27 Brined Turkey Recipes That Will Lock in Flavor and Moisture

With these foolproof recipes, brining your bird is an absolute breeze.

Updated on November 03, 2023

By: Food Network Kitchen

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Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Yunhee Kim

Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Yunhee Kim

Our Best Recipes for Turkey Brine

Want to set your Thanksgiving dinner up for success? Then consider brining your bird. If you're not sure how to brine a turkey, you're in luck—it requires minimal planning, only a few pantry staples and a just little extra (hands-off) time. The payoff, however, is huge—you'll be rewarded with a Thanksgiving turkey that's flavorful and extra-moist. These recipes will give you plenty of options, but if you're looking for a go-to, try Ree's easy turkey brine. It calls for just 8 ingredients—but guarantees an impressive Thanksgiving main every time.

Get the Recipe: My Favorite Turkey Brine

Bay and Lemon Brined Turkey

An overnight brine leaves Dave Lieberman's Thanksgiving centerpiece infused with warm flavors of fall, lemons and bay leaves. Those flavors double up as they’re stuffed inside the bird before it roasts to perfection.

Get the Recipe: Bay and Lemon Brined Turkey

Cajun Brined Turkey Two Ways

Bobby Flay treats two turkeys to a fragrant brine and spice rub. When it's time for roasting, one turkey cooks in a Cuban-style box for smoky results and the other in a green ceramic grill using smoked wood chips for bold hickory flavor.

Get the Recipe: Cajun Brined Turkey-Two Ways

Alex's Thanksgiving Turkey Brine

Alex Guarnaschelli's secret to an extra-juicy and flavorful turkey is the perfect turkey brine.

Get the Recipe: Thanksgiving Turkey Brine

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast Stuffed with Pear Hash

If you're seeking a break from the traditional roast turkey that you've made year after year, take a page out of Sunny Anderson's book. She keeps the holiday interesting with her unusual presentation: brined turkey breasts wrapped in bacon and stuffed with a spicy pear mixture.

Get the Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast Stuffed with Pear Hash

Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Ree Drummond takes her brined bird out of the oven halfway through its cooking time to spread butter on it before it finishes cooking. This ensures that it ends up with that deep, golden-brown color.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Roasted, Brined Turkey Breast with Maple-Worcestershire Gravy and Fruit-and-Nut Rice Pilaf

The sweet maple syrup and the intense umami flavor from the Worcestershire sauce add great depth of flavor to Rachael Ray's brined and roasted turkey breast.

Get the Recipe: Roasted, Brined Turkey Breast with Maple-Worcestershire Gravy and Fruit and Nut Rice Pilaf

Spiced and Super-Juicy Roast Turkey

Nigella Lawson brines this turkey with warm spices, like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, caraway seeds and star anise.

Get the Recipe: Spiced and Super-Juicy Roast Turkey

Orange-Tea-Bourbon Brined Turkey with Honey Mustard Butter

Brine your bird in black tea, cloves, peppercorns and bourbon for a moist main dish with Southern flair.

Get the Recipe: Orange-Tea-Bourbon Brined Turkey With Honey Mustard Butter

Brined Herb-Crusted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

Everyone has had oven-roasted turkey, but Anne's recipe adds unexpected flavors like cinnamon and sage for an unforgettable new take. Her secret tip: Brine the turkey in the fridge, uncovered, overnight to dry out the skin for a crispy finish.

Get the Recipe: Brined Herb-Crusted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

Maple-Bourbon Brined Turkey Legs

Guy Fieri brines meaty turkey legs for 24 hours in a flavorful bath of maple syrup, bourbon, garlic and herbs.

Get the Recipe: Maple Bourbon Brined Turkey Legs

Foolproof Turkey Breast

Guy’s straightforward brine recipe, which includes brown sugar, molasses and sage, produces ultra-juicy, flavorful turkey breast.

Get the Recipe: Foolproof Turkey Breast

Honey Brined Smoked Turkey

Sweet honey balances the salty vegetable broth used to brine Alton Brown's impressive Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Get the Recipe: Honey Brined Smoked Turkey

Dry-Brined Turkey with Classic Herb Butter

Paprika, thyme, sage and parsley make this timeless turkey recipe just like Grandma's.

Get the Recipe: Dry-Brined Turkey With Classic Herb Butter

Brined Turkey Breast with Spanish Spice Rub and Sour Orange Sauce

Bobby switches up his Thanksgiving routine by not only brining turkey breasts but grilling them too.

Get the Recipe: Brined Turkey Breast with Spanish Spice Rub and Sour Orange Sauce

Big, Brined Herby Turkey

Anne Burrell treats her turkey to an herbaceous brine that includes rosemary and sage before massaging it with a few pats of herb butter. Be sure to rub the butter under the skin and then all over the bird for perfectly crisp texture.

Get the Recipe: Big, Brined Herby Turkey

Soy and Cider Brined Turkey on Toast Points with Maple-Soy Gravy

The combination of soy sauce and apple cider imparts sweet-and-salty flavor while helping the turkey stay moist through the brining process.

Get the Recipe: Soy and Cider Brined Turkey on Toast Points with Maple-Soy Gravy

Maple-Brined Roast Turkey with Sage Butter

This turkey brine combines the warming sweetness of maple syrup and aromatic herbs and spices which yield a delicious, juicy bird. Before roasting, a compound butter loaded with sage and parsley gets spread under the skin which bastes the meat while is cooks.

Get the Recipe: Maple-Brined Roast Turkey with Sage Butter

Traditional Roast Turkey

Before roasting, Alton brines this bird overnight in a mixture of broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice and ginger.

Get the Recipe: Traditional Roast Turkey

Juniper Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter

Revamp your go-to turkey recipe with cumin seeds, paprika and juniper berries for a real crowd-pleaser.

Get the Recipe: Juniper Brined Turkey With Paprika Butter

Butterflied Turkey with Apple-Cranberry Glaze

This butterflied turkey from Food Network Magazine is beautiful and flavorful, and cooks up quicker than a normal turkey.

Get the Recipe: Butterflied Turkey with Apple-Cranberry Glaze

North Carolina-Style BBQ Turkey

Try something a little different this year, with a barbecued bird prepared with a gingery brine and a vinegary North Carolina-style barbecue sauce.

Get the Recipe: North Carolina-Style BBQ Turkey

Dry-Brined Turkey Breast with Slow-Roasted Legs

Presenting a whole roasted turkey on your Thanksgiving table might provide that “Norman Rockwell” moment, but most often you end up with a bird that has cooked unevenly with dry overcooked breasts or undercooked thighs. Cooking the light and dark meat separately, like we did here, ensures that every part of the turkey is cooked perfectly.

Get the Recipe: Dry-Brined Turkey Breast with Slow-Roasted Legs

Juniper Brined Turkey with Asian Ginger Butter

Give turkey an Asian-inspired twist when you top it with sesame oil, soy sauce, scallions and ginger.

Get the Recipe: Juniper Brined Turkey With Ginger-Scallion Butter

Deep-Fried Turkey

Alton safely fries his turkey in the backyard, but his first important step takes place in the kitchen. He places the bird into the pot that he'll fry it in and adds water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This test determines the amount of oil needed for frying and prevents overflowing.

Get the Recipe: Deep-Fried Turkey

Ale-Brined Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Red Pepper Pesto

Here's a perfect plan for your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers: Start by preparing Guy's ale-brined roasted turkey. The next day, use the flavorful meat to build these hearty sandwiches on sourdough.

Get the Recipe: Ale-Brined Roasted-Turkey Sandwich with Red-Pepper Pesto