Every Thanksgiving when you sit down to dinner you might have the same anticipation: Will the turkey be tender and juicy, or dry? I feel like it's kind of a coin toss every Thanksgiving, But this year I'm determined to have a no-fail juicy bird. How? I'm going to brine it! Maybe you've already been doing this and if so, here are a couple of different ideas for your brining experience. I just started brining chicken this past year with a super simple recipe I adapted from a cookbook by Joanna Gaines and the difference in how juicy the final product comes out is amazing! So here's my recipe on this page for a dry brine and an apple cider brine from Butterball on the next page.
Dry Brined Roast Turkey
Ingredients
One turkey, any size
Kosher salt
Pepper and other seasonings
Butter
Remove the neck and gizzards from the turkey and pat dry. Shake kosher salt liberally all over the bird. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to roast rinse off all the salt. Pat dry and place in roasting pan. Stuff if desired and stuff slices of butter under the breast skin. Season the turkey with pepper and other desired spices. DO NOT salt. (The kosher salt magically absorbs into the turkey during brining). Roast as directed on packaging until done. If you forget to brine the night before you can still do it in the morning, 4-6 hours before cooking.
Butterball Pickle Brined Turkey
Ingredients
3 cups apple cider vinegar
9 cups water
3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons pickling spices, divided
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 (12- to 15-pound) Butterball turkey
1 large onion, quartered
2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
Vegetable oil
Mix apple cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons pickling spices and black peppercorns in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes. Let cool. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and place in an oversized container. Pour cooled brine over turkey and refrigerate for up to 3 hours. Remove turkey from brine and rinse and pat dry. Roast about 3 hours. Let rest 15 minutes before carving. Discard drippings.