Turkey Brine Recipe & Tips For Cooking a Delicious Bird

This brine recipe is amazing. My turkeys went from tasteless to delicious, dry to moist. I will never go back to any other recipe. I promise if you follow this recipe to the T, it will come out amazing. 

Ingredients for a 14-16 lb Turkey:

4 cups chicken stock
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
4 sprigs rosemary
2 tsp. all spice berries
2 tsp. black peppercorns

2 gallons water

Directions:

• Over medium heat add all ingredients except water to a pot. 
• Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and brown sugar have dissolved. 
• Once it has dissolved, turn off heat and set aside until it has cooled. 
• Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. Pour the brine & water over the bird. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed. Cover and refrigerate or set in cool area such as a garage for 8 to 24  hours,
• When bird is ready to cook, remove from brine & rinse well, inside and out, pat dry.
• Discard the brine.

Tips for cooking:

• Cook at 325 degrees.
• For the first hour, cook the turkey upside down. 
• Remove from oven and turn it breast upside and continue cooking until done. You can baste the bird with broth from the pan every 30-45 minutes if you wish. 
• DO NOT COVER THE BIRD! 
• If the breast of the bird begins to brown to fast, you can make tent out of foil and cover only the breast of the turkey. Then remove 1/2 before it is done.

Aromatics suggestions: This is to be placed inside the cavity of the turkey during cooking. Add all ingredients,

• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1 stalk celery, 1" pieces
• 1 large carrot. 1" pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 cinnamon stick