Brined Thanksgiving Turkey
"I love brined turkey. This is a lovely sweet and savory turkey great for Thanksgiving. Cook time and serving size will vary depending on the size of your turkey. The brine is made the same way regardless of the size of your turkey. Only the cook time and amount of filling will vary. You will need a cooler or clean, food safe bucket large enough to hold your bird as well as lots of icy water. I use a cooler so my directions will be written for a cooler. If you use some sort of bucket just use your judgment to match the directions. You can customize the brine using fresh herbs, seasonings, fruits, and vegetables you prefer."
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 9 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Apple Juice | 1 medium (182g) | 95 |
| Apple | 1 medium (182g) | 95 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Sage | 1 tsp ground (0.7g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 4 (32 ounce) containers chicken broth
- 1 cup apple juice (optional)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons dried sage
- 4 peppercorns
- 4 red apples, halved
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 10 pounds ice cubes, or as needed
- 1 (20 pound) turkey whole turkey - thawed, neck and giblets removed
- 3 apples, cored and quartered
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed