Thanksgiving Turkey Wet Brine with Apple Cider
A balanced wet brine of unfiltered apple cider, kosher salt, brown sugar, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns that seasons a Thanksgiving turkey all the way through and keeps the breast juicy. It adds a gentle apple-and-spice sweetness without making the bird taste like dessert. The recipe includes the simple air-dry and roast steps that follow the brine.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 3 hr 20 min
- Wait
- 22 hr 30 min
- Total
- 1.1 days
- Makes
- 1 brined and roasted turkey (12–14 lb / 5.5–6.4 kg), serving 10–12
Steps
Before you start
- Start thawing a frozen turkey in the refrigerator 3–4 days ahead (about 24 hours per 4–5 lb). The turkey must be fully thawed before brining.
- Plan the timeline: about 15 hours in the brine (12 minimum, 18 maximum), then 4–8 hours air-drying, then about 3 hours roasting. For a 3 pm dinner, start the brine around 6 pm the night before.
- Clear fridge space for a large container holding about 2 gallons (7.5 L) of liquid and the bird. A 5-gallon food-safe bucket or pot, or a brining bag set inside a stockpot, works. The brine must stay at 40°F (4°C) or below.
- Use a fresh, natural turkey. Do NOT use a self-basting, kosher, or pre-brined bird. It is already salted and will turn out too salty.
- Weigh the salt if you can. Diamond Crystal and Morton kosher salt differ a lot by volume. The recipe is written for 170 g.
Prep the turkey
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed (no ice crystals in the cavity).
- Remove the neck and giblets from both cavities and save them for stock if you like.
- Pull out any plastic hock lock or pop-up timer.
- Rinse the bird inside and out under cold water and set it on a tray.
- Check that your brining container fits in the fridge with the turkey inside.
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Ready when: Cavities are empty and the bird feels pliable, with no frozen spots.
Tip: Don't brine a bird labeled 'enhanced', 'basted', or 'kosher'. It is already salted.
Simmer the brine base
- In a 4-quart (3.8 L) saucepan, combine the 4 cups (950 ml) water, kosher salt, brown sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, garlic, ginger, thyme, and cinnamon sticks if using.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring, then reduce to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes to dissolve the salt and sugar and wake up the spices.
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Ready when: The liquid is clear, the salt and sugar are fully dissolved with no grains on the bottom, and the kitchen smells of spice and ginger.
Cool the brine
- Pour the hot mixture into your clean 5-gallon bucket or stockpot.
- Squeeze the orange quarters into it and drop them in.
- Add the cold apple cider, the 8 cups (1.9 L) cold water, and the ice, and stir for 1 minute.
- Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.
- If it's above 40°F (4°C), refrigerate it or add more ice until it reads 40°F (4°C) or below.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 40°F (4°C) or colder and the ice has mostly melted.
Tip: Never add the turkey to warm brine. It puts the bird in the bacterial danger zone.
Submerge the turkey
- Lower the turkey breast-side down into the brine, letting the liquid flow into the cavity.
- If using a brining bag, place the bag in the pot first, add the turkey and brine, and squeeze out the air before sealing.
- The turkey must be fully covered.
- Weigh it down with a heavy plate if it floats.
- Cover and place on a low fridge shelf, or in a cooler packed with ice, keeping it at 40°F (4°C) or below.
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Ready when: No part of the turkey is above the surface of the liquid.
Tip: Place the container on the bottom shelf so raw drips can't land on other foods.
Brine in the fridge
- Refrigerate for 15 hours (12 hours minimum, 18 hours maximum).
- About halfway through, carefully turn the turkey over or swish the liquid so the brine reaches every part.
- If using a cooler, check the temperature and add ice as needed.
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Ready when: The turkey has been in the brine 12–18 hours and the skin looks slightly paler and the meat feels firmer.
Tip: Brining longer than 18 hours makes the meat spongy and overly salty.
Remove and rinse
- Lift the turkey out of the brine, draining the cavity into the container.
- Discard all the brine and aromatics.
- Rinse the turkey briefly inside and out under cold running water to wash off surface salt and spices.
- Pat it very dry all over with paper towels, including inside the cavity.
- Wash the sink and everything that touched the raw bird and brine with hot soapy water.
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Ready when: The skin feels tacky-dry, with no dripping water.
Tip: Never reuse the brine or save it as a baste or gravy base. It has been in contact with raw poultry and is very salty.
Air-dry the turkey
- Set the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Refrigerate it uncovered for 4–8 hours.
- The cold, dry air of the fridge dries the skin so it roasts up crisp and golden.
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Ready when: The skin looks taut, dry, and slightly translucent, like parchment.
Tip: If your fridge is crowded, loosely tent with parchment instead of plastic wrap. Plastic traps moisture.
Heat the oven, butter the birdOven 325°F / 165°C
- Take the turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting.
- Position an oven rack in the lower third and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in the roasting pan.
- Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs together with kitchen twine if you like.
- Brush the skin all over with the melted butter.
- Do not add salt, since the brine has already seasoned the meat.
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Ready when: Oven reads 325°F (165°C) and the skin is evenly coated with butter.
Tip: Don't let the bird sit out for more than 30 minutes.
Roast the turkeyOven 325°F / 165°C
- Roast the unstuffed turkey at 325°F (165°C) for about 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes, until done.
- Brined birds cook a little faster, so start checking at 2½ hours.
- If the skin is browning too fast, tent the breast loosely with foil.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone.
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Ready when: Breast reads 165°F (74°C) and thigh reads at least 175°F (80°C). Skin is deep golden brown and juices run clear.
Tip: Pull the turkey when the breast hits 165°F (74°C). It will rise a few degrees while resting.
Rest and carve
- Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 30 minutes.
- Carve by removing the legs and thighs, then slicing the breast off the bone against the grain.
- The pan drippings will be quite salty, so taste before making gravy and thin with unsalted stock rather than adding salt.
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Ready when: Juices run clear when sliced and the meat is steaming but easy to handle.
Tip: Make gravy from unsalted stock and taste the drippings first. Brined drippings are salty.
Good to know
Tips
- Keep it cold. The brine and turkey must stay at or below 40°F (4°C) the whole time. A cooler with ice packs is a good option when the fridge is full, but check it with a thermometer.
- Don't skip the air-dry. The brine adds moisture to the skin, and a few hours uncovered in the fridge is what gives you crisp, golden skin.
- Smaller birds need less time. For a 10–12 lb (4.5–5.5 kg) turkey, brine 10–12 hours. Brine larger birds, up to 20 lb, for 18 hours at most.
- Use a thermometer, not a pop-up timer or the clock. Brined meat can look done and pink in places, so go by temperature.
Make ahead
"Make the brine up to 2 days ahead through the simmering step: combine the hot base, cool it, then refrigerate it in a covered container. Add the cold cider, water, and ice just before the turkey goes in. The turkey can be brined and air-dried the day before, then roasted on Thanksgiving day."
Storage & reheating
Roasted turkey: refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, in shallow airtight containers, for up to 4 days. Freeze sliced meat with a splash of unsalted stock for up to 3 months. Do not leave at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) with a little stock until it reaches 165°F (74°C). The used brine must be discarded and never stored or reused.
Substitutions
- unfiltered apple cider (not apple juice) → Unsweetened apple juice. Works if you can't find cider. The flavor is a bit sweeter and less tangy, so reduce the brown sugar to ¾ cup (150 g).
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt → Morton kosher salt. Morton is denser. Use 130 g (about ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons) rather than measuring 1¼ cups. Do not use table salt by volume.
- light brown sugar → Maple syrup. Use ⅔ cup (160 ml) for a deeper autumn flavor. Add it to the simmering pot.
- fresh thyme sprigs → Fresh sage or rosemary sprigs. Use the same weight. Rosemary is stronger, so use 4 sprigs.