Turkey brine recipe needed

[Odysseus1911]

Going to be smoking a bird for Thanksgiving and I've heard recommendations that I brine the bird first. The brining thing is new to me and other than being a dilute saline solution, it's a vehicle for seasonings/flavorings to make their way into the meat to a limited degree. If you have a recipe that you use, let's hear it.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I’d say maybe inject it versus brine it, but not sure how that changes since your smoking and not deep frying.

 

[akmike47]

I’d say maybe inject it versus brine it, but not sure how that changes since your smoking and not deep frying.

Love a good Cajun spice injected turkey

 

[roostercogburn98]

Love a good Cajun spice injected turkey

Made me hungry thinking about it

 

[HitEmHard]

This is the master here

 

[roostercogburn98]

Hey OP, go over to the Nom Nom thread and ask this. I bet someone over there will have some tidbits of info

 

[rtB]

Gallon of water (or cut with veggie, chicken broth - I use a pint of chicken broth), cup of salt. Add whatever herbs/spice - sage, rosemary, thyme etc. Soak overnight in fridge. Drain and dry. Cook however.

 

[powdahound76]

Was just telling a buddy about this earlier.

Brine.
I smoked it and starting at hr 2, slathered with butter every hour to enhance browning and crisping of skin.

Many recipes. Just pick one.


Smoked one for a buddy this year, he didn't want to look up a brine and bought a kit at the local Ace with a spice packet and a big Ziploc to brine it in, using a cooler.


And yes. Once I brined one AND injected it with cajun spiced butter.
It was awesome too.

 

[The38Super]

The basic brine I use is .5 cups salt, 2/3 cups light brown sugar to 1 gallon of water. That'll get you a nice juicy bird all day.

 

[roostercogburn98]

@Snuby642

 

[Odysseus1911]

I’d say maybe inject it versus brine it, but not sure how that changes since your smoking and not deep frying

Glad you mentioned that. I was planning on injecting with lemon garlic butter or something in that neighborhood.

 

[roostercogburn98]

If you brine, you’ll have to add artificial fat to the outside like @powdahound76 said, otherwise the skin won’t get crispy

 

[SQ54]

If you brine, you’ll have to add artificial fat to the outside like @powdahound76 said, otherwise the skin won’t get crispy

Nope

 

[powdahound76]

This is how the last one looked.

Brine. No injection. Butter basted.
Having done both, probably wont inject a smoke bird again.

 

[SQ54]

This is what you want. Works perfectly.

 

[Numb_Skull]

Brine it, everything else is just a piece of shit.

https://www.atbbq.com/turkey-kits

 

[akmike47]

Was just telling a buddy about this earlier.

Brine.
I smoked it and starting at hr 2, slathered with butter every hour to enhance browning and crisping of skin.

Many recipes. Just pick one.


Smoked one for a buddy this year, he didn't want to look up a brine and bought a kit at the local Ace with a spice packet and a big Ziploc to brine it in, using a cooler.


And yes. Once I brined one AND injected it with cajun spiced butter.
It was awesome too.

You can put butter/spices under the skin too.

 

[Snafu_again]

Going to be smoking a bird for Thanksgiving and I've heard recommendations that I brine the bird first. The brining thing is new to me and other than being a dilute saline solution, it's a vehicle for seasonings/flavorings to make their way into the meat to a limited degree. If you have a recipe that you use, let's hear it.

They will cook better if you spatchcock them first. And you’ll be happy afterwards.

 

[akmike47]

Made me hungry thinking about it

If I had to I’d drown a turkey in Cajun butter if it made it taste better

 

[Snuby642]

My wife throws a fit about brine but will let me inject to hell and back.
I use chicken broth as a base.

If you smoke choose your wood carefully and stay on top of it like white on rice.

A main fire of oak and then some seasoning wood (cherry wood chips was a good one) I would avoid pecan and be vary sparring on any mesquite.

You have to run a clean fire with a tiney wisp of white smoke coming out of the stack.

I have messed up some turkey's by not doing that. For smoke on bird less is better than more.

You can finish in the oven.

If people don't ransack for leftovers (if a small crew) you probably over smoked it.

 

[Odysseus1911]

I'm using exclusively cherry. I've got probably a couple hundred pounds left from a tree I cut up. Absolutely my favorite smoke wood.

 

[akmike47]

My wife throws a fit about brine but will let me inject to hell and back.

If you smoke choose your wood carefully and stay on top of it like white on rice.

A main fire of oak and then some seasoning wood (cherry wood chips was a good one) I would avoid pecan and be vary sparring on any mesquite.

You have to run a clean fire with a tiney wisp of white smoke coming out of the stack.

I have messed up some turkey's by not doing that. For smoke on bird less is better than more.

You can finish in the oven.

We used to smoke approximately 800 turkeys a year for thanksgiving, can confirm a bird can definitely be over smoked.

Did a couple thousand chicken for Christmas too.

 

[powdahound76]

You can put butter/spices under the skin too.

Have done this for oven turkeys.
So tasty.
And roast garlic in the pan to squeeze out into the gravy.

 

[akmike47]

Have done this for oven turkeys.
So tasty.
And roast garlic in the pan to squeeze out into the gravy.

I’ll eat roast garlic plain on bread

 

[akmike47]

I don’t even want to see a smoked bird after all we used to cook. Don’t know if I’ve eaten one in years. Love turkey and chicken, but I was ruined on them smoked. I’d get sick eating them at one point, my body would reject it lol.

For me it’s hard to beat a fried turkey. I understand the appeal though.

 

[BLEE]

There is only one way, injected and deep fried!

Zatarain's Cajun Injector Creole Butter

 

[Baron23]

Personally, I like apple wood for fowl....but cherry would work well also. Def not hickory or mesquite, IMO.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

They will cook better if you spatchcock them first. And you’ll be happy afterwards.

^^^This.
Spatchcock it and it will cook faster and more evenly.

 

[akmike47]

There is only one way, injected and deep fried!

Zatarain's Cajun Injector Creole Butter

View attachment 7743302

If I remember correctly the tony chacheres version was good too

 

[NoDopes]

Salt, brown sugar brine, and little apple wood. Amazing.

 

[eflyguy]

Have you smoked one before? Nobody was a fan. I fry ours, have for almost two decades now - except for the one time I tried smoking.

Brining imparts little flavor, it just opens up the meat to absorb flavor from cooking. Salt and a stock like herb-ox or similar.

 

[supercorndogs]

1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar, per gallon of water. Make a space in your fridge and brine for more than 48hrs, but less than 72 hours. This works really well for Antelope too.

 

[Bradu]

There is only one way, injected and deep fried!

Zatarain's Cajun Injector Creole Butter

View attachment 7743302

I have to agree. I just injected and smoked a turkey last week, it was good but doesn't compare to deep fried. Never saw a point in brining a turkey since most of the ones from the store already have a "solution" added to them.

 

[Im2bent]

Brine ssshhhmmmiinnneeee. The secret to a juicy bird is....DON'T OVER COOK IT.
Note this is for oven cooked. For smoked just smoke for 6 hours and then throw it in the trash.

 

[MtnCreek]

Ever notice folks eat turkey at Thanksgiving and spring turkey season only? That's cause turkey sucks. Cook a chicken or beef roast or pork roast or whatever you like and give up on this yankee bullshit tradition!

 

[MtnCreek]

BBQ coon is better than turkey. You all know it.

 

[supercorndogs]

If you aren't noticing a difference from a brine, you probably aren't soaking it long enough. I usually cook them breast down. It helps keep the white meat moist. You can still dry them out by overcooking them though. Thats numero uno, I have had some pretty good smoked and fried birds.

 

[supercorndogs]

BBQ coon is better than turkey. You all know it.

I would brine that coon too. Hows the fat content, does roast coon make decent gravy? A hat and dinner, what could be better?

 

[Abbotm2]

My smoked turkey notes

Turkey
Tie legs

Brine:
1gal water
Cup salt, b sugar, molasses, honey, .5c rub, bay leaves, Thyme, sage, rosemary, lemom
Onion, garlic
1 gal water

Stuff with Apple, celery, onion,
Sage, thyme rose

Pam
Salt. Garlic. Seasoning
BBQ rub

Inject creole butter
Pecan wood

300 (3.5hrs) probe at 2
Rotate /1hr. Cooking spray
Cover if gets dark - 165(175 in thigh)
13lb-3.5hr
20lb -5hr

 

[Im2bent]

 

[Odysseus1911]

Have you smoked one before? Nobody was a fan. I fry ours, have for almost two decades now - except for the one time I tried smoking.

Brining imparts little flavor, it just opens up the meat to absorb flavor from cooking. Salt and a stock like herb-ox or similar.

Yes, I did a 14 pounder a few years ago, and it turned out great. Everyone kept saying it was the juiciest turkey they ever had. I've just never brined before.

Actually liked it better than deep fried. I think the thing is that practically everyone overcooks their turkey, and overcooked deep-fried turkey is a helluva lot moister than turkey overcooked by any other method.

 

[eflyguy]

Yes, I did a 14 pounder a few years ago, and it turned out great. Everyone kept saying it was the juiciest turkey they ever had. I've just never brined before.

Actually liked it better than deep fried. I think the thing is that practically everyone overcooks their turkey, and overcooked deep-fried turkey is a helluva lot moister than turkey overcooked by any other method.

I do not disagree one bit. Different strokes. I just don't believe one great "method" necessarily means it's best for every type of food, and I've known many people who tried smoking a bird and were disappointed on the day. If you've done it and were happy, then go for it! The brine won't make much difference as long as there's salt and some seasoning.

I'm pretty handy with my smokers and it wasn't over-cooked. (I had three at that time.) Our family just did not care for the taste of smoked. I think it was apple, might have been cherry. Now, duck, holy smokes (literally!!)

I cook sous-vide a lot, but it's not "best" for everything.

 

[akmike47]

Brine ssshhhmmmiinnneeee. The secret to a juicy bird is....DON'T OVER COOK IT.
Note this is for oven cooked. For smoked just smoke for 6 hours and then throw it in the trash.

I cook my turkey to a nice medium rare to medium.

 

[akmike47]

Ever notice folks eat turkey at Thanksgiving and spring turkey season only? That's cause turkey sucks. Cook a chicken or beef roast or pork roast or whatever you like and give up on this yankee bullshit tradition!

One word, Ham.

I take the ham bone and make butter beans or pintos.

 

[MtnCreek]

One word, Ham.

I take the ham bone and make butter beans or pintos.

That's what I'll be having. And I'll be eating some hambone soup a few days later. Poor crackers for the cornbread and f150 win!

 

[Baron23]

While I love smoking fowl (actually the only way I’ll eat the Candas I kill), I agree w some above that fried is by far my favorite. Brine then fry at 350.

 

[Thumper580]

The basic brine I use is .5 cups salt, 2/3 cups light brown sugar to 1 gallon of water. That'll get you a nice juicy bird all day.

Plus 3/4 cup if kosher salt.... Helps break down the meat protein and makes it tender....

 

[akmike47]

That's what I'll be having. And I'll be eating some hambone soup a few days later. Poor crackers for the cornbread and f150 win!

Up until recently I hadn’t eaten carbs in almost 2 years, I started craving spicy saltine crackers when I made chili. Lately I’ve been wanting beans and corn bread.

I’ve been eating like shit, gotta get back to it.

 

[acudaowner]

tons of video's online ( you tube) how to do it .

 

[Snuby642]

@akmike47
How long on your brine for chicken and turkey?

Not my favorite thing birds, my deal is beef briskets, skirts, and pork ribs , shoulders.