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.
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!
Catherine,
Is this for a comercialy already “injected” turkey? If that’s the kind I have can I still brine it?.
The brine does add flavor, but it isn’t overwhelming. So you can serve this brined turkey with whatever you would normally and it won’t affect the flavors! Brining adds tons of moisture so your turkey doesn’t get dried out!
I have never brined a turkey. Will the maple syrup and orange make the turkey sweet tasting? I usually make a sausage and sage dressing instead of stuffing the turkey. Would the flavor of this turkey pair well with sage and thyme?
What about using an electric roaster oven? Would it be nice to finish the turkey by browning in the oven? If so, how and when?
You can definitely brine a chicken if you would like. Although, chicken doesn’t dry out quite like turkey does so I don’t think it is necessary. If you still want to brine a chicken, just follow this recipe! Everything in the brine adds a hint of flavor to the turkey, but you won’t really taste the maple syrup or any of the other ingredients in an overpowering sort of way.
I have a few stuffing recipes that would work well with chicken as well as turkey. Here they are: http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2010/11/18/cornbread-cranberry-stuffing/
http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2008/11/24/kids-apple-sausage-stuffing/
I hope this helps! So fun to be celebrating your first Thanksgiving! Here is a post with a bunch more recipes and cooking tips that I’ll be cooking this year!
http://b12.ba4.myftpupload.com/2012/11/12/thanksgiving-made-easy/
I’d love to celebrate my first thanksgiving.could you please let me know the procedure with chicken.and does adding maple syrup for brining makes meat sweet?
My family likes spicy kind of food.please let me know the spice details too.and stuffing for chicken.
It might sound crazy but we came to know about this celebration and tradition recently as we came from other country.hence,lot of doubts.
Thanks!
A 20-25 pound turkey will take 4 1/2-5 hours! Follow the recipe as it is written, but leave the foil on the breast until the last hour of cooking!
How long do you cook a 20 pound or heavier turkey? After you double the recipe for the brine, how many hours do you cook a 21-22 pound turkey?
That is so exciting! Good luck! A 20-25 pound turkey will take 4 1/2-5 hours! Follow the recipe as it is written, but leave the foil on the breast until the last hour of cooking!
have a 21 pound turkey to make next week… I will double the recipe for the brine, but will I have to cook it longer? Thanks! I am so excited to make this. 🙂 (I’m using your whole menu for hosting my first thanksgiving this year!)
Yes, it is in the spice aisle! And it is in the shape of a star! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this this year. We brined a turkey last year for the first time and it was amazing! Just one question … I’ve never heard of star anise before …. do I just find it on the spice aisle??
Two questions:
Is it OK to leave the turkey in a metal pot? I thought you weren’t supposed to store food in metal?
Can you cook a brined turkey on a gas BBQ ? I need my oven for other things and my husband usually does the turkey outside.
Thanks!