READY IN ABOUT 1¾ hrs

Maple Turkey Brine

Read Reviews (6)

"This is Dave's favorite brine for Thanksgiving turkey. It can be used on any kind of poultry and pork. It gives a sweet, maple flavor to meats." — US92

Directions

Place 2 quarts of water in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, peppercorns, and whiskey. Stir to dissolve brown sugar and salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 2 quarts of water. Allow brine to cool completely before using.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 20 mins
READY IN 1 hr 35 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Nov 25, 2011

i was so nervous about this brine- my husband chose the recipe, and when it was hot it smelled AWFUL! i let it cool, and it smelled a little better, but just a little. i made just a turkey breast (though it was huge!), so i brined it about 12 hrs, then roasted it with butter and maple syrup glaze (martha stewart has a good recipe). my husband's fave holiday is thanksgiving- he took me aside to say it was by far the best turkey he's ever had. not bad for the vegetarian chef!

—melissa

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Dec 25, 2011

This is a great brine, the soy sauce gives the turkey a lovely rich color and the turkey was very juicy. I put the garlic cloves in the cavity for cooking and people were fighting for them! For smaller birds, use a shorter time in the brine to keep it from being too salty.

—Wendy Nail

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7 Ratings

Jan 07, 2012

Oh my, this was good. I left out the bay leaf, subbed Maker's Mark for the sour mash and marinated a pork rib roast overnight. Roasted it at 450 for 15 minutes, dropped the temperature to 350 until the roast was just barely pink. What wonderful flavor. It was so good I boiled the marinade and used it as a sauce alongside the roast and simmered the leftovers to reheat. I will use this often-thanks for sharing.

—dsz5463

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Nov 23, 2012

This will be the brine that I use from now on. It was excellent. I put it together the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving so that it could chill over night and I could start brining the turkey on Wednesday. I did a taste test after it was simmering for several minutes and decided to up the maple syrup to 2 cups instead of 1 because I wanted more of a maple flavor. With this addition, it was perfect for my taste. The finished turkey turned out neither too sweet nor too salty and so moist. I cooked a small turkey - just under 11 lbs. and the amount of brine this reciped yielded was perfect for that. You might want to consider doubling the recipe if you are doing a large turkey. Thanks for a great recipe!

—crystalv1olet

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Nov 27, 2012

This brine is amazing. This was my first turkey ever and i wanted something sweet and maple like and this brine seemed perfect on paper but was just awesome on the turkey. My turkey was thawed on Tuesday morning and brined for two full days. I substituted crushed red pepper for black peppercorn and did not use the whiskey as my brother in law is in rehab. I also used "Dark Soy Sauce" since i had it open. The dark meat is where this recipe just shines and you can taste the maple and garlic and sweetness. The breast is better the next day cold from the fridge. I think i might poke several holes in the breast next time i use this. Which will be really soon and possibly on chicken.

—Webigail

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Dec 05, 2012

I used this brine for my Thanksgiving turkey this year and it made the most delicious bird I've ever tasted! The color was incredible, too. The maple flavor wasn't as strong as I would have liked, but the bird was so tender and juicy it didn't matter. If you're going to brine, this is the way to go.

—malice32

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Nutrition

Calories
180 kcal
9%

Carbohydrates
37.4 g
12%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
0.1 g
< 1%

Fiber
0.2 g
< 1%

Protein
1 g
2%

Sodium
4337 mg
173%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Maple Turkey Brine

Serving Size: 1/18 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 18
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 180
Calories from Fat: < 1

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.1g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0g < 1 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 4337mg 173 %
Potassium 139mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 37.4g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 0.2g < 1 %
Protein 1g 2 %
** Sugars 34.4g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 1 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 426 %
** Thiamin 1 %
Niacin 4 %
Vitamin B6 3 %
Magnesium 25 %
Folate 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.