I’ve updated my turkey brine recipe, and put a new spin on it for this Thanksgiving – Wild Turkey Gone Wild! My original poultry brine recipe is available in a previous post, as is an instructional how-to video. This is an excellent recipe using common ingredients like citrus, cranberries, salt and sugar, and white wine. This year, I wanted to kick it up a notch, and add in a few new ingredients.
Turkey Brine Live
If you missed the Facebook Live session, you can watch the replay below:
Turkey Brine – Wild Turkey Gone Wild
I’ve added pink peppercorns and Wild Turkey Bourbon to my brine recipe. Any Wild Turkey Bourbon will work, but I’m partial to the Wild Turkey American Honey. The light sweetness compliments the turkey well. If you’re partial to other bourbons or whiskeys, feel free to substitute as you see fit! “Jack up” your turkey with Jack Daniels, or “Beam it up” with a little Jim Beam. Make the recipe your own!
Ingredients
- 3 Lemons, sliced
- 3 Oranges, sliced
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 3 c. Kosher Salt
- 5 Tbsp Pink Peppercorns, whole
- 2 c. Sugar
- 10-12 oz. Dried Cranberries
- 6 Bay Leaves
- 4 - 5 Cloves Garlic
- Fresh Herbs (Cook's choice)
- 3 - 6 shots Wild Turkey Bourbon
- 10+ lbs. Ice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except bourbon and fresh herbs.
- In a large pot, bring one and a half gallons of water to a boil.
- Add combined ingredients from step 1 above, and boil for 5 minutes.
- Let cool. If time is of the essence, set pot in an ice bath, stirring until cooled.
- Place turkey in a large plastic waterproof container, such as a large cooler or plastic bin with a lid.
- Pour brine over turkey, add fresh herbs and bourbon, and enough water to cover turkey. Add 5 lbs. ice. Turkey must maintain a temperature below 40 degrees for 24 to 48 hours. Check every 6 hours, stir, and add ice as necessary to maintain temp.
- After 24 to 48 hours, remove turkey. Discard brine. Rinse and clean turkey, and prepare for roasting or deep frying.
Notes
Feel free to make it your own with your favorite fruits, citrus, herbs, and bourbon, or white wine. If exchanging the bourbon for wine, use a full bottle of wine.
*This recipe is gluten free when made with gluten free alcohol. For those with severe gluten allergies, bourbons and whiskeys are typically not considered 100% safe. I would suggest swapping the bourbon for a certified gluten free white wine.
Pink Peppercorn Turkey Gravy
I also updated my turkey gravy recipe to include pink peppercorns, and modified it to be gluten free using my handmade gluten free flour blend. Nothing tops the perfect turkey like a great gravy, and this one is so delicious, no one will even know it’s gluten free!
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