Poultry Brine

This is the BEST way to get a juicy turkey or chicken, and it adds so much flavor!

We smoke turkey year-round, and of course we enjoy a big bird on Thanksgiving. We also make a LOT of chicken. I always brine. Poultry is the easiest protein to overcook, and it gets dry and tasteless when you do. Consider this an ounce of prevention! It gives you a much greater margin of error, and you are much more likely to get a nice, juicy, flavorful bird with just a few minutes with this extra step.

This recipe will work for small to medium sized turkeys (up to 15 lbs. or so). Make sure it is completely immersed. For smaller portions, cut the ingredients and time in half.

Poultry Brine

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup kosher salt

• ½ cup packed brown sugar (dark offers stronger flavor but either is fine here)

• 1 medium apple, cored and cut in chunks with skin (red delicious is perfect sweetness for savory applications in my opinion)

• 1 large orange, sliced with rind

• 1 medium onion, cut in chunks

• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

• 4 sprigs of rosemary

• ½ cup fresh parsley

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or 1 cup white wine

• 1-2 gallons of cold water/ice

Directions

1. Place ingredients in a large saucepan or medium stock pot, and bring to a simmer on medium heat.

2. Simmer for ~30 minutes.

3. Cool completely, strain out solids and pour into container with poultry.

4. Add enough water to cover the poultry, and seal.

5. Store poultry in brine in the fridge for 12-14 hours.

6. Remove poultry from brine and rinse.

7. Prepare poultry as per normal.