This smoked turkey brine is a blend of apple juice, citrus, fresh herbs and spices that is simple to make and produces a juicy and flavorful turkey. A good brine is a must-have for the perfect smoked turkey!
I smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving every year. I always pair my turkey with this smoked turkey brine, as well as a smoked turkey rub for the best results. This wet brine is a foolproof method to ensure a delicious turkey each and every time! Serve your turkey with other Thanksgiving recipes such as a Thanksgiving charcuterie board, cranberry orange sauce, pumpkin soup, crock pot stuffing and make ahead mashed potatoes for a memorable meal.
When I’m hosting my family and friends for the holidays, I always run into one issue: not enough oven space! I solve this problem by cooking my turkey in the smoker rather than roasting it. For every smoked turkey, you need a smoked turkey brine. This brine is simple to make and adds so much flavor and moisture to your bird.
Table of Contents
- Smoked Turkey Brine Ingredients
- How Do You Make Smoked Turkey Brine?
- Tips For The Perfect Brine
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Great Holiday Recipes
- Love This Recipe?
- Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe
Smoked Turkey Brine Ingredients
This recipe contains ingredients that are easily accessible at the grocery store including salt, brown sugar, apple juice, garlic, pepper, citrus, fresh parsley and fresh rosemary.
How Do You Make Smoked Turkey Brine?
Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring everything to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes at a boil or hard simmer until all of the salt and sugar has dissolved into the liquid. Take the brine off the heat, then let it cool to room temperature. Place your turkey in the brine and place it in the refrigerator, then after it’s had time to soak, proceed with smoking your turkey on a grill or in an electric smoker.
Tips For The Perfect Brine
- Make sure you use kosher salt and do not substitute any other type of salt. Table salt is denser than kosher salt and doesn’t measure the same way. I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- You want to make sure you put your turkey into a cool brine. Never put a turkey in a hot or warm brine as it can cause food safety issues. If you’re in a rush, it’s fine to add a handful of ice cubes to the bring to help it cool faster.
- Don’t forget to serve your turkey with Hasselback sweet potatoes, turkey gravy and turkey stuffing! I also offer a fall dessert such as apple crisp or pumpkin cheesecake bars.
- This turkey brine recipe is designed for a 12-14 pound turkey. If your turkey is slighter larger, it’s fine to add a little extra water to the brine so that the bird is fully submerged. You can also cut the brine recipe in half and use it for turkey breasts.
- If you have leftover turkey, save it to make turkey salad or turkey noodle soup the next day.
- Make life easier by buying a brining bag to store your turkey in as it soaks in the fridge. You can buy brining bags at the grocery store at the meat counter during the holidays, and they are also readily available online. Some people like to brine their turkey in a large cooler, but I don’t recommend it as the turkey needs to stay really cold for an extended period of time so that it doesn’t spoil.
- Looking for a dry brine? Check out my dry brined turkey recipe!
Quick Tip
Pat your turkey dry before you smoke it, this will help to get crispy skin on your finished bird.
Recipe FAQs
Should you brine your turkey before smoking?
I highly recommend that you brine your turkey before you smoke it. A brine does two things: it adds flavor to the turkey, and also extra moisture. That extra moisture helps to prevent the turkey from drying out as it smokes.
Does a brined turkey take longer to smoke?
A brined turkey does not take any more time to smoke. In my experience, I find that brined turkey typically cook at the same rate as a non-brined turkey, or sometimes even faster.
How long should you brine a turkey for?
It is best to brine a turkey for a minimum of 18 hours. That being said, I like to brine for 24 hours whenever possible. I don’t recommend brining your turkey for more than 24 hours as it can become overly salty.
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Flavor Variations
This brine is fabulous as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Sweetener: No brown sugar on hand? Honey or maple syrup will also work just fine.
- Herbs: You can add other fresh herbs you have on hand such as thyme, savory, marjoram or chives.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add other flavorings such as fresh sliced ginger, onion, fresh thyme, dried chili peppers, juniper berries, apple cider instead of juice, or fennel seeds.
Once you have your smoked turkey brine recipe ready, don’t forget to check out my recipe for the ultimate smoked turkey!
