Easy Citrus Turkey Brine with Orange Juice and Brown Sugar
Looking for an easy, flavorful turkey brine recipe? This citrus turkey brine made with fresh oranges, rosemary, cinnamon and spices is a home run! An amazing way to add some serious flavor and juiciness to your Thanksgiving turkey.
Equipment
- Disposable Turkey Sized Roasting Pan These Reynolds Roasting Pans make for QUICK clean-up!
- Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 9 qt. This is my GO-TO Dutch Oven / Stock Pot for just about everything!
- Turkey Brining Bags These Brining Bags are a MUST!
Ingredients
- 4 cup 1 quart orange juice
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons ground sage
- 3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 3-4 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2-3 star anise pods
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium oranges sliced
- 1 gallon water
Instructions
- To a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add all of the ingredients; orange juice, salt, sugar, peppercorns, sage, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, garlic, orange slices and water.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring well to help the salt and sugar dissolve well into the liquid.
- Bring the brine to a boil, then promptly remove from heat. Let the brine cool completely to room temperature.
- Place thawed turkey (breast side down) into a brining bag, removing any giblets and neck from inner cavity. Pour the cooled brine over the top of the turkey, including all ingredients that were cooked in the brine (herbs, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, ect.)
- Seal the brining bag and secure with clips if necessary. Refrigerate the brined turkey for 18-24 hours.
- Once the brining is complete, remove the turkey from the brine and bag. Discard the brine and bag - do NOT reuse.
- Place the turkey into your roasting pan and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Lightly coat the outer skin of the turkey with olive oil or butter to create a nicely browned skin.
Notes
Once you've removed the turkey from the brine be sure to DISCARD any leftover brine. The leftover brine is NOT safe to consume.
Roasting time for a turkey: Cook a turkey 13-15 minutes per pound. For example, if your turkey is 15 lbs, then you'll need 180 minutes, or approximately 3 1/2 - 4 1/4 hours. (Reference the post above for a full cook time table based on turkey weight.) Note that a brined turkey will tend to brown faster, so about half way through roasting, cover the turkey with foil to prevent over-browning.
Turkey is done when the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 165 degrees, and the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 175 degrees.
Remove turkey from oven to rest after cooking. Cover with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to settle into the meat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!