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This is the turkey brine recipe to beat all others! It doesn't require fancy ingredients or expensive equipment, but it delivers what matters most--an incredibly juicy, flavorful, and tender turkey every single time.
This turkey brine isn't just about flavor, it's about confidence. By taking one simple extra step, you set yourself up for a Thanksgiving centerpiece that's moist, tender, and worthy of seconds (and thirds). After years of making holiday meals, this is the method I trust every single time. I can't wait for you to taste the difference.
Kristen's Keys for Brining a Turkey
Brining a turkey isn't complicated, but it does require a little planning. Let these tips help make the process as smooth, affordable, and mess-free as possible.
- A fresh turkey works best. Frozen turkeys are often pre-injected with sodium, which can affect how well they absorb the brine. That said, brining a defrosted frozen turkey will still taste better than one that hasn't been brined.
- Timing is everything! If needed, plan for time to fully thaw a frozen turkey (3-5 days), prepare and cool turkey brine (1-2 days in advance), and brine the turkey (8-18 hours).
- Cool the brine completely. Pouring a warm brine over raw turkey is a food safety no-no. Make the brine a day or two in advance or use ice to speed up the cooling process.
- Don't trust a brining bag alone! After placing the turkey and turkey brine in a brining bag, place that bag into a large pot or bucket. This will help protect your fridge from any potential leaks.
- Temperature matters. Always keep the turkey and brine between 31°F and 40°F (any colder and the turkey or brine may freeze; any warmer and bacterial growth can occur). I personally recommend leaving room inside the refrigerator to ensure those temperatures are safely met.
5-Star Reader Review
I'd give it 10 stars. Been making turkeys for Holidays for 50+ years. One year spent over $10 on Brine spice….let me tell you. This is the best looking, juiciest, most delicious turkey I think I have ever made. Was so proud to share some with a neighbor! I made the brine and then followed recipe for "How to Roast"... THANK YOU, Kristen for your marvelous recipes. Linda⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Turkey Brine Ingredients
The star ingredient in any brine is kosher salt. The salt works to flavor and tenderize the turkey. But beyond the salt, the ingredients are simple and interchangeable.
- Water: While you certainly can use apple juice, apple cider, chicken stock, turkey stock, or vegetable broth to make your turkey brine, I find the difference in flavor to be negligible. I let the aromatics and herbs do the heavy lifting and stick with water to cut down on the overall cost.
- Kosher Salt: Only kosher salt will do! Table salt, or iodized salt, will lead to a metallic tasting turkey.
- Aromatics: Celery, onions, sweet apples, and garlic impart fresh, slightly sweet flavor to the brine.
- Herbs & Spices: Fresh garlic, thyme, and rosemary are my go-tos, as they add savory, earthy notes to the turkey.
- Brown Sugar: Dissolves easily into the wet brine and works to add subtle sweet notes to the turkey.
Equipment Tip
Do You Need a Turkey Brine Bag?
If you have a large turkey, it is unlikely that your turkey and brine will fit into a pan that can fit into your refrigerator. Therefore, you will need a turkey brining bag to brine your turkey. If you can't find a brining bag large enough for your turkey, I have used an extra large Ziploc bag that is easy to find and inexpensive.
How to Brine a Turkey
While brining a turkey may seem complicated, I promise that the process is easy! Let my step-by-step process guide you and help you feel confident.
Step One: Thaw Turkey (3-5 days in advance)
If you are not starting with a fresh turkey, you will need to fully thaw the frozen turkey in the refrigerator before placing it into the brine. Plan for 24 hours for every 4 pounds of
👉🏻How long does a frozen turkey need to thaw? Plan for 24 hours in the fridge for every 4-5 pounds. A 20-pound turkey will likely need a full 5 days.
Step Two: Prepare Brine (1-2 days in advance)
In a large stock pot, combine salt, sugar, herbs, and aromatics with water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
Step Three: Fully Chill Brine
Again, let me stress that it is critical to fully chill the brine before adding the turkey to the brine, which is why I suggest preparing your turkey brine 1-2 days ahead of time. Otherwise, bacteria will grow. Let the brine cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate to cool completely.
👉🏻Need to speed up the process? Add 10-12 cups of ice to bring the temperature down quickly.
Step 4: Brine the Turkey (8-18 hours in advance)
Don't skip the long soak in the brine! It is key to ensure the turkey turns out tender and juicy. Plan for 8 hours minimum or up to 18 hours. Longer than 18 hours, the proteins begin to break down.
- Remove and discard the packaging, gizzards, neck, and plastic pop-up timer from the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the brining bag, pour the chilled brine over the turkey.
- Add enough cold water to submerge the turkey fully in liquid.
- Seal the bag, place the brining bag in a bucket or large pot (just in case leaks occur).
- Place in refrigerator for 8-18 hours.
Step 5: Remove Turkey From Brine
After brining the turkey, it is time to cook it! But first let me give you a few pro-tips to keep in mind when removing the turkey from the brine, so clean-up is a breeze!
- Prepare the kitchen by removing any food or clean dishes from around your sink and place a trash can and roasting pan near the sink.
- Bring the turkey and brine to the sink. Remove the turkey from the brine and lightly rinse off the brine. Once rinsed and place it on the roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels.
- Strain off the brining liquid and discard solids and bringing bag away in the trash.
👉🏻Sanitize everything! After handling the raw turkey, be sure to sanitize your sink and counters with bleach to prevent food poisoning.
Step Six: Cook the Brined Turkey
Bake, smoke, pressure-cook, or slow cook! A brined turkey works beautifully with almost any cooking method--although I am partial to my roasted turkey recipe. Just remember to use a digital thermometer and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 162°F; it will rise to the perfect 165°F as it rests.
👉🏻How can you tell the turkey is fully cooked? Regardless the cooking method, the best way to ensure that is to insert a an oven-safe digital probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and cook until the breast reaches at least 162°F. As the turkey rests, it will reach 165°F before serving.
Can You Brine a Frozen Turkey?
Yes, even if your turkey was injected with a sodium solution, brining it will still add flavor. Just keep in mind you need to fully thaw the frozen turkey before placing it into the brine. Once thawed, remove the giblets and neck from the cavity of the turkey and follow the instructions as written.
A Few Final Tips
- Budget-Friendly Trick: Leading up to the holiday meal, place scraps like onion peels, celery ends, apple peels and cores, and wilted herbs in a large freezer-safe bag the freezer (add to it as you collect the scraps) and use them in your brine to reduce food waste and cut costs.
- No room in the fridge? If it is reliably below 40°F and above 31°F outside, you can use a cooler, but monitor the temperature carefully to stay in the safe zone. Also, be mindful if you live in an area with critters!
- Note on Gravy: It is not recommended to make gravy using drippings from a brined turkey, as it is just too salty. You can opt to serve your brined turkey with my turkey gravy made without drippings or skip the gravy altogether--it is so flavorful and juicy you won't need it!
Complete Your Holiday Meal
Serve your Brined Turkey with crockpot mashed potatoes (so easy!), bread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and cranberry orange sauce and/or one of the following dishes for a Thanksgiving dinner everyone will rave about.
Easy Turkey Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt, NO exceptions
- ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves, fresh or dry
- 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut in half
- 5 stalks celery
- 1 large apple, any variety, sliced
- 10-12 cups water, plus an additional 1 gallon of water for the brining process
Instructions
Turkey Brine Recipe (Prepare 1-2 Days Before Cooking Turkey)
- Place the 1 cup kosher salt ½ cup brown sugar, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, 4-5 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon peppercorns, 2 large yellow onions, 5 stalks celery, 1 large apple, any variety into a large stock pan. Cover with 10-12 cups water or chicken/turkey stock.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until sugar and salt have dissolved in water into the brine.
- Remove the brine from the heat and let the brine cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and then cover and transfer it to the refrigerator to cool fully.
- At this point, you can strain off the solids from your brine. I typically leave them in the brine and then discard them with the brining bag in the morning after removing the turkey from the brine. The choice is completely yours.
How to Brine a Turkey (8-18 Hours Before Cooking Turkey)
- On the night before you plan to roast your turkey, remove the turkey from the packaging, and discard the packaging, pop-up thermometer, gizzards, and neck from the cavity of the turkey.
- Place the turkey into the brining bag or large stock pan and pour the brining liquid over the turkey into the bag.
- Add additional cold water to cover the turkey completely in liquid. This is about 1 gallon of cold water.
- Seal the brining bag, and place it into a container (such as a large pan or bucket) to prevent cross-contamination if your turkey brine bag were to leak. Refrigerate the turkey in the brine for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- Before roasting the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and rinse off the excess salt on the turkey. Place the turkey on a large roasting pan and blot the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Cook the turkey as desired. I like to follow my instructions for Roast Turkey.
- Strain off the brining liquid and discard solids and bringing bag away in the trash and thoroughly clean and sanitize sink and surfaces turkey touched.
Equipment
- XL Ziploc Storage Bags (typically less expensive than brining bags)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was published originally in 2017 but has been updated in 2025.
I've got an 11 lb frozen turkey to brine. My thought is to brine it whole and then spatchcocking it to cut down on the cook time and get hopefully a brown crispy skin. Would you still start with a 500 or 450 degree oven? Also, if spatchcocking the bird, can you place the stuffing underneath it in the oven or is it better to cook the stuffing in a different container? It has been in the refrigerator for about a week so it should be fully thawed.
Hi Dianna! I would still plan to cook your stuffing in a separate container for the best results. As for the cooking time, I would start the oven high for the first 20-30 minutes to get that crispy skin. It really makes for a beautiful presentation and seals in the flavor (plus most people enjoy crispy skin). Happy thanksgiving!
Kristen,
I'm roasting my first 20 lb turkey for Christmas, which my son won for the turkey rally.
Appreciate your advise - do I double the recipe for brining?
Thank you in advance.
Happy Christmas!
Cris
Congratulations to your son! Yes, for that size doubling would be wise. Enjoy!
Great recipe, I usually brine my bird. Useful food safety tips. The only thing I’m questioning is the 1/2 hour at 500 degree to start roasting the bird. My 18# bird in my fully preheated oven ended up with dark brown/borderline burned skin after about 20 minutes. I had checked that my oven was 500 degrees, no warmer, with digital thermometer. I don’t see that in all recipes - is it really necessary? I find it super challenging in general to roast at such a high temp.
Hi Laurie! I have found that roasting at 500 degrees helps to "sear" the turkey and crisp up the skin. If you see it is browning too quickly, you can lower it after 15-20 minutes. You can also roast first for 30 minutes at 450 degrees--I personally have used the 500 degree method for decades now and love it myself.
I had a frozen turkey, and was unsure if the brining would help keep it moist and/or be too salty because of it being injected with solution. I only used a 1/2 cup of salt, and I could’ve easily used the full cup. Everyone raved and raved on my turkey! Thanks so much for this really informative info on birds!
You are so welcome--I love hearing it was a hit!
How many hours should you brine the turkey for? I don’t want to do it for too long and have it be salty. TIA
Hi CherylAnn! I recommend brining for at least 8 hours, but up to 18 hours is best. I typically wait until I go bed and stick it in and then remove it when I wake up. Enjoy!
Thank you. Does the 2-2.5 hrs of roasting time include the 30 min at 500’?
Would you recommend brining a frozen turkey if that is all you have? Found your recipe after I bought the turkey! It’s 23 pounds and in the fridge right now.
Thanks!!
Yes, I still find it adds flavor. Enjoy!
Would you suggest doing this for a bone in turkey breast also? OR do you
like the idea of just butter an herbs under the skin and roasting it?
I love brining my turkey breast as well. I would omit the salt from the butter rub if you use that as well...just to control the sodium level.