Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2009

We have been wanting to try brining poultry for some time now, finally decided this was the time. WOW! Wish I did this sooner! I doubt I will ever cook a turkey again without doing this. It is IMPORTANT to make sure the bird in question IS NOT "pre-basted" or "contains up to 15% of a solution to enhance flavor" or any such mess. If you brine a bird like this, it will be too salty to eat. I DID bring half the water to a rolling boil, added the ingredients and the rest of the water (as cold as possible). Put this large pot in my cooler, poured ice all around it and added a 6 lb. turkey breast. Let it sit 24 hours and roasted it in the oven. Wife said it was the best turkey I ever made, possibly the best she had ever eaten! And she likes dark meat! I can't WAIT to do this in my smoker...

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SHOES58

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2009

I used this recipe for my turkeys (2) on Thanksgiving. It came out absolutely awesome. Thanks So much... 10 stars!!!!!

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Alla

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2009

This is an awesome way to fix Turkey. I received rave reviews from friends and family. I was very skeptical at first and concerned how it would taste and it was fabulous and very juicy. Enjoy!!!

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Happytoserve

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Living In: South Riding, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 3, 2009

Wow! I am not a turkey breast lovin' girl. Any white meat I have ever eaten has been dry. But this time my husband mentioned using a brine before smoking this year's turkey. WOW! I was amazed. This recipe couple with his superior smoking skills made this turkey incredible. Can't wait to try it on chicken! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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boojo

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Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2009

Good flavor. First time trying a brine on our turkey. Will use again. Want to try it with chicken as well.

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wyomom

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Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2009

I used this recipe this Thanksgiving. It was the best brine I have ever tried. The bird was so moist yet it did not take anything away from the turkey flavor. Since I did not have room in my refrigerator for a 20+ pound turkey I put it in a cooler and poured the brine over ice to keep it cold. I only soaked it for 24 hours. A real keeper.

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Linda Thiel

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Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2009

I hosted Thanksgiving this year and the turkey got rave reviews from everyone. I went by the recipe exactly and then cooked in bag in oven. Meat practically fell off the bone and had lots of flavor.

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Lori

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2009

I tried this just to do something different. I didnt let the turkey sit for 2 full days, was more like 1.5 days, and I cooked it breast side up. It was juicer than I expected, usually cooking a bird breast up makes the meat dry. Next time I will cook the bird breast down and see how that turns out. Will use this again!

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John

Cooking Level: Beginning

Home Town: Brownstown, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Nixa, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2009

On my first time EVER cooking a turkey, I used this method and it turned out amazing. I got so many compliments on the turkey, I'm definitely always making turkey this way on future Thanksgivings. The only thing I changed was the amount of salt because I didn't want it to turn out too salty and I wasn't sure if canning salt was the same thing as regular morton salt. Morton salt tends to be saltier than other salts I use, so i only used 3/4 cup of it. Still turned out amazing.

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ShC

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2009

Best turkey ever! Seriously, this turned out so good. I brined for two days, then smoked in the Traeger for six hours. People were saying it was the best turkey they'd ever eaten!

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sideorder

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Portland, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2009

Used for my Thanksgiving turkey. I added some bicentennial rub to the brine and also the turkey breast before baking. I also put a few onions, carrots and celery with thyme in the cavity while baking. Baked the stuffing on the side. It was EXCELLENT!! Tender and juicy with lots of flavor. Will continue to use this recipe.

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Carolk

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Reviewed: Nov. 29, 2009

my first turkey - and it was simply marvellous! Excellend recepie, the meat came our tender, juicy and flavorfull to the last bone! Few things to not from my experience - I did wash and pat dry the turkey after 48 hrs of brinning 12 lb bird and it was not salty to our taste (though if you prefer less salty then you could soak less or reduce 10% salt). I oven roasted my bird and added a tsp of liquid smoke to the brine and it add a very light smokiness to meat. To brine the bird, I used veggie drawer from my refrigetator (washed it thoroughly before and after) and it worked out well. (may not work for a large bird) If you decide to rub the turkey with additional flavors make sure you don't add any salt. Great recepie!!

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ms

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2009

This isn't the "Best brine for smoked turkey around", this is the best brine around period! The worcestershire sauce gives it a smokey flavor even if you are not smoking your turkey like I didn't. I roasted mine and the smokey, garlicky sweetness WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! The only thing I did differently was to use whole peppercorns instead of ground. I always like to liberally pepper my bird right before roasting (no salt). I also rubbed the bird after rinsing well and patting dry, all over with extra virgin olive oil. A dry turkey makes the oil adhere better, a wet one and the oil runs off as oil and water don't mix. Make sure to rinse your bird under cold running water for about 2 minutes or your turkey will wind up salty. The skin should make a "squeeking" sound when you rub it after rinsing. No turkey pot pies, turkey soup, turkey enchiladas this year. We are enjoying this meat unadultrated, it would be a shame to mask the beautiful flavor and texture with other ingredients. (ok, maybe sandwiches) I will never use another recipe, I have found brine nirvana!

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DaveinDenver

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Living In: Denver, Colorado, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2009

OMG this was my first time using a brine for a turkey and it is awesome to eat cold the next day is awesome right of the bone into your mouth is soooo full of flavor and that is the white meat i used to gag when i ate white mean cause it was always so dry. I am Glad I came across this recipe it is in my family forever now:)!! thanks next time i will add a little more garlic cause i love garlic and some Worcestershire sauce:)!!! ooooh so moist you can eat it cold right off the BONE

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Fay

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Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2009

Ok, I'm hooked and convinced. I tried this for Thanksgiving and my turkey was delicious!!!! It was so moist and juicy. My husband said this is definitely a winner and it was soooo easy!! My brother in law, a former cook, raved about how good it was. I admit, I was a bit of a chicken and only used 1 1/4 cup of the Kosher salt because I was worreied it might be salty. It was perfect and I could tell that the extra 1/4 C of salt would have been just fine. I will be brining my turkey for Christmas too! Thanks for such an awesome recipe.

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ThePilot'sWife

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Living In: Zebulon, North Carolina, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2009

I had an out of this world roasted turkey using this brine. I even added a little more brown sugar, threw in a cut up orange, lemon. Used 2 heavy duty plastic construction garbage bags to ensure nothing leaked out. Turned every 24 hrs. This breast was like eating a prime cut meat. Fantastic to a tee the recipe & will never use anything else. You've gotta just try it.....Well worth it!!

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lala

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2009

Awesome! My first turkey and my first turkey brine. I decided to brine last minute and didn't want to head back to the grocery store again so I only used 3/4 cup of table salt instead of the canning salt. I brined it for about 12 hours, rinsed well, and used "Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way" from this webiste. The turkey breast was so moist that I might make this again for Christmas!

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lidz1528

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: San Francisco, California, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2009

This was my first time cooking a whole turkey - and my first time using a brine. I had a 22lb turkey and I brined it in my old water cooler that didn't have a lid. kept it in my spare fridge for 24 hours. Patted it dry and rubbed with butter. When the bird first started cooking I could smell Worcestershire - very strong - and I panicked thinking I was going to have a turkey that tasted like Worcestershire. I kept the turkey uncovered for the first half of the cooking time until the skin was nice and brown then tented with foil. Took 4 hours at 325. Absolutely the best turkey I have ever eaten. Nice and moist with a lot of flavor. Don't hesitate to try this recipe - it's a keeper. After I already had it in the brine someone told me I should not have brined because my turkey was already injected with some sort of solution. I was told I was going to have a salt lick. But it turned out great... Not salty at all.

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gina w

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: New Boston, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 27, 2009

We loved this brine! I made exactly as recipe was written brined for 48 hours then smoked the turkey with hickory. Will def. be using this again and again.

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CNM CATERING

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Edgewater Park, New Jersey, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 26, 2009

Fabulous recipe! I never put a turkey in a brine solution before, but now it will be the only way I prepare my turkey. I let mine set in the brine for 12 hours and it was perfect!

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