Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe: How to Brine a Smoked Turkey

A smoked turkey brine is a wet or dry mixture used to add flavor while keeping the poultry juicy during the smoking process. Whole turkeys require several hours to smoke due to their large size, so brining is key in preventing the meat from drying out. Smoked turkey brine ingredients can lean towards Thanksgiving flavors with fresh herbs and whole cloves or full-on BBQ style with paprika and brown sugar. However, a brine should always include salt, which seasons the turkey and prevents moisture loss.

There is much debate on which brining method—wet or dry—yields the best turkey. To wet-brine a turkey, you’ll submerge the bird in a saline solution; if you dry-brine turkey, you’ll rub the turkey with a dry salt mixture. Both methods work for smoked turkey, so the choice comes down to personal preference. Here’s how to choose:

• Available storage space: Since wet-brining involves submerging your turkey in liquid, it requires a large vessel (like a five-gallon bucket) and lots of available space in the refrigerator. If fridge space is tight, you may want to go with a dry brine.
• Cleanup: Wet brines tend to be messier than dry brines: Your brining vessel will be cumbersome, and the liquid may slosh around. Before smoking your turkey, carefully drain off any excess brine; these steps aren’t necessary when using a dry brine.
• Ingredients: A wet brine is ideal for incorporating fresh herbs, whole spices, whole garlic cloves, and liquids like apple cider. Choose ground spices like garlic powder and ground peppercorns for a dry brine.

You can use any turkey brine recipe for smoked turkey. Here are some ideas:

1. 1. BBQ brine: Add classic BBQ flavors like brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, and mustard powder to a wet or dry brine.
2. 2. Fresh herb brine: Flavor your wet brine with sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, crushed garlic, and peppercorns.
3. 3. Sweet and savory brine: Adding apple juice adds sweetness to a wet brine. Balance it with savory spices like whole peppercorns and bay leaves.
4. 4. Holiday brine: For your Thanksgiving turkey, season your brine with festive flavors like fresh or dried sage and juniper berries.

Brining is a crucial first step in ensuring a flavorful smoked turkey. Here’s what to do, step by step.

1. 1. Make room in the refrigerator. Refrigerating is necessary for both wet-brining and dry-brining. Make enough space in the fridge for a large stockpot, five-gallon bucket, or large plate or sheet which will hold the turkey. Store the poultry on the bottom shelf, so no raw turkey drippings or brine drips on other foods items, possibly contaminating them. A brining bag can help prevent cross-contamination.
2. 2. Prepare the brine. For a wet brine, combine two gallons of water or other liquids with two cups of salt and aromatics in a large stockpot. Heat the ingredients until they’re warm to the touch and the salt dissolves. Then, let the brine come to room temperature. For dry brine, simply combine two cups of salt with other dry seasonings.
3. 3. Prepare the turkey. Before you begin brining, defrost the bird, then remove the turkey’s giblets, neck, and any other gristly parts (you can usually find these in a bag stuffed inside the turkey's cavity if you bought it at a grocery store or from a commercial distributor).
4. 4. Brine the turkey. For wet-brining, lower the whole turkey into a large stockpot filled with the saltwater solution. Place a plate or other weight on top of the turkey to keep it completely submerged in the brine. (Alternatively, place the turkey in a brining bag and pour in the brine.) For dry-brining, gather the salt and seasoning mix and rub it all over every inch of the turkey. Place the dry-brined turkey in a large ziplock bag or airtight container. Refrigerate the brined turkey for a minimum of twelve hours and up to forty-eight hours.
5. 5. Smoke the turkey. Before smoking your brined turkey, remove it from the brine, discard any excess brine, and let the turkey come up to room temperature. Learn how to smoke your brined turkey with this basic smoked turkey recipe.