Print it on our own 100 smear-free 4x6 recipe cards and keep it clean with the clear card sleeves.
XXL Silicone Bag
One gallon, leakproof, lies flat in the fridge. A whole week in one bag.
Home / Recipes / Meat / How to Brine a Thanksgiving Turkey
How to Brine a Thanksgiving Turkey
To wet brine a turkey, dissolve 1 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup sugar in every gallon of cold water, submerge the thawed bird and keep it below 40°F for 12 to 24 hours. A whole 12 to 16 pound turkey needs 2 to 3 gallons of brine, so it goes in a large brining bag inside a cooler or stockpot, not in a kitchen storage bag. For a smaller Thanksgiving, a boneless turkey breast or turkey legs and thighs up to about 4 pounds brine perfectly in one XXL one gallon silicone bag with 2 quarts of brine, lying flat in the fridge with no bucket.
What you need (whole turkey)
- 1 turkey, 12 to 16 pounds, fully thawed (not self-basting or kosher)
- 2 to 3 gallons cold water, enough to cover the bird
- Per gallon of water: 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 9 tablespoons Morton) and 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 head garlic, halved, and 2 onions, quartered
- 3 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons peppercorns
- Fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
- Ice, to keep everything below 40°F
- A large brining bag set inside a cooler or a stockpot big enough for the bird
Directions
- Make the brine: heat 1 gallon of water with the salt, sugar and aromatics until dissolved, then add the remaining cold water and plenty of ice to chill it below 40°F.
- Remove the giblets and neck. Open the brining bag inside the cooler or stockpot so it is supported on all sides.
- Lower the turkey in breast-side down and pour the cold brine over it until the bird is covered by about an inch.
- Seal the bag. In a cooler, pack ice or ice packs around it and check with a thermometer that it stays below 40°F; in the fridge, keep the pot on the bottom shelf.
- Brine 12 to 24 hours, turning the bird once so every side soaks evenly.
- Lift the turkey out, discard the brine, pat it completely dry and let it air-dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before roasting for crisp skin.
Smaller Thanksgiving: brine a turkey breast or parts in one bag
Cooking for four to six? A boneless turkey breast, or two legs and thighs, up to about 4 pounds, fits one XXL one gallon silicone bag. Stir 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 4 1/2 tablespoons Morton) and 1/4 cup sugar into 2 quarts of cold water with a few herbs, slide the turkey in, press out the air, seal and lay the bag flat on a tray in the fridge. Brine 6 to 12 hours, flipping once, then pat dry and roast. No bucket and no cooler.
Tips and notes
- Keep the turkey below 40°F the entire time. A cooler with ice packs works when fridge space is tight; check it with a thermometer.
- Do not brine a self-basting or kosher turkey, which is already salted; you will oversalt it.
- Measure salt by brand. Morton kosher salt is almost twice as salty by volume as Diamond Crystal, so a cup of one is not a cup of the other.
- Do not salt the bird again before roasting. The brine has already seasoned it through.
- After Thanksgiving, the same XXL bag freezes a gallon of turkey stock or the leftover meat flat, so it stacks in the freezer.
Get the XXL Silicone Bag
One gallon, leakproof and reusable. It brines a boneless turkey breast or turkey parts up to about 4 pounds in 2 quarts of brine, flat in the fridge. After the holiday it freezes a gallon of turkey stock or leftovers flat.
See the XXL Bag
Common questions
- How much brine does a turkey need
- Enough to cover the bird by about an inch. A 12 to 16 pound turkey usually takes 2 to 3 gallons, at 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 9 tablespoons Morton kosher salt) and 1/2 cup sugar per gallon.
- Can a one gallon bag hold a whole turkey
- No. A whole turkey plus the brine that covers it is several gallons, so a whole bird needs a large brining bag set inside a cooler or stockpot. A one gallon silicone bag is the right size for a boneless turkey breast or turkey parts up to about 4 pounds.
- How long should a turkey brine
- Twelve to twenty-four hours for a whole bird, kept below 40°F. A boneless breast or parts need 6 to 12 hours. Longer than a day risks a soft, overly salty texture.
- Do I rinse the turkey after brining
- Pat it completely dry instead. Dry skin browns and crisps; a wet bird steams. If you rinse, dry it thoroughly and let it air-dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours.
- Can I brine a turkey breast in a reusable bag
- Yes. A boneless breast or legs and thighs up to about 4 pounds fit one XXL one gallon silicone bag with 2 quarts of brine, and the bag lies flat in the fridge.
More big-batch bag ideas
Every Albino Monkey purchase helps fund the care of Freeman, a rescued monkey. Read Freeman's story.
