The BEST Turkey Brine Recipe for Juicy Turkey
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If you have been unfortunate enough to struggle through dry turkey, it was likely never brined properly. A good brine gives the breast a fighting chance, and this method keeps things simple.
Our turkey brine builds a strong base for moisture with a festive blend of savory, sweet, and citrus notes that never overpower the turkey.
One reader, Sandy, commented: “This was the perfect brine for my spring turkey smoke. The only thing I did was split the turkey in half. I seasoned one half with thyme and rosemary, and the other half with Chipotle seasoning. Loved it and so glad I ran across your recipes 😋 thanks. ★★★★★“
The best turkey brine for smoking
This brine features a clean base of salt and water for moisture, and then adds citrus, herbs, and garlic for a subtle sweetness that complements smoked or roasted turkey perfectly.
If you want to change the flavors, keep the salt and water ratios steady and swap the add-ins. You can use different citrus, switch the herbs, or add a little heat if you prefer.
Once the brine is chilled, it has enough volume to cover a medium to large turkey and works steadily during the soak so the seasoning reaches the center of the breast.
If you want a whole smoked turkey recipe to pair with this brine, try our pellet grill smoked turkey or our smoked spatchcock turkey for crisp skin.
What you need to make this turkey brine
Ingredients:
- Water
- Ice – To cool down the hot brine liquid quickly so you can safely add the turkey
- Salt and black pepper: We use Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. But you can also use whole peppercorns.
- Brown sugar
- Citrus: Oranges and lemons cut into wedges. But feel free to swap the oranges for clementines if you prefer.
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Fresh herbs: We’re using rosemary sprigs and thyme, but other popular options include sage and coriander.
Equipment:
- Large pot to make the brine
- A brining container – I’ve used both The Briner bucket and this 5 gallon Yeti bucket works great.
If you don’t have a large brining container available (or room in the fridge), our recipe on how to dry brine a turkey instead.
What to brine a turkey in
Finding something large enough to hold a whole turkey and the liquid to keep it fully submerged can be a struggle.
A food-safe 5-gallon bucket or brining container works best and fits easily in the fridge if you plan ahead. Brining bags also work well for smaller turkeys.
My other go-to option is a clean cooler. It gives you plenty of room for any size turkey, and with sealed bags of ice on top to weigh it down.
You can keep the brine cold overnight without fighting for fridge space.
How to brine a turkey
1. Heat one gallon of water
Set a large pot on the stove and pour in the first gallon of water. Start heating it over medium-high heat. Heating helps the salt and sugar dissolve and softens the citrus as the mixture warms.
2. Add brine ingredients
As the water heats, add the salt, sugar, peppercorns, citrus, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Besides the sugar and salt, you can experiment with different combinations and herbs.
Make the brine your own:
- Swap the citrus for apples or add a splash of apple juice if you want a slightly sweeter profile
- Add bay leaves or rosemary for a more savory profile, or use sage if you prefer a classic holiday flavor
- Crushed garlic, extra peppercorns, or a small amount of chili flakes can give the brine a little more punch.
Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Let the mixture reach a small rolling boil and give it a short simmer. This step helps the citrus break down and release more juice into the brine, which boosts the final flavor.
3. Cool the brine
Take the pot off the heat and carefully pour the hot brine into your brining vessel.
Once the hot brine is in the vessel you plan to use, add the cold water and stir to bring the temperature down. Add ice and keep stirring until the brine is fully chilled. The brine must be colder than fridge temperature before the turkey goes in.
After the cold water and ice are added, there will be enough liquid to easily cover a ten to fourteen pound turkey. You can add a little extra cold water if you need more volume, but avoid adding too much or the brine will weaken.
The liquid must be colder than fridge temperature before the turkey goes in. Once the cold water and ice are added, you will have enough volume to easily submerge a 10-14lb turkey.
You can add a little extra cold water if needed, but avoid adding too much, as this will dilute the brine.
4. Brine for 12 to 48 hours
Add the turkey, ensuring it remains fully submerged. If it floats, place a plate, a bowl, or a sealed bag of ice on top to keep it under the liquid. The Briner bucket I used has a handy contraption that holds the turkey down.
Turning the turkey once during the brine helps with even absorption, especially with larger birds. Keep the brine cold the entire time.
Twelve hours gives a lighter result, while a full day gives deeper seasoning and better moisture in the breast. Brining for up to forty-eight hours is also common if the brine stays cold.
5. Remove the turkey from the brine
Lift the turkey out of the brine and let the excess liquid drain off. Discard the brine. Pat the skin dry with paper towels until the surface is as dry as you can get it.
There is no need to rinse the turkey.
For extra crispy skin, transfer the turkey to a wire rack and move it to the fridge uncovered so the surface can dry out before cooking.
You’re now ready to apply your turkey seasoning. While you don’t need to, you can also inject the turkey, and then it’s ready for the smoker.
Turkey Brine FAQs
- Can I brine a turkey that is labeled enhanced or kosher? Yes, you can brine an enhanced turkey, but reduce the salt and shorten the brine time. Enhanced birds already contain a small amount of salt, so the brine works faster. Use a lighter hand with salt and keep the brine closer to twelve hours instead of a full day.
- Should I rinse the turkey after brining? No. Lift it from the brine, pat it dry, and let it air dry in the fridge. Only rinse if you plan to use a very salty seasoning rub.
- Can I make the brine ahead of time? Yes. You can prepare the brine a few days in advance and keep it chilled in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Recipes to use this brine with
You can use this brine solution for any of our whole turkey recipes or use it to add extra flavor to wings, breasts, or legs. Here are just some of our favorite turkey recipes:
This turkey brine works perfectly for a Thanksgiving turkey and one my family uses every year without fail. If you try it, do me a favor and leave us a 5-star rating so more people discover it.
The BEST Turkey Brine Recipe for Juicy and Flavorful turkey
Ingredients
- 1 gallon water - for heating
- ½ gallon cold tap water
- ice - as needed to cool the brine below 45°F, see note 1
- 1½ cups Kosher salt
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 3 tbsp whole black pepper corns
- 3 oranges - cut into wedges
- 3 lemons - cut into wedges
- 5 cloves garlic - smashed
- 4 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 4 tbsp fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat 1 gallon of water in a large pot over medium high heat and stir in the salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns until they dissolve.
- Add the oranges, lemons, garlic, rosemary, and thyme to the pot, bring the mixture to a light boil, and let it simmer for a few minutes so the citrus releases juice.
- Remove the pot from the heat, pour in ½ gallon of cold tap water, and add enough ice to bring the brine below 45°F.
- P;ace the turkey in a brining bucket or food safe container and pour the chilled brine over the top, adding more cold water or ice if the turkey is not fully submerged. Use a plate, a bowl, or a sealed bag of ice to weigh the turkey down so it stays under the brine.
- Remove the turkey from the brine, discard the brine, and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- For better browning, set the turkey on a wire rack and let it air dry in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours before cooking.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
About Your Pitmaster
Joe Clements is the founder and editor-in-chief of Smoked BBQ Source, a leading barbecue resource that has helped tens of millions master grilling and smoking. Growing up in a vegetarian household, his love for barbecue was unexpected. Determined to master the craft, he launched Smoked BBQ Source in 2016 to document his journey from amateur to pitmaster.
Joe leads a team of expert barbecue creators and oversees the largest collection of in-depth grill reviews and a library of tested, foolproof recipes. Whether he’s firing up a pellet grill or charcoal kettle, he’s passionate about making barbecue approachable and enjoyable for all.
Can I use this brine mixture on a 13 Lb turkey and cook it in the traditional way in the oven?
Absolutely, no reason you can’t do that.
22 pd turkey will work for this amount?
should be good to go!
I do the brining as shown, but I add a cup and a half of my rub I make. Then at room temp 2 bars of butter and a bunch of fresh sage dosing it under the skin in the thigh area, yum.
Great tip on the rub, will definitely have to try that.
Do you use your rub after the 24 hour soak or do you add it to the brine at the beginning
Great point. I tried adding my rub but got a bit too excited and ending up having a tug into the pot too!
How much brine for just a single turkey breast
You just need enough brine liquid to cover the breast, so will depend on the size of the container as well.
Do you use Morton’s or Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt?
I have read that due to the way they make their salt, that a tablespoon of one weighs more than the other.
Can you use the bake turkey drippings for gravy ?
Where can you get kosher s alt from or can you use normal salt
You can use normal salt. Should be able buy Kosher salt from most grocery stores though, or Amazon.
I accidentallly heated two gallons with everything in it. It is going to come out okay?
I accidentally used two gallons to heat everything. Is It going to ruin it?
Should be fine!
It’s fine, it will just take a bit longer for the liquid to cool before you would want to put the turkey in it.
So I made my brine the night before and it cooled overnight. I also injected my turkey and used Fire and Smoke Poultry season on my turkey after rubbing it down with melted butter. Used cherry pellets to smoke it, Best turkey I’ve ever cooked!
Sounds like a winning combo!
My smoker has a tray for adding liquid. What would you suggest adding to keep the turkey moist? Would you even use it? Thanks
Just water, although it’s more going to help stabilize the temp and keep it low inside the smoke chamber, rather than keeping the turkey moist. This can help prevent the turkey from overcooking, which I suppose will kep it moist.
Sounds Great but,
I’ve never done a brine before.
I saw your suggestion of a cooler and wondering if the brine should cover the turkey and should it be breast down or up?
The brine should cover the liquid, and breast side up or down doesn’t matter so long as everything is covered.
Had an early dinner with my in-laws and used this brine recipe. It’s fantastic! Currently making a second batch for our Thanksgiving Day Turkey. Thanks for sharing, and Happy Holidays!
Awesome to hear, thank you! Hope the Thanksgiving Day turkey turns out as good.
Could you recommend a good rub for the skin that goes along with this brine? Was gonna skip a rub but I wanna do something.
I sure can, our smoked turkey rub was designed to go with our brine. Just leave out the salt as most people find the turkey will be salty enough from brining.
Can I use chicken instead or do u have a good chicken brine
Can use chicken.
First time smoking turkey. Unbelievable! Flavour, tender, moist.
This was the perfect brine for my spring turkey smoke 😆. The only thing I did was split the turkey in half. I seasoned one half with thyme and rosemary and the other half i seasoned with Chipotle seasoning.
I did add 3 tsps of insta cure #1 for the flavor and texture. I also cut half a cup of salt out.
14lbs split in half and smoked 4.5 hours with butter in shallow foil pan . Loved it and so glad I ran across you recipes 😋 thanks
That’s a great idea to split the turkey so you can get two different flavor combos going on! Thanks for your review!
So, if you do a rub after brining dont do it with salt as brine has enough salt to taste? Also, whole or butterfly the turkey? Which is best?
I usually don’t recommend salt in the rub if you brine, although it does depend on how salty the brine is and how long you leave it in there. For a shorter brine time I might still use some salt. Although it’s easier to add salt at the end then take it out… I generally prefer butterfly/spatchcock vs whole.
Used this brine the last 3 years, then cooked the 18-20# turkey in a ’50s Nesco counter-top roaster – fantastic every time! Many guests said it was the best turkey they ever had. To keep the breast even juicier, I remove them whole and cut them in 1 to 2 inch slices across the breast. Will never slice them the “old way” again 😉
Great to hear our brine has been so consistent for you! Gotta love those old counter-top roasters. Highly recommend removing the breast and slicing against the grain.