Quick Look: Easy Smoked Turkey Brine
- Brine Time (turkeys 12 pounds and under): 24 hours
- Brine Time (turkeys over 12 pounds): up to 48 hours
- Main Ingredients: water, Morton coarse kosher salt, apple cider, herbs, red onion, peppercorns
- Best For: whole smoked turkey or Traeger smoked turkey breast, especially for Thanksgiving or other holiday gatherings!
- Equipment: food-safe brining bag or large food-safe container with enough room for it to fit in the refrigerator.
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-free, holiday recipe
Share and summarize this recipe:
Reasons To Wet Brine Your Smoked Turkey
- A simple salt-to-water ratio makes it easy to customize the amount of brine needed for your turkey.
- Apple Cider + Fresh Herbs = incredible flavor with a subtle sweetness.
- Versatile – Adjust the brine time to the size of your turkey or turkey breast.
- It infuses the turkey meat to help produce juicy, tender turkey!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients & instructions.
- Kosher Salt – I always use Morton’s coarse kosher salt when making a turkey brine.
- Water:Salt Ratio – exact amounts need to be calculated based on the size of the turkey. The apple cider is not included in calculating this ratio.
- Apple Cider – not the vinegar or the juice, just a traditional apple cider for a subtle sweetness.
- Brown Sugar – an optional addition if you prefer a more sweet tasting turkey.
How To Make A Smoked Turkey Brine
Step 1 – Pick up a food-safe brining bag or other food-safe container that fits the turkey and fits in your refrigerator.
Step 2 – Gather and prepare all of the fruit, fresh herbs, and aromatics.
Step 3 – Determine the salt-to-water ratio needed for the size of turkey you are smoking.
Step 4 – Dissolve ALL of the needed kosher salt in four cups of the water needed on the stove top.
Wet Turkey Brine – Water:Salt Ratio
Add 1/4 cup kosher salt for every 4 cups needed to submerge the turkey. Therefore, it is important to do a test run to determine the amount of water and kosher salt needed. This can be done by placing the turkey in the bag or container and measure how much water is needed to submerge it. Use that amount to calculate how much kosher salt and water is needed for the brine. Remove the turkey, discard the test water, and follow the instructions for the brine below.
Step 5 – Place the turkey and remaining ingredients in the brining bag. Add the dissolved salt water (after it fully cools), cover, and let the turkey brine in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
– Salt: salt crystal size and density can vary between brands. I always use Morton’s coarse kosher salt for brining a turkey.
– Brown Sugar: this recipe has been tested with and without the brown sugar and if you prefer a sweeter turkey flavor, this is a great way to add more sweetness.
– Test Your Turkey: after many tests, I have learned how important it is to do a test run with your own turkey. Place it in the bag or container in the fridge to make sure you have room and submerge it in water to accurately calculate the salt-to-water ratio.
Smoked Turkey Recipes
When the turkey is done in the brine, it can be removed, pat dry and then smoked. Like these delicious recipes:
- Best Whole Smoked Turkey or shorten the smoked time with a Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey Legs
- Smoked Turkey Wings
Smoked Turkey Brine FAQs
No, it is not a necessary step but it does add a lot of flavor and tenderness to the meat!
Yes! You can submerge a frozen or partially frozen turkey in a cold brine solution. Brining a turkey and thawing it at the same time are actually a great way to save time, add flavor, and tenderness to the meat. Make sure you keep the brining turkey in the refrigerator below 40°F (4°C) to prevent harmful bacteria from growing.
Yes. You need to refrigerate a turkey while brining, otherwise harmful bacteria will begin to grow. It can be tricky to fit a brining turkey in a refrigerator, so be sure to plan ahead.
No, this is not needed. Simply pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Rinsing a turkey after brining can lead to cross-contamination in the sink.
A fully cooked turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest part of the meat (use a meat thermometer).
Other Easy Brine Recipes You Might Like
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Equipment
Ingredients
- water, enough water to fully submerge the turkey
- Morton coarse kosher salt, use ¼ cup kosher salt for every 4 cups of water needed
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced with outer skin removed
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4-5 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup brown sugar, optional
Instructions
- Water/Salt Ratio: Determine the amount of water needed to fully submerge the turkey. Practice this by putting the turkey in the bag or container that you plan to use for brining and measure how much water is needed to fully submerge the turkey. Remove the turkey and dump out the water. Now, calculate the amount of kosher salt needed: ¼ cup kosher salt for every 4 cups of water.
- Dissolve Salt: Take 4 cups of the water needed and add to a medium saucepan or large pot along with ALL of the kosher salt you need. This would also be the time to add ½ cup brown sugar, if you are using. Bring to medium-high heat to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering and stirring until the salt and sugar (if using) have dissolved. Remove from heat and add ice cubes. It's very important to fully cool down the water since it will be added to the rest of the water when submerging the turkey.
- Brine Turkey: While the salt mixture is cooling down, add the turkey to a brining vessel along with the remaining water, 2 cups apple cider, sliced apple, red onion, lemon slices, 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, 5-10 sprigs fresh thyme, 4-5 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves. Then pour the salt/water mixture into the same brining vessel on top of the turkey. Stir to combine. Refrigerate (covered) for 24 hours for smaller turkeys (under 12 pounds) and up to 48 hours for larger turkeys (over 12 pounds).
- Remove: Pull the turkey out of the brine, discard brine, pat the turkey dry, and cook as planned.
Notes
- Kosher Salt: Be sure to use kosher salt and not regular table salt.
- Brining Vessel: Suggestions for a brining vessel include a food-safe, clean, plastic bucket (you can put a brining bag inside) or anything else that will fully submerge your cut of turkey.
- Brine Time (covered in the fridge):
- Smaller turkeys (under 12 pounds): about 24 hours
- Larger turkeys (over 12 pounds): up to 48 hours
- Reason: I found that a longer brining gives larger birds more opportunity to develop flavor, moisture, and tenderness.
- USDA: Check out this post by USDA about turkey safety for Thanksgiving.
Lauri Palmer says
Years ago I smoked a turkey with cranberry and rosemary but can no longer find that recipe – wondering if I could use cranberry juice in this recipe instead of the apple cider? Any thoughts?
Erin says
I think you definitely could!
Bill says
Just ok for me. More sweet than savory.
Kristina A says
We’ve used this brine recipe for the last two Thanksgiving turkeys. Keeps the turkey so moist!
Erin says
Thanks so much, Kristina!
EH says
This was awesome – perfect addition to the TWS smoked turkey!