The Best Brined Turkey
Ingredients
- water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 10-12 pound turkey, defrosted
- 4 cloves
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Place the sugar and salt in 4 cups of hot water. Stir until the sugar and salt to dissolve.
- Place the brine in a large stock pot with a gallon of cold water, cloves and bay leaves and a handful of ice to make sure the water is cold. Stir to combine.
- Wash the turkey inside and out and place breast side down in the stockpot with brine (you want the water to just cover the turkey).
- Refrigerate 18-24 hours (or set it in a cool safe place outside 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 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 and cook another 15-30 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) to reach a temperature of 160-165 degrees. The turkey will actually continue to cook a little even after you take it out of the oven (the total cooking time in the oven will be 1 hour 45 minutes-2 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.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 99g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 295mg | Sodium: 11640mg | Sugar: 20g
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