How To Brine a Turkey For The Holidays (Step-By-Step Guide)

Learn how to brine a turkey step-by-step for the holidays! This easy brine method makes your turkey the best, juiciest, tender, and most flavorful recipe ever. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. In this video, I’ll walk you through everything you need to prep your turkey the right way — no cooking in this video, just the brining process!

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 gallons cold water
• 5 ¾ cups apple juice (5 cups + ¾ cup)
• ½ cup honey
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme
• ¼ cup whole peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (ex: Mrs. Dash)
• 2–3 bay leaves
• Ice (enough to cool the mixture)
• 10–12 lb turkey (washed & cleaned)

🥣 INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Add 2 gallons of cold water to a clean brining container with lid.
2. Pour 5 ¾ cups apple juice into a pot.
3. Add honey and brown sugar; stir to dissolve.
4. Add kosher salt and continue stirring.
5. Warm on LOW heat until dissolved (do NOT boil).
6. Add ice to cool mixture completely.
7. Strain out remaining ice.
8. Add thyme, peppercorns, all-purpose seasoning, and bay leaves.
9. Pour mixture into the container with water.
10. Place cleaned turkey into the liquid and fully submerge.
11. Cover and refrigerate 24–48 hours.
12. Remove turkey and pat dry before smoking.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Intro / Be Sure To Cook
0:01 — Welcome Back + Video Overview
0:08 — Why Brining Is Important
0:17 — Brine Bucket Size / 20qt Container
0:31 — Adding 2 Gallons of Water
0:54 — Apple Juice Mixture Setup
1:24 — Adding Honey
1:51 — Adding Brown Sugar
2:06 — Heating Mixture on Low Heat
2:30 — Adding Kosher Salt
3:14 — Cooling with Ice
4:01 — Strain Ice & Combine Liquids
4:44 — Adding Thyme + Peppercorns
5:13 — Adding Bay Leaves
5:25 — Cleaning Turkey & Adding to Brine
5:49 — Submerge + Seal Container
6:02 — Refrigeration Instructions (24–48 Hours)
6:12 — Like, Share & Subscribe
6:25 — Outro / Next Episode: Smoked Turkey

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