The secret to a delicious, juicy Thanksgiving turkey is all about the brine. This Maple Brined Turkey recipe is sure to have your Thanksgiving turkey be the talk of the dinner table.
Even for the best of cooks, roasting a turkey can be a huge stress! I’ve cooked more than my share of turkeys over the years and the one thing that I’ve come to realize is – less is more. In my opinion, the key to a perfect turkey is brining. I like to prepare a simple brine for my turkey to sit in for a day or two before cooking (this is one of Kenya’s favorite jobs because he loves playing with all the spices involved) and then into the oven it goes. This recipe is so easy it will make even a turkey roasting first timer look like a seasoned (pun intended) pro!
Remember, when you make a good turkey, people will remember and compliment you forever. But when you mess up a turkey, no one will let you forget it. So, don’t mess up the turkey! With brining you won’t. No stuffing, no flipping it halfway through, just a few easy steps that make this Maple Brined Turkey the most juicy, succulent turkey you and your family will ever eat!
Here’s a few tips that will guarantee you make a turkey that will make you a legend in your family!
1. No maple syrup on hand, but still want to make a brined turkey? Make my Best Brined Turkey which is a game changer.
2. Your turkey is totally frozen? You can totally add it to any brining recipe and brine it for 3 days (even better) adding more ice to cover on day two.
3. After your turkey cooks at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, cover the breast with a piece of foil to prevent further browning in order to make sure the legs cook and brown even. You’ll thank me later!
4. You don’t have enough room in your oven? Open your grill to cook your turkey in a way that will blow your guests mind (and love more space in your oven for stuffing and sides.)
Of course, every Thanksgiving turkey is supported by the delicious sides it’s served with. Pair this scrumptious Maple Brined Turkey with some of my favorite Thanksgiving sides like Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing, Maple Roast Vegetables, Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Poppy Seeds, and Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups. Still hungry? You need dessert! Gluten free Apples Pie, Pecan Pie, Maple Pumpkin Pie or Cinnamon Apple Crisp will change your world and create desserts that are so simple you can make them with anyone in your family who’s never even cooked before with perfect results.
What do you have on the menu for Thanksgiving this year? Let me know in the comments, and tag @weelicious on social media so I can see your recipes!
Maple Brined Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 12-14 pound turkey (defrosted)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 orange, cut in half
- 1 onion, quartered
- 10 cloves
- 20 peppercorns
- 3 star anise
- 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- water
Instructions
- Place the maple syrup and salt in 4 cups of hot water. Stir until the salt dissolves.
- Place the maple syrup mixture in a large stock pot with a gallon of cold water, the juice of the orange, the orange halves (once juiced, of course), the onion, cloves, peppercorns, and star anise and stir to combine.
- Wash the turkey inside and out (putting aside the neck and liver to make gravy) and place breast side down in the stockpot with the brine (you want the brine to just cover the turkey).
- Refrigerate 18 hours to 2 days. (Or, you can set it in a cool safe place outdoors as long as it’s below 55 degrees outside).
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Take the turkey out of the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water, discarding brine.
- Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan and blot the turkey with a paper towel.
- Tuck back the wings (or cover with small pieces of foil) and rub the skin of the turkey with the oil.
- Roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes and then place a piece of foil just over the breast of the turkey to cover (the breast cooks faster then the legs and wings so this process helps it to cook more evenly).
- Pour 1 cup of water in the pan, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast 1 hour.
- Remove the foil from the breast, turn the pan so the other side of the breast is towards the back of the oven (most oven’s heat comes from the back, so turning it prevents overcooking) and cook for another hour to 90 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) until you reach a temperature of 160-165 degrees. The turkey will actually continue to cook a bit more even after you take it out of the oven (the total cooking time in the oven will be 2 1/2-3 hours total).
- Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes (this is an essential step to allow the juices to redistribute and settle).
- Slice and serve with gravy or Cranberr-Wee-Sauce.
Best turkey ever! Thank you, thank you!! 🙂
Do I add anything to the pan before setting the turkey on it? (Butter or spray oil..) thanks! It’s my first time..
I love your site! Everything my wife has made for me, from your recipes is quite possibly the best tasting food I’ve ever had!!! Now…., I decided for our first Thanksgiving in our new home I’d use your turkey recipe. The only thing I wish you mentioned was that some turkeys are, ‘pre-brined’ or ‘infused’. I bought a Butterball and after soaking my 20lbs’r in your brine recipe for hours found out that its been infused. Hope it comes out ok, super bummed that this possibility wasn’t mentioned in your instructions, as a warning I mean.. I ended up just adding a couple more gallons of water in hopes to cut the saltiness down. Any thoughts? Regardless of all this, I thank you for posting such amazing recipes for so many families to enjoy:) Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!!!:)
1-2 tablespoons! Step 8 you rub it on the turkey!
Where do you use the 12 tbsp of oil?
How should I alter quantities for a 17lb turkey? First time I am making a turkey and starting the brine right now, please help! 🙂 thanks!
HI there,
Going to try this out! Can you tell me what 3 star anise means? Is the 3 referring to tablespoons, teaspoons, or the name of the seasoning?
Never used star anise, otherwise it would probably make sense to me…or not! 🙂
Thank you for all you do!
I roasted my first turkey ever for Christmas this year using your Maple Brined Turkey recipe. It was a HUGE success!,, Thank you so much this and many, many other recipes I have tried from weelicious. I also made my first pecan pie and Shredded Brussels sprouts using your recipes!
Is the foil step still necessary in an electric roaster? Any other tips for cooking a turkey in an electric roaster? I am doing my turkey on Sunday.
You can brine the breast for 4-24 hours!
If I’m brining a turkey breast, how long should I brine it?
I would not brine an already injected turkey because it will make the turkey too salty!