10 Turkey Brine Recipes to Keep Your Meat Moist (2024)

FAQs

What is the best brine method? ›

Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

As a result, brining increases the amount of moisture in the meat and also serves as a way of delivering salt into the muscle tissue for better flavor.

The most common brine proportions are 23.3% salt concentration to 76.7% water. However, you can also add to conventional sodium chloride and use either magnesium chloride or calcium chloride.

Sugar: This is an optional ingredient and is typically used to balance the saltiness of a brine. Use about 2 tablespoons per quart of liquid.

Add water, salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, allspice berries, and pepper to a stockpot. Over medium heat, simmer until the salt and sugar dissolve, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

It is the salt that you need to pay particular attention to, as if the concentration of salt in the brine is too high then the turkey could become too salty, particularly if you are soaking it for a long period.

To ensure an exceptionally juicy and flavorful turkey, this recipe calls for brining the bird and also rubbing it with a compound butter.

Classes of brines include chloride brines (calcium and sodium), bromides, and formates.

How to make 10 percent brine solution? ›

Add or dissolve 10 grams of the salt in 100 mls or cc of water then you get 10% salt solution. Alternatively; if you want to make larger quantities of the solution. for example one litre solution, then dissolve 100 grams of the salt in 1000 mls of water , you get a 10% salt solution.

Brine is an auxiliary agent in water softening and water purification systems involving ion exchange technology. The most common example are household dishwashers, utilizing sodium chloride in form of dishwasher salt.

12. Do You Rinse a Turkey After Brining? You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days (the turkey needs ample time to dry off after its long bath). Now, all that's left to do is cook that bird. We promise crispy skin and juicy meat, no basting necessary.

For all-purpose brine, a good rule of thumb is: ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of sugar for every quart of water. You can also add aromatics or other flavorings to intensify the seasoning, like whole peppercorns, garlic cloves, dried herbs, whole spices, citrus or other fruit, mirepoix or fruit juices.

What Is the Brine Ratio? The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons. Keep in mind, also, that different kosher salt brands vary in how salty they actually are.

Brining Times: Pork chops, chicken breasts, or meats about one inch thick: 45 minutes to 4 hours. Fish: Its structure is delicate so brine no more than 1 1/2 hours. Whole chicken and Cornish hens: 4 to 8 hours, depending on size.