The best way to brine a turkey is being covered in this post in the Miss Information’s Complete Guide to Thanksgiving series! I’ve also included a few Turkey Alternatives in case you want to change things up.
This is day seven of nice days to your complete Thanksgiving Guide. In the past six days, I have rounded up Thanksgiving Meal Ideas from appetizers, sides, bread, and stuffing to make your Thanksgiving planning a success. Now we’ll focus on the crown jewel of any Thanksgiving, the turkey. I’m going to show you the best way to brine a turkey because brining is the secret to a juicy bird. It is so flavorful and moist, everyone will be saying you are the master of the bird!
Turkey Tips
Yesterday, we discussed stuffing. We all love those beautiful pictures of turkeys with stuffing pouring out of their butts, but if you do this, one thing is going to suffer. Either your turkey will be over cooked, or your stuffing under cooked. So, put your stuffing in a pan and make your turkey perfect, by leaving it un-stuffed.
Although it takes some time but little effort, the secret to a perfectly juicy bird is to brine it. You can shove whatever you want into that bird, and it will never be as moist and juicy as it will when you brine it. I have used several homemade recipes for brining, but I have found two brining kits that are both amazing.
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They both come complete with the brine spices and the bag you will need to set your turkey down into while it brines. The first is Fire & Flavor
. This is a flavorful but milder brine that won’t overpower the natural taste of your turkey. It’s kosher with no artificial flavors and it’s gluten and nitrate free. The other is Urban Accents Gourmet Gobler Turkey Brine. Its brine is bolder with a fuller in flavor than the Fire & Flavor brand. It’s Natural flavors,Non-GMOO Project Verified, and Gluten-Free blend. The bag it comes with is BPA free for a turkey up to 24 lbs. I’m not the only one that thinks it’s great Food Network voted it “best brine for your bird” in 2014.
. This is a flavorful but milder brine that won’t overpower the natural taste of your turkey. It’s kosher with no artificial flavors and it’s gluten and nitrate free. The other is Urban Accents Gourmet Gobler Turkey Brine. Its brine is bolder with a fuller in flavor than the Fire & Flavor brand. It’s Natural flavors,Non-GMOO Project Verified, and Gluten-Free blend. The bag it comes with is BPA free for a turkey up to 24 lbs. I’m not the only one that thinks it’s great Food Network voted it “best brine for your bird” in 2014.The Best Way to Brine A Turkey
This no fail brine will make you the perfect bird, every time. Last weekend, I made one to show you guys, and I let three friends of mine taste it. The one comment they all had was, “This is the best turkey I have ever had!” It has seasoned flavor but not over powering, it is juicy and stays that way for days after! Take a look at this beautiful bird!
Brining this way is so easy. You just take sugar and water and boil it with the kits spice packet. Then add vinegar ad let it cool to your turkey doesn’t start cooking when you put it in the brine. Put the turkey into the provided brining bag and pour the brine over it. Add 4 quarts of water. We put ours in a 5 gallon round cooler
, seal the bag and add some ice. When it’s really cold outside, we just skip the ice and put it outside all night. 
, seal the bag and add some ice. When it’s really cold outside, we just skip the ice and put it outside all night. The next day, when you’re ready to roast your turkey, pull the turkey out of the brine bag and place it on a rack pan breast
side up and pat it dry with a paper towel. I place a quartered onion, a lemon cut in half, and any remaining celery from my dressing inside the cavity of the bird. Make a tent over the bird with foil and bake at 350 degrees until your bird reaches about 165 degrees. Mine took around 3 1/2 hours. While you are waiting print out this fun FREE Printable Thanksgiving BINGO Set to play with the kids.
side up and pat it dry with a paper towel. I place a quartered onion, a lemon cut in half, and any remaining celery from my dressing inside the cavity of the bird. Make a tent over the bird with foil and bake at 350 degrees until your bird reaches about 165 degrees. Mine took around 3 1/2 hours. While you are waiting print out this fun FREE Printable Thanksgiving BINGO Set to play with the kids.Pull the foil off and discard it then baste
your bird with the juice from the pan. Let the bird get a beautiful golden brown on the outside and reach 180 degrees before you take it out. Let it sit at least 15-20 minutes before carving to let the juices settle. If you carve it too early all the juice will be on your platter not in your turkey. Don’t throw away your turkey bones put them in a large zip-top bag and put them in the fridge so tomorrow you can make my yummy turkey gumbo with the remains.
your bird with the juice from the pan. Let the bird get a beautiful golden brown on the outside and reach 180 degrees before you take it out. Let it sit at least 15-20 minutes before carving to let the juices settle. If you carve it too early all the juice will be on your platter not in your turkey. Don’t throw away your turkey bones put them in a large zip-top bag and put them in the fridge so tomorrow you can make my yummy turkey gumbo with the remains.Now you know the best way to brine a turkey!
Now if turkey is not your thing, and you want a few Turkey alternatives for Thanksgiving, here are some other great main course ideas:
Pineapple Honey Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham
If you would like to see all the other recipes and tips in the Complete Guide to Thanksgiving just click on each picture below to see each day.
