Holiday Grilling: Turkey Brine
If you’re not brining your turkey before Thanksgiving dinner, you’re doing it wrong. Get the best brine recipe for the juiciest, most flavorful bird.
Brining improves the turkey’s ability to retain moisture so that it doesn’t dry out when grilling it. Heat causes some proteins to unwind and join with each other, causing shrinkage and moisture loss. When you brine the turkey, the muscle fibers absorb the liquid.
When you brine before grilling, you reduce the moisture loss to as little as 15%. Without brining, the turkey will lose up to 30% moisture.
So if you’re not brining your turkey before Thanksgiving dinner, you’re doing it wrong. Our friends at Urban Bonfire share the best turkey brine recipe for the juiciest, most flavorful bird this holiday season.
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Salt
- Water
- Lemon
- Bay Leaf
- Thyme
- Whole Peppercorns
- Equipment: Large brining container, small sauce pan, whisk, plate
Directions
- Combine 1 cup of Kosher salt, ¼ cup of sugar, bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme and a handful of peppercorns in a large pot. Add the juice from half a lemon, then add the squeezed lemon half directly to the pot along with 2 quarts of water.
- Heat the water (option to boil), and whisk to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- When the salt and sugar are just dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and pour in a large brining container. Stir in 2 quarts of cold water or ice cubes to cool rapidly.
- Once brine water is cool, add turkey to brine, weighing it down with a plate to keep it submerged, if needed. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for 12–24 hours.
