Joey's Slow Cooker Turkey with Apples and Cider Gravy

 

 

 

 People always ask me what my favorite dinner is, and I'll say the same thing every time: Turkey dinner with the usual everything that goes with it. But I think we only cook it on holidays because it's a bit of a production number, and it can turn out dry if it's overcooked.. and unless we're cooking for a giant crowd, most times we just don't need to cook that big of a roast. 

 And then we discovered the 3 lb boneless turkey breast cooked in the slow cooker. It was viral all over the interwebs, with its cranberries and onion soup mixture. Of course, I took the cooking method and ran with it, trying all kinds of other versions, and that's where this recipe was born. 

 As always, my first thought is "what do I happen to have on hand?" In this case, it was apples and apple cider. So I threw it in the slow cooker, added some sliced onions (why? because I love apples and onions together) and then made gravy after it was done. It was sweet from the cider and savory from the onions and poultry seasoning, Absolutely DELISH! Perfect for anytime, but special enough for your holiday dinner, especially if you only have a 3 or 4 mouths to feed. This would also be a great thing to add to your table in addition to a holiday ham, just in case anyone might like to have turkey too. The apples and cider gravy will go  PERFECTLY with everything! 

100% would make again! Enjoy! 

  

  

 

 

3 lb Butterball boneless turkey breast
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup apple cider 
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
4 tbs butter, cut into small pats



Place your completely defrosted turkey breast in a slow cooker, making sure to leave the netting on. (Save the gravy packet for another time, or discard)
Place the onion and apple slices on and around the turkey.
Sprinkle with poultry season, salt, and pepper. 
Now add the cider and vinegar.
Top with pats of butter. 
Cook on low for exactly 6 hours. 
Remove turkey to a cutting board. Remove apples and onions to a serving platter.
Let the turkey rest while you make the gravy. 

Add a slurry of cold water plus 2 tbs of flour. Pour into slow cooker while stirring constantly. Turn the slow cooker to high and let it continue to cook until desired thickness. Pour into gravy boat for serving. 
Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove the netting from the turkey.
Slice the turkey and place on the platter with the apples and onions. 
Garnish with parsley, if desired. 
Serve with gravy on the side. 

 

Tips:
Usually, I say that slow cookers are very forgiving when it comes to cooking time, but in this case, I’ve found that cooking any longer than 6 hours runs the risk of overcooking the turkey. To insure that your turkey is perfect, use a meat thermometer. I'd test it at about 5 1/2 hours. Take it out when the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. Then let it rest. The carry over cooking time will bring it up to the required 165º.
If your turkey breast is still frozen, cook it for about 8 hours. 

Perfect Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast

   Every year, when Autumn starts creeping in, I'm always searching for different recipes and methods of cooking all of our holiday favorites. This year, my new favorite thing is cooking a boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker. Now, if you know me, you know about my love of slow cookers and the fact that I have an entire collection of them, (only 10, but who's counting?)
 Anyway, I first tried this method with a tik tok Cranberry Turkey recipe, and I loved the method so much that I thought "ok now lets try this with your usual traditional herbs and spices." I mean, you just can't beat the aroma of a Thanksgiving turkey cooking all day, am I right?
 The result was AMAZING! It's literally fall apart tender, flavorful and juicy as can be, and it absolutely smells and tastes like Thanksgiving. And the good news is, you can customize it for the amount of people you're serving. If you only have 3 or 4 people, you're good to go. If you have 6 or 7 people, just use a larger slow cooker and make two! And so forth. Oh! And here's the kicker: I wondered whether you even have to defrost the turkey, and guess what? You don't! You can literally take it out of the freezer, frozen solid, and throw it into the crock pot. Who knew? The only thawing I did was I held it under running COLD water until I could detach the frozen gravysickle packet. That was it! You do have to cook it for a longer stretch of time, but that seemed to be a worthwhile trade off. And it comes out exactly the same! Game changer.
Bonus: It also frees up your oven for all of your other casseroles and side dishes. Actually, come to think of it.. now that all the worry and stress about your turkey is sorted, what other side dishes are you gonna make??? Make lots, invite friends, and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

1 (3lb) Butterball frozen boneless turkey breast
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning blend
1/2 tsp ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pats of butter (about 1/2 stick)
1/4 cup white wine

Simply throw all ingredients into a crock pot, leaving the webbed netting on the turkey breast. 

Cover and set your slow cooker to low.
If your turkey breast is completely thawed, cook it for 6 hours.
If it's frozen, cook it for 8 hours.
Remove from slow cooker to a cutting board. Use scissors to remove the netting. Be careful! It's hot! Using a very sharp knife, slice into nice thick slices and serve.

For the gravy;
After removing the turkey from the crock pot, add a slurry made of 1/2 cup COLD water or chicken broth and a 1/4 cup flour to the slow cooker. Whisk to combine until it thickens. 

Pour gravy over everything!

Tips:
 Gravy- Be careful not to add too much wine. Once I just eyeballed it and it came out tasting much too winey for me. I found that measuring 1/4 cup was just the right amount.
 Seasoning- If you'd like to use fresh herbs instead of dry, go for it! You definitely can't go wrong with sage and thyme!
 Slicing- I found that using a really sharp knife will help you to make cleaner slices. That sounds kind of obvious, but if your knife is dull, the meat will just fall apart instead of making nice pretty slices. Presentation is everything! Also, making thicker slices helps to that end as well!
 And lastly, this recipe also works really well with a whole oven-stuffer roaster chicken. My biggest crockpot literally fits a whole 9 lb bird. Crazy, right? Just be sure to completely thaw it, remove the bundle from inside the cavity, rinse and dry it, then add a jar of chicken gravy to the listed recipe since it doesn't come with a gravy packet. Boom.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Turkey Breast

 When we think of a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, the image that immediately comes to mind is something like the iconic Norman Rockwell painting, Freedom From Want. It depicts a large group of people gathered around the dinner table while a humongous turkey is being presented as the centerpiece for the feast. Since I have a ginormous wonderful family, I can certainly relate to this idea!

 But what if your wonderful family isn't so ginormous? What if you have maybe 3 or 4 people instead of 20 or 30? Yes, you'd still love to serve a terrific Turkey Dinner for Thanksgiving, but you've decided you're definitely not gonna cook a giant turkey. What are your options? Well, this recipe answers that question! 

  I first saw a version of this recipe in a tik tok video, and I gave it a try. LOVED it! But immediately thought I could make it better. After a few tries, I think THIS is the best one! It's SO easy to do, it only takes a few minutes to throw together, and since it's in a slow cooker, it frees up your oven for other dishes like casseroles or roasted veggies. And the gravy that it makes is absolutely delicious! Another great fact about this recipe is that you don't have to serve it just for thanksgiving. It's an easy simple weeknight meal! Also it's perfect for me, since most of the time I'm just cooking for myself. Turkey just happens to be my all time favorite dinner, and now I get to have it as often as I want! This recipe is just that easy. 

 So if you're looking for a Thanksgiving option, or if you just happen to love turkey as much as I do, give this one a try.  It's definitely a keeper!

1 (3lb) Butterball boneless turkey breast, including gravy packet

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

Cracked black pepper to taste 

Big splash of white wine

3 pats of butter

3 tbs flour 

 

 

  Defrost your frozen turkey breast in the fridge for a day or two. Since it's so small, it doesn't take a long time. When it's completely thawed, remove the packaging, but be sure to leave the netting that holds the turkey intact. I usually rinse the turkey of all the extra liquid from the packaging, and then pat it dry with a paper towel. 

  In a 3 quart slow cooker, combine all of the sauce ingredients, except the butter and flour. Be sure to include the packet of gravy that comes with the turkey breast. I usually use a whisk to break up the jellied cranberry sauce. Place the turkey breast in the slow cooker, and turn until coated. Place a few pats of butter on top. Cook your turkey for 6 hours on low.

 Remove the turkey to a cutting board. Very carefully remove the netting using scissors or a sharp knife. Slice the turkey into nice thick glorious slices. Place on a serving platter.

 Now make the gravy. Turn the slow cooker to high. In a small bowl or mason jar, make a slurry by mixing 3 tbs of flour with the same amount of COLD water. Pour the slurry into the slow cooker and stir well. Let it continue to cook for a few minutes. Your gravy will thicken perfectly. Pour gravy over your fanned turkey slices, or serve in a gravy boat. 

 Now dig in!

Tips:

 You can easily use home made or whole berry cranberry sauce. It will all work!

Yes, I know, I know. Onion soup mix and cranberries.. who knew? But it definitely works, just like when I made Cranberry Chicken many years ago. In fact, you could use this same recipe with chicken too! Actually, come to think of it, if you have a large 7 quart slow cooker, you could easily use this recipe to make a 9 lb oven stuffer. I just might have to do that one of these days. 

 If you don't want to add the wine, add a splash of something else to add a little acid. Balsamic or cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon, anything with a little tang to it. It will brighten the flavor and balance the sweetness. 

 There is no added salt included in this recipe because the onion soup mix already has that covered. 

 The cooking time is listed as 6 hours on low. I suppose you can do 3 hours on high, but I've never tried it. Some things just taste better when you cook them low and slow. Usually I just set it up at lunch time and then it's perfectly ready by dinnertime.

Serve this with more jellied cranberries, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, corn casserole, stuffing, and candied sweet potatoes. Pro tip: Pour gravy over everything!

 

Joey's Pineapple Honey Braised Turkey Thighs

If you're a frequent visitor to my blog, you know by now that I LOVE the method of braising meat in a big heavy pot in the oven. It seriously makes the meat fall apart tender, and it makes the whole house smell like Mom's home cookin'. What's not to love about that???
 Not too long ago, I made Apple Braised Turkey Thighs and they were absolutely FANTASTIC. I had another package of thighs in the freezer, so I decided to do them again and try something new at the same time. Once again, I went with what I happened to have in the pantry, and this was the result. Now, I know the title of the recipe might lead you to believe that it's all sweet and sticky, but really it's not. The thyme in the poultry seasoning balances with the sweet ingredients and you end up with a savory thick gravy with just a few hints of sweetness here and there. I can't even begin to tell you how fabulous it is! I know I always say "this is one of the best things I've ever made" but seriously this is one of the best things I've ever made!!! I KNOW you'll love it!!!

2 turkey thighs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
a few glugs of olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
2 or 3 bay leaves
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 cup honey
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water



 Heat oven to 350F.
Trim excess skin from turkey thighs and season both sides with salt and pepper. Pour olive oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add thighs to pot, skin side down, for about 8-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Turn the thighs over and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove thighs to a plate. Add onions and carrots to the pot. Saute for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add garlic, pineapple, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, and honey. Give everything a good stir. Add broth and sherry. Nestle the thighs back into the pot, including any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover the pot, then place it in the oven for about 2 hours.
After the two hours, it's time to make the gravy.
Using a slotted spoon, remove everything from the pot to a serving platter, leaving the broth behind. Mix flour into cold water, stirring to make sure there are no lumps, then add it to the pot over medium heat. Stir until it thickens. Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper if needed. Pour the gravy over the turkey thighs. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Tips:
When you brown the turkey thighs in the pot, just leave them alone. They won't brown properly if you muss and fuss with them.
If you don't have chicken broth, just use plain water.
I used dry poultry seasoning, just because I had some handy, but I think fresh thyme sprigs would make it even better!
If you don't have dry sherry, use white wine or even a splash of vinegar, or simply omit it!

Apple Braised Turkey Thighs

This is one of the easiest recipes I've ever tried and is now one of my all time favorites! I was watching Everyday Food, and as is often the case, I wanted to run right out to the store to get the ingredients. (Actually, I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry!) If you know me, you know that I never met an apple dish that I didn't like and that turkey dinner is my all time favorite in the whole wide world. So this clearly falls into the "how can this not be good?" category.
 One of the best things about this recipe is that it doesn't take long to do the prep work, and then you don't need to babysit it once it's in the oven. You just leave it in the oven and let it do its thing. It's perfect for the novice cook. Basically, if you can peel an apple and cut an onion, you can make this dish. And just wait 'til you taste it! The meat becomes fall-apart tender and the apples cook down into the most fabulous sweet and sour apple sauce you've ever tasted. So simple, but SO brilliant! Serve it with a green veggie and some roasted potatoes and you have the perfect weekend supper!
Try it!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 turkey thighs (about 2 pounds total)

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

4 Cortland or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored

2 cups apple cider

14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer turkey to a plate and add shallots to pot. Cook until shallots soften, about 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; cook 30 minutes more.

Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to a plate. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar. Slice meat off bones and serve turkey with apples and pan sauce.

Tips:
If you don't have shallots, you can certainly use thinly sliced onions. Just let them cook slowly over a medium heat until they get nice and soft and sweet and mellow.
Be sure to add the cider vinegar at the end. It's seriously a key ingredient that gives the apple sauce that little sour zing that totally makes the entire dish.
 If you don't have a cast iron dutch oven, just use any oven proof heavy pot. It's absolutely worth the investment, though. Make sure you put it on your wish list!

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

Here's a repost of Jeanie's "day after Thanksgiving" dish.
It's so good that it's worth reposting and it still hits the spot.
Try it!!!!


Well, once again my sister Jeanie has created a fabulous 'feed a crowd' dish. She's good like that, you know? I love that I'll be at work, just going about my day, and I'll receive a random picture message on my phone of whatever new dish she's just created. When she first described it to me, all I could think of was "what's not to love?" It seriously screams "comfort food", and you know how I love that! This is the perfect recipe to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. Thanx My Jeanie!



4 cups cooked turkey, diced
4 cups diced red potatoes
3 stalks celery, diced
1 or 2 onions
2 cups baby carrots
1 bag frozen peas
6 cups chicken (or turkey) broth
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. sage
1 jar turkey gravy
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
fresh rosemary, 1 sprig
fresh thyme
1 recipe stuffing – Stove Top or your own


1. Cook potatoes – I put them in a skillet with a little oil, seared them for about 10 minutes, then added some water to cover, put a lid on and cooked for another 5 or 10 until tender. Drain and place into bottom of a greased 13 x 9. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute celery, onion and carrots in a little butter until tender. Add chicken broth, poultry seasoning, sage, rosemary, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup flour in about 1 cup of water, whisk until smooth, and add to skillet mixture. Add jar of turkey gravy. Simmer until thickened.
4. Add diced turkey and frozen peas (no need to thaw them).
5. Pour entire mixture on top of potatoes in 13 x 9.
6. Prepare the Stove Top as directed and sprinkle over top of the casserole.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.


Tip:
Clearly, you could use chicken instead of turkey and switch the vegetables to suit your own tastes or to use up whatever you have leftover!

Turkey London Broil

Usually, the term "London Broil" refers to a marinated flank or round steak which is broiled or grilled and is then cut against the grain into thin strips. But who says it has to be a cut of beef? Why not do the same thing with a whole boneless turkey breast?
Suppose you only have a few mouths to feed for Thanksgiving, and every year the leftover turkey goes to waste because there's just too much! Well, this is the perfect Thanksgiving solution when one doesn't want to cook an entire turkey. Serve it with some stuffing, cranberries, and a vegetable or two, and there's your perfect Thanksgiving turkey dinner!

a whole boneless turkey breast (with or without skin)
melted butter
salt and pepper
poultry seasoning


Heat oven to 350F.
Place turkey breast in a shallow casserole dish or small roasting pan. Drizzle generously with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Place the pan in the oven and roast it for about 20-25 minutes per pound. When it's no longer pink in the center and slightly firm to the touch, remove it from the oven. Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Tips:
Add any spices you like! For a spicier kick, add a little Cajun seasoning.
To keep it moist while it's resting, baste it with some of the melted butter and turkey juices!
Your turkey breast can also be grilled or broiled. Just place the meat about 3 inches away from the heat source, and be sure turn it so it doesn't burn.

Chris's Irish Stew with Turkey Balls and Drop Dumplings

Here's another great stew recipe from my brother, Chris. As Chris would say "It's a great 'stick to your ribs' rainy-day kind of meal." And for the record, I have no idea what makes it "Irish", but I'll go with it.
Thanx Chris!

2 cans of cream of chicken
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 can of cream of celery
1 bag of frozen vegetables (I use California mix-broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)
1 bag of frozen broccoli
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1 lb. of ground turkey
1 onion (chopped coarsely)
1 egg
breadcrumbs
1/2 lb. of bacon
Bisquick


Combine soups, the chopped onion and all frozen vegetables in a pot and cook low and slow. Cook the bacon in a pan and when it's done, throw it in the soup pot. Save the pan with the bacon grease in it. Make meatballs out of the ground turkey, egg and bread crumbs and fry them in the pan with the bacon grease. When the turkey balls are done, throw them in the soup pot as well. To make the drop dumplings, mix the Bisquick with some water and drop spoonfuls (teaspoons) of the dough into the boiling stew. Cook until they're done.


Tips from Chris:
I've served this stew over top of a baked potato in a pie plate, and it was incredible. I'm sure it would be great if you poured it over wide egg noodles or some kind of pasta as well.

Turkey Salad Wraps

Still have leftover turkey? Make turkey salad!
Leftover chicken? Make it chicken salad instead!
To be honest, I never really thought of writing down an official recipe for turkey salad, but I get SO many emails from people thanking me for simple basic recipes, that I figured this needed to be included. This is how I always make it, but you can certainly change it up however you like.
Enjoy!

2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 ribs celery, finely diced
a few shakes poultry seasoning
freshly ground black pepper
big pinch onion salt

Stir together all ingredients. Scoop a huge mound into the center of a flour tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce (and/or tomato, cheese, pickles. etc). Fold sides in and roll it up. Slice it in half and serve.


Tip:
As my Mom would say, "do you like a lot of celery? Add a lot of celery." You get the idea. Personally, I do like a lot because I love the crunch. You can add diced onion instead of the onion salt, but I find the raw onion to be slightly harsh. The onion salt is a little more subtle.

Lets Talk Turkey!

OK, so, the first and most important part of Thanksgiving dinner, at least for me, has to be the turkey. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it! But where do I start? There are many things to consider and many steps to preparing a turkey. It can be quite overwhelming! My brother, Bobby, once called my Mom and said "ok, Mom, how do you cook a turkey?" and her first thought was to ask him "from what point?" because, like I said, there are several steps to take. She didn't know if he was asking her to start at the very beginning or if he was asking something as simple as "how long should I cook it?". So, she said to him "How much do you know?" and his response was "This is a turkey." And to that she answered "Aha. Well alrighty then.... here we go...."
Aaaaaanyway......
There are many ways to cook a turkey. You can roast it, grill it, or deep fry it. But regardless of how you choose to cook it, there's one thing you MUST do first, and that's to BRINE your turkey. It makes ALL the difference in the world and you'll wind up with the juiciest turkey you've ever tasted. I'm not even kidding. You won't even believe how juicy a turkey can be!
To be honest, I must confess, I've never even cooked a turkey. Well, maybe once, but I'm sure I had my Mom on the phone the entire time. So, I launched into "research mode". I looked up a few web sites and then I turned to an authority on the subject, my sister, Jeanie. Every year, we have quite a huge Thanksgiving dinner, which means more than one turkey. Well, actually, we do two turkeys and a turkey breast. We all have our cooking assignments and Jeanie always cooks one of the turkeys. It always turns out perfectly and she swears by brining her turkeys. If it's good enough for my Jeanie, it's good enough to recommend to you!

Below is an excerpt from an article I found at About.com. I found it to be EXTREMELY informative when it comes to brining. Do your Thanksgiving a favor and take a quick minute to read it. You'll be glad you did! Following the article, I've listed a few brine recipes. And following the brine recipes, I've listed a few links to assist you in cooking your turkey via whichever method you choose.

You can TOTALLY do this! I know it seems a little daunting, but just relax and breathe. It just takes a little planning and a little organization. It'll all turn out fine! Promise!



Brining Your Turkey

Supplies:
To properly brine a turkey you need to start the night before you plan to cook. You will need at least 10 to 12 hours (plan on 1 hour per pound of turkey), a container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it. You'll also need salt, water, sugar, seasonings, and enough room to refrigerate it. A large stainless steel stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket would make excellent containers. Whatever container you choose the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned so it should be big. Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food safe sealable bags that are great for brining.

Turkey:
Now let's get to the turkey. The turkey should be cleaned out, completely thawed, and should not be a self-basting or Kosher turkey. Self-basting and Kosher turkeys have a salty stock added that will make your brined turkey too salty. A fresh turkey works best, but a completely thawed, previously frozen turkey will work just as well.

Brine Ingredients:
To make the brine, mix 1 cup of table salt in 1 gallon of water. You will need more than 1 gallon of water but that’s the ratio to aim for. One way of telling if you have enough salt in your brine is that a raw egg will float in it. Make sure that the salt is completely dissolved before adding the seasonings you like, making sure not to add anything that contains salt. Brines can be spicy hot with peppers and cayenne, savory with herbs and garlic, or sweet with molasses, honey and brown sugar.

Sweetening the Brine:
Sugar is optional to any brine, but works to counteract the flavor of the salt. While you may choose a brine without sugar, I do recommend that you add sugar (any kind of "sweet" will do) to maintain the flavor of the turkey. Add up to 1 cup of sugar per gallon of brine. Like the salt you need to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.

Set-up:
Place the turkey in a container and pour in enough brine to completely cover the turkey with an inch or two to spare. You do not want any part of the turkey above the surface of the brine. Now you put the whole thing in the refrigerator. The turkey should sit in the brine for about 1 hour per pound of turkey. Brining too long is much worse than not brining enough so watch the time.

Keep it Cool!:
Don't have room in the refrigerator? Try a cooler. A cooler big enough to hold your turkey makes a good container for your turkey and brine. The cooler will help keep it cool and allow you to brine your turkey without taking up precious refrigerator space. If the weather is cool, but not freezing you can put the whole thing outside until you need the turkey. If the weather is warm fill a half gallon milk carton with water and freeze it. Place this in the cooler with the turkey and brine and it will hold down the temperature during the brining process.

Rinsing:
When you are ready to start cooking your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off thoroughly in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface inside and out. Safely discard the brine and cook your turkey as normal. You will notice the second you start to carve your turkey that the brining has helped it retain moisture. The first bite will sell you on brining turkeys forever, and after you've tried this you will want to brine all your poultry.



Wasn't that informative? I was going to attempt to write about all of that but it seemed like a better choice to just show you the article. Now that you understand all about brining, here are a few brine recipes:


Poultry Brine

Hawaiian Style Turkey Brine

Savory Turkey Brine

Cranberry Turkey Brine


Cooking Methods:

Ina's Perfect Roast Turkey

Turkey on the Grill

Deep Fried Turkey

Poultry Brine

This brine works with the added power of pickling spices which increases the moisture in poultry with some great seasonings for more flavor.

1 gallon water
1 cup salt (1 1/2 cups Kosher or coarse salt)
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon tarragon

Dissolve salt and brown sugar in water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Allow to cool. Add vinegar and spices. Brine for 1 hour per pound.

Hawaiian Style Turkey Brine

This brine is a bit different since it uses sweet ingredients instead of savory or spicy. The pineapple juice works well to tenderize the turkey meat while the brine adds moisture.

4 quarts pineapple juice
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/3 cups soy sauce
1 cup light maple syrup
1 cup salt (1 1/2 cups Kosher or coarse salt)
6 cloves garlic, cut into halves
4-6 whole bay leaves
2 tablespoons red pepper, crushed

Combine all ingredients. Place turkey in large container and pour brine over. Cover and allow to brine for 1 hour per pound.

Savory Turkey Brine

This turkey brine gets a portion of its salt from vegetable stock. The combination of spices and herbs will give your turkey a rich flavor.

2 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 cup salt (3/4 cup Kosher or coarse salt)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 quarts cold water

In a large pot combine vegetable stock, salt and herbs over a medium heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the salt is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add cold water.
Place turkey in a large plastic container. Pour brine over top, cover and refrigerate. Brine for 1 hour per pound.

Cranberry Turkey Brine

What better to brine a turkey in than cranberry? This turkey brine recipe is perfect for a traditional turkey dinner.

2 quarts cranberry juice
1 quart water
1 cup salt (1 1/2 cups Kosher or coarse salt)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled and lightly smashed
4 springs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
6-8 bay leaves

Combine ingredients and place in a large pot. Add turkey to pot, making sure that brine covers turkey. If not, add more water to mixture. Brine for 1 hour per pound.