If you want your holiday turkey to be juicy, flavorful, and never dry, brining is the secret step you don’t want to skip. This guide will walk you through how to brine a turkey, using simple pantry staples like apple cider, fresh herbs, citrus, and spices. Whether it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving or you’re a seasoned cook, this brine recipe guarantees a turkey that’s tender, moist, and delicious.
In This Post
Heather’s Notes
- Brining ensures a juicy turkey with flavor infused into every bite.
- The apple cider and citrus add a subtle sweetness that balances the savory herbs.
- It’s a make-ahead step that takes the stress out of cooking on the big day.
- Works for both whole turkeys and turkey breasts, perfect for smaller gatherings.
- You can customize the flavors with spices, herbs, or even swap in your favorite fruit juices.
If you’re gearing up for Thanksgiving like I am, you’ll want to add some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes like: my Classic Cranberry Sauce that’s scented with orange and spices and make a fantastic Puff Pastry Twists appetizer the next day, or my easy recipe for Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, or an Asian inspired Spiral Ham with Apricot that’s so incredibly flavorful you’ll want to make it year round.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make a flavorful turkey brine:
- Fresh or thawed turkey – Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before brining for even flavor absorption.
- Apple cider or apple juice – Adds a natural sweetness and depth to the brine.
- Fresh herbs – Rosemary, thyme, and sage bring classic holiday aroma and taste.
- Oranges – Sliced for brightness and a hint of citrus.
- Brown sugar – Balances the saltiness of the brine with a touch of caramel sweetness.
- Kosher salt – The essential ingredient that helps the turkey retain moisture.
- Black peppercorns – Add a warm, peppery kick.
- Bay leaves – A traditional brine flavor that adds depth.
- Cold water – Helps dissolve the brine and ensures the turkey is fully submerged.
Find the full printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed step-by-step instructions below.
Substitutes & Variations
- Swap apple cider with pomegranate juice for a tart twist.
- Use maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a deeper, richer sweetness.
- Add garlic cloves, onions, or ginger slices to layer in more flavor.
- Try beer or white wine for part of the liquid for unique depth.
- For a spicier version, toss in a few dried chilies or crushed red pepper flakes.
Special Equipment Needed
- Turkey Brine Bag: brining bag as easy to come by on Amazon, the grocery store, or Williams-Sonoma
- Large Stock Pot: if you don’t want to purchase a brine bag, you can use a large stock pot with a tight fitting lid. Make sure it’s large enough to full submerge a large turkey.
- Roasting Pan: to roast the turkey.
- Large Cooler: using a large cooler will alleviate refrigerator space which during the holiday season is hot real estate. If using a cooler, make sure to add ice to the wet brine to keep it cold.
- Plastic Bucket or other large container: lastly, you can use a plastic bucket with a lid to brine the turkey. Either keep it chilled in a cooler or the refrigerator.
How to Make this Simple Brine Recipe
This recipe takes only a few minutes to assemble and makes enough to brine a 18-20 lb turkey.
- Prepare the brine base
In a large stockpot, combine apple cider, kosher salt, and brown sugar. Heat gently until the salt and sugar dissolve. - Add aromatics
Stir in orange slices, herbs, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Let the mixture cool completely before using. - Submerge the turkey
Place the turkey in a large brining bag or food-safe bucket. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, then add enough cold water to cover completely. - Refrigerate
Brine the turkey in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Rotate occasionally to ensure even coverage. - Rinse and dry
Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels before roasting. This step keeps the turkey from being overly salty.
Tips for Storing
- Store leftover brine in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if you’d like to use it for another batch of poultry.
- Once used, discard the brine — never reuse it since it’s been in contact with raw turkey.
- Cooked turkey leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze leftover turkey for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
FAQs
As a general rule of thumb: about one hour per pound of turkey, but for best results, 24 hours or less. The longer you brine, the more the muscle fibers are broken down which can result in an overly salty turkey.
Here’s a breakdown of brine times to help you:
12–14-lb. turkey: 16–18 hours.
14–16-lb. turkey: 18–20 hours.
16–18-lb. turkey: 20–22 hours.
18–20-lb. turkey: 22–24 hours.
YES! Do a test run with your turkey before brining by placing your brine bag, container, or bucket in the fridge to make sure you have room. If using a cooler, be sure to add ice to keep the turkey chilled during the brining process.
Refrigerating the turkey after rinsing a brined turkey will help dry the entire turkey inside and out resulting in a crisper skin when roasting. You should refrigerate it uncovered at least 2 hours but overnight is best. Place the turkey on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet for easy removal and no messy fridge clean-up later.
YES! Always make sure you rinse the turkey under cool running water inside and out to remove the brine solution. Dry well with paper towels before seasoning.
Not rinsing a salt brine off the turkey before cooking it will likely result in a very salty bird that will be unpleasant to consume.
More Recipes We Love
Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving Dinner recipes to serve alongside a moist turkey.
- Turkey, Bacon & Garlic Hummus Panini
- Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Beet Pasta Carbonara
- Turkey Chili with Yams & Black Beans
How to Brine a Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water
- 1 gallon apple cider, or apple juice
- 2 cups kosher salt, or sea salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 medium oranges, sliced
- 1 head garlic, whole cloves
- 3 tbsp black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves, fresh or dried
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until salt and sugar are dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
- Place turkey breast side down into brining vessel (brine bag, bucket, or large pot with lid). Cover with cooled brining solution. Cover and refrigerate according to brine times in notes.
- Remove the turkey from the brine solution and rinse well inside and out with cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and either season and roast or place on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate overnight (uncovered) to dry it out further.
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Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
a simple recipe that I hope you’ll love
I was expecting to see a citrus Brine with the orange slices in the preview photo. If you have not done so, Orange Juice and slices roasted under the skin is a fantastic citrus burst of flavour 😊