Drench your turkey in the festive flavors of Thanksgiving! Ever tried traditional brine for Thanksgiving turkey but with a star-chef twist? If not, try Alton Brown Thanksgiving turkey brine.
It takes almost 3 days to have the turkey ready for the feat. But it’s worth it! It has a once-in-a-year turkey delight (perfectly suits the Thanksgiving vibe). So, why not try it now?
I like to try the traditional recipes reinvented by star chefs. For holiday feasts, Alton Brown is definitely the one whose recipes are spot on. Alton Brown Thanksgiving turkey brine has the turkey immersed in the brine.
To make Alton Brown Thanksgiving turkey brine, simply combine all of the ingredients in the container and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Then, add the turkey and make sure it is completely submerged.
Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 7 hours. When you’re ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off with cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels and proceed with your chosen recipe.
The brine is loaded with the flavors of vegetable stock and spices. You can add some more spices to the brine to have more flavors in your Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey should be safely thawed before adding it to the brine.
For some extra herby edge, you can also use some poultry seasoning. If there’s no poultry seasoning available, you can simply use any of the poultry seasoning substitutes.
Alton Brown Thanksgiving turkey brine is a simple recipe. It’s a bit time-consuming but the result will be as delicious and delightful as described below.
Read the lists of equipment and ingredients mentioned below and try this recipe for your family feast.
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine?
- Oven – Roast the turkey in the oven until thickened, brown, and crispy.
- Stockpot – To prep the brine solution, you need to heat the ingredients of brine in a large stockpot.
- Bowl – Use a small microwave-safe bowl to make steeped aromatics for the turkey brine. You can use a large bowl.
- Bucket – To brine the turkey, you’ll need a 5-gallon bucket.
- Aluminum Foil – Wrap the roast turkey with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. Foil traps the moisture in the turkey skin and prevents it from drying out.
- Spatula – Stir up the ingredients in a stockpot using a spatula.
How Much Time Do You Need To Make Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine?
| Preparation Time | Resting Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes | 7 Hours | 2 Hours 25 Minutes | 9 Hour 45 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine?
For The Brine
- Vegetable Stock – Vegetable stock adds body to the brine and makes it denser. You need to use two containers of vegetable stock for this recipe. The vegetable stock also gives intensity to the flavors in the brine.
- Iced Water – Use a gallon full of heavily iced water to brine the turkey. It contributes to the safe thawing of the turkey.
- Allspice Berries – Add a few teaspoons of allspice berries to the brine to give a spicy lift to the brine and the turkey roast.
- Ginger – Ginger adds spiciness and flavor to the turkey brine. So, add one and a half teaspoons of chopped candied ginger to the brine.
- Peppercorns – Add a tablespoon of black peppercorns to add some heat along with mild spiciness to the brine.
- Kosher Salt – Add a cup of kosher salt to the brine. It adds the basic seasoning flavor to the turkey skin and also makes it tender.
- Sugar – Add a half cup of light brown sugar to add a sweet balancing flavor to the brine.
For The Aromatics
- Canola Oil – Coat the seasoned turkey with canola oil before you start roasting it.
- Water – Add a cup of water to the bowl containing all these aromatics to make steeped aromatics for the turkey brine.
- Apple – Slice a red apple and use it to make the aromatics for the turkey brine. It adds a slightly sour-sweet flavor to the turkey.
- Onion – Peel and slice a half onion to add aroma and flavor to the turkey brine.
- Rosemary – Add four sprigs of rosemary to add more herbal and earthy to the turkey.
- Sage – Add about six leaves of sage with rosemary in the turkey cavity. Sage gives fresh herbal and earth flavors to the turkey.
- Cinnamon Stick – A cinnamon stick will add spicy seasoning flavor to the turkey brine. It’s used for steeped aromatics and flavors of turkey.
Steps To Make Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine
1. Prep And Brine
Refrigerate the turkey in the refrigerator at 38 F, two to three days before roasting the turkey.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, pour vegetable stock, add black peppercorns, brown sugar, candied ginger, salt, and allspice berries.
Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Then, refrigerate it until required.
2. Brine The Bird
A night before roasting the turkey, take it out from the fridge. In a 5-gallon bucket, combine water with prepared brine and ice.
Immerse the thawed turkey in this brine, cover it and refrigerate it for about 8 hours, turning this bird halfway throughout brining.
Then remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it, and pat it dry.
3. Roast The Bird
In a microwave-safe bowl, add apple slices, chopped onion, oil, a cup of water, and a cinnamon stick. Microwave it for about 5 minutes.
Transfer these aromatics into the turkey cavity along with rosemary sprigs and sage in it. Roast the turkey for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven (300 F) until brown, crispy, thickened.
Reduce the temperature to 350 F and roast it for another 2 to 2.5 hours. Let the turkey rest (wrapped in foil) for about 15 minutes before carving.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 51 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 9452 mg |
| Potassium | 56 mg |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Vitamin A | 18 IU |
| Vitamin C | 1 mg |
| Calcium | 37 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
How Will Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine Look and Taste Like?
The delicious turkey brine is worth being a part of the Thanksgiving feast. Alton Brown turkey brine has spicy and aromatic brine.
The turkey is immersed in this brine and is infused with the flavors of vegetable stock and amazing spices like cinnamon, ginger, salt, and pepper. Sugar in the brine balances all the flavors and provides a mild sweetness to the turkey.
Try this recipe for Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday feast.
Recipe Card
Alton Brown Thanksgiving Turkey Brine Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- Stockpot
- Bowl
- 5-Gallon Bucket
- Spatula
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
For The Brine
- 2 containers Vegetable Stock
- 1 gallon Water (heavily iced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Allspice Berries
- 1 tablespoon Black Peppercorns
- 1 ½ teaspoons Candied Ginger (chopped)
- 1 cup Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
For The Aromatics
- 2 tablespoon Canola Oil
- 1 cup Water
- 1 Red Apple (sliced)
- ½ cup Onion (sliced)
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 4 sprigs Rosemary
- 6 leaves Sage
Instructions
- Refrigerate the turkey in the refrigerator at 38 F, two to three days before roasting the turkey.
- In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, pour vegetable stock, add black peppercorns, brown sugar, candied ginger, salt, and allspice berries.
- Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool. Then, refrigerate it until required.
- A night before roasting the turkey, take it out from the fridge.
- In a 5-gallon bucket, combine water with prepared brine and ice.
- Immerse the thawed turkey in this brine, cover it and refrigerate it for about 8 hours, turning this bird halfway throughout brining.
- Then remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it, and pat it dry.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add apple slices, chopped onion, oil, a cup of water, and a cinnamon stick. Microwave it for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer these aromatics into the turkey cavity along with rosemary sprigs and sage in it.
- Roast the turkey for about 30 minutes in a preheated oven (300 F) until brown, crispy, thickened.
- Reduce the temperature to 350 F and roast it for another 2 to 2.5 hours.
- Let the turkey rest (wrapped in foil) for about 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Alton Brown Turkey Brine?
Alton Brown Turkey Brine is a salt and water solution that is used to help keep your turkey moist and flavorful.
How long should you brine turkey?
Pop the turkey into the fridge and let it brine for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours. Just don’t leave the turkey in the brine for longer than recommended—over-brining can render the bird too salty and turn the texture spongy.
Is it good to brine a turkey before cooking?
During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. Since the turkey absorbs salt too, it also gets nicely seasoned. Even better, the salt breaks down some of the turkey’s proteins, making it more tender.
Do you have to boil brine for turkey?
There is no need to boil all the brine liquid because you can fully dissolve the salt and sugar and extract the flavor out of any seasonings in 1½ cups of liquid.
Conclusion
Alton Brown Thanksgiving turkey brine is an easy way to keep your turkey moist and flavorful. All you need is vegetable broth, onions, apples, black peppercorns, spices, herbs, and ice water to make it juicy.
Tell me in the comments below about your Thanksgiving turkey brine. Also, try our other holiday recipes for your Thanksgiving feast.
