider (3 cups) , Ginger Ale (1 cup) , Onion (1) , Garlic (5 cloves) , Kosher Salt (1 1/2 cups) , Brown Sugar (2 cups) , Peppercorns (3 Tbsp) , Fresh Rosemary (4 sprigs) , Bay Leaves (5) , Orange Peels (3) , and Water (32 cups) .

Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until brown sugar and salt dissolve completely. Turn off the heat, cover, and chill completely.

Place your turkey in a large pot or a brining bag and pour in the holiday turkey brine. Make sure the bird is completely submerged. Leave the turkey to brine in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.

When ready for roasting, rinse the turkey and leave it in cold water for 15 minutes.

Author's Notes

Yields 18 servings.

Make sure to use a turkey that hasn’t been pre-brined, otherwise, your bird will turn out too salty. Pre-brined turkeys are usually labeled “enhanced”, “kosher”, “self-basting”, or “basted”.

If you plan to roast a smaller turkey (10-14 pounds) you can half this brine recipe.

Nutrition Per Serving

CALORIES

131

FAT

0.0 g

PROTEIN

0.0 g

CARBS

33.4 g