Recipe: Turkey Brine

When it’s time to brine your turkey, there’s only one container to depend on: Cambro. BBQ Grillmaster Misty Banchero AKA Seattle Butcher’s Wife on Instagram and TikTok is sharing her brine recipe for a no-fail, juicy, delicious turkey using a 22 qt. CamSquare® FreshPro container.

Click here for additional Cambro containers that are popular for brining turkey, including size suggestions for smaller and larger turkeys.

brine recipeIngredients:

  • 12 to 14lb. Turkey (read below for size modifications)
  • 1 Gallon Water
  • 1 Cup Kosher Salt
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup Molasses
  • 1 Cup Hot Honey
  • ¼ Cup Poultry Seasoning
  • 2 Tbsp Peppercorn
  • 1 tsp ground Allspice
  • Assorted Herbs:
  • 4 Bay Leaves
  • 5 Stems Thyme
  • 3 Stems Sage
  • 2 Tbsp rosemary
  • Assorted Citrus:
  • 2 Sliced Oranges
  • 2 Sliced Lemon
  • 1 Sliced Lime
  • Optional: Star Anise Pods. Juniper Berries

Directions:

  1. Combine half a gallon of water, Kosher salt, brown sugar, molasses, hot honey, poultry seasoning peppercorn and allspice into a large pot.
  2. Simmer the brine base for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the herbs and citrus and let it simmer over medium/low until you smell the aroma of the herbs and seasoning. Just simmer another 10 to 15 minutes and then cool completely.
  4. Pour the brine into a 22 qt. Camsquare FreshPro container. Add the rest of the gallon of water and more if needed to fully cover your bird.
  5. Keep container in the refrigerator or on ice, maintaining a temperature of no more than 40°
  6. After 24 hours, remove and proceed to cook the turkey.

Smoking Tips

I smoke my turkey whole or spatchcock style on a pellet grill at 275°F until the internal temp of the bird reaches 165°F in the center of the breast meat. There are many flavor profile choices to use after a brine. The easiest way is to use compound butter under the skin and then butter baste the bird with a combination of melted butter and seasoning of your choice throughout the cook.

Brine Q & A

  1. How long do you brine the turkey?

A: 24 hours

  1. How should I store a brining turkey?

A: Refrigerate in the Cambro storage container

  1. Can you reuse the Brine?

A: No

  1. Can you brine the Frozen Turkey?

A: No, it must be thawed to absorb the flavor

  1. How much Brine do you need?

A: Typically, 1 gallon per 10 lbs. of turkey

  1. Can I use any salt?

A: Use Kosher salt because it dissolves differently