To roast a juicy, succulent turkey, without using any butter or oil, soak your turkey in a brine bath overnight, you will never want to cook a turkey another way.
Roasting a turkey can seem intimidating if you are doing it for the first time, but I can assure you, it is easier than you think! All you need is a little planning, room in your refrigerator, a probe thermometer, a turkey baster, a roasting pan (disposable one is fine) and you really can’t mess up.
You can purchase a brining blend or you can easily make the brine solution yourself. This was simply a combination of coarse sea salt, cane sugar, lemon peel, orange peel, rosemary, pink, red and green peppercorns, thyme, sage and bay leaves. You can use a gallon of apple cider or vegetable stock in place of some of the water, the ingredients are pretty flexible. I’ve seen some brine combinations with cinnamon sticks, star anise, chopped apple, candied ginger, etc.
NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Make room in the fridge
Start using up the foods that are taking up space in your refrigerator and freezer to make sure you have plenty of room for your turkey, roast and other dishes you will serve.
Check your pantry to see what you already have and make a shopping list of the ingredient you will need. Purchasing all your pantry items early will reduce stress later when the stores are crowded.
Don’t forget the thermometers
If you don’t already have one, add a thermometer to your shopping list. A cooked whole turkey is safe at a minimum internal temperature of 165 F throughout the bird.
24 hours before you plan to cook your turkey, brine your turkey.
To minimize cleanup, line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Transfer the turkey to the bag, add brining mixture, remaining water, and the other ingredients. Refrigerate for 24 hours, flipping turkey once.
Don’t roast a cold turkey. Take your bird out of the refrigerator (and out of the brine, if you’re brining) an hour before you put it in the oven to ensure even cooking and a moist bird.
If you brine turkey, try overcooking it!
FAQ
Do brined turkeys cook faster?
Does brining reduce cooking time?
How long after brining a turkey do you cook it?
Do you have to cook meat immediately after brining?
How long do you brine a Turkey before cooking?
Be sure to give yourself ample time to brine and cook the turkey before it’s time to eat. Reverse the clock starting at the time you’d like to serve dinner. Subtract the cooking time, 20 minutes for the turkey to sit before carving, and between 6 and 24 hours to brine (this time is up to you).
How to brine a Turkey?
Making a wet brine at home is easy as 1, 2, 3, using just a few simple ingredients. The most basic brine recipe is just water and kosher salt at a ratio of one cup of salt to one gallon of water. Develop additional flavor for your turkey by adding fresh herbs, seasonings, citrus or even apple juice to the brine.
When is brining a Turkey?
Brining often comes up around Thanksgiving. Not only is it the biggest turkey-eating holiday of the year, but it’s an occasion on which people frequently cook an entire large turkey, versus smaller portions of the bird. Cooking an entire turkey is an art: it’s tough to cook it through without drying out the turkey.