A Simple Turkey Brine

Brining a whole turkey in a combination of salt, sugar, and aromatics is the key to flavorful Thanksgiving turkey with juicy meat. Truly, it’s the one and only path to truly succulent roast turkey breasts. But there are two ways to go: Should you dry-brine or wet-brine?

For this wet-brine recipe you’ll need a large stockpot or food-safe 5-gal. bucket and space for it in your refrigerator. If you’re using a frozen turkey, you can defrost it during the brining process, but be sure to remove the giblets as soon as the turkey is thawed enough to do so. When using such a high ratio of salt, the brand you use matters. We rely on Diamond Crystal in the BA test kitchen, but we’ve also given measurements below for Morton. Check out Epicurious’s guide to salt for a chart outlining how these compare to other brands—or just measure by weight.

You’ll bring the brining solution to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar before tossing in the remaining brine ingredients, then chill the mixture until it’s cold. Don’t rush this by adding ice or cold water to the mix prematurely—the aromatics need time in the warm salt water for their flavor to infuse. We’ve suggested a basic mix of carrots, celery, and onion, but you should feel free to toss anything you want into the pot: A couple of garlic cloves or a halved apple, orange, or lemon; swap out the thyme for fresh rosemary, sage, or any mix of fresh herbs you like; add in a teaspoon of allspice berries or whole cumin or coriander seeds, along with the whole peppercorns; and generally add whatever other flavors sound good to you.

You can also play around with the liquids: Replace up to half the water with apple juice, apple cider, cranberry juice, or unsweetened tea—or add up to a cup of white wine. The best turkey brine is the one that tastes like the holiday to you. For the most flavorful bird, count on a brining time of 3 days, followed by 1 day out of the salt solution so that the skin has time to dry out (crispy skin won’t happen otherwise). Pat the brined turkey dry with paper towels before transferring it breast side up to a roasting pan. And if you plan to make gravy from the drippings, taste before adding salt since the turkey fat will be highly seasoned.

No space for wet-brining? Try a dry-brined turkey with brown sugar, fresh rosemary, and grated orange peel.