Question: Can I Brine my Turkey AND use a Rub or Injection Marinade?

Answer: You are planning on a brined turkey this year. Can you also apply a Turkey Rub and/or use a Turkey Injection to add extra flavor? The answer is yes, but. While properly brining a turkey won't make it too salty, it does add salt to the meat. If you then add a salty rub or injection marinade you can end up with a turkey too salty to eat. For this reason, if you are brining your bird, make sure you rinse it thoroughly after it comes out of the brine, and do not use a rub or injection marinade with salt. Now if you take a look at Turkey Rub Recipes or Turkey Injection Recipes you will find that most of them contain salt. Since you have already salted your turkey, simply omit the salt from these recipes and you will be ready to go.

I do suggest that if you are doing more than one of these (brining, rubbing, injecting) that you use similar ingredients so that you don't confuse the flavors.

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This dry brine for turkey is loaded with flavors. The added sugar is going to keep the herbs from giving too harsh a flavor.

Prep Time: 5?minutes

Total Time: 5?minutes

Yield: Makes enough for a 18 lb turkey

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons table salt (4 tablespoons kosher salt)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons dried sage

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients well. I suggest a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together.

Read Dry Brining Turkey to understand the method.

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This turkey dry brine has a touch of orange vest to give a sweet citrus flavor that is great for a holiday turkey. Makes sure you give this a good grind to combine flavors and release the orange.

Prep Time: 5?minutes

Total Time: 5?minutes

Yield: Makes enough for a 18 lb turkey

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons table salt (4 tablespoons kosher salt)
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients well. I suggest a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together.

Read Dry Brining Turkey to understand the method.

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This savory turkey brine gets some of its salt from vegetable stock. Remember this if you are doing a standard brine calculation. You get a rich flavor with this poultry brine that has that perfect combination of the herbs that go so perfectly with turkey.

Prep Time: 15?minutes

Cook Time: 15?minutes

Total Time: 30?minutes

Yield: Makes about 1 gallon of brine

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup salt (3/4 cup Kosher or coarse salt)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 quarts cold water

Preparation:

In a large pot combine vegetable stock, salt, sugar, and herbs over a medium heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the salt is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add cold water.

Place turkey in a large plastic container. Pour brine over top, cover and refrigerate. Brine for 1 hour per pound.

Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey before cooking. Otherwise there will be a salty flavor to the turkey. For a more detailed explanation, see my article on brining turkey.

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One of the best ways to make a better Turkey is with a good Brine. Brining Turkey is a process of adding moisture and flavor to meat by use of a salt-water mixture. There are many ways to make a great brine and these turkey brine recipes are amongst the best I know. So, whether you are roasting, grilling, smoking, or frying your next turkey, start out with a good brine and make it so much better. For detailed brining instruction see my Brining Turkey - Step by Step.

1. Savory Turkey Brine

This turkey brine gets a portion of its salt from vegetable stock. The combination of spices and herbs will give your bird a rich flavor.

2. Smoked Turkey Brine

This brine recipe makes enough for a whole turkey and will add flavor and give you a juicier and more tender bird.

3. Holiday Poultry Brine

This poultry brine is perfect for the holiday turkey. By using stock you get extra flavor with a mild saltiness that makes for a perfect brine.

4. Apple Spice Brine

A brine is typically water and salt with a little sweet to give it flavor. This brine uses fruit juices for water providing flavor and sweet at the same time.

5. TomKattt's Poultry Brine

Tom Katt sent in this brining recipe that is perfect for poultry. Though it works well for most poultry, it is perfect for that holiday turkey.

6. Poultry Brine

This brine works with the added power of pickling spices which increases the moisture in poultry with some great seasonings for more flavor.

7. Maple Brine

This brine can be used on any kind of poultry and pork.

8. Cranberry Turkey Brine

What better to brine a turkey in than cranberry?

9. Fruity Turkey Brine

The citrus fruit in this brine not only add a great tangy flavor but also act to tenderize the meat of the poultry. The mild acid of the lemon will help to carry flavors deep into the meat.

10. Clove and Honey Brine for Turkey

This brine will give your turkey a subtle sweetness and all the tenderness and moisture of a good poultry brine.

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This is the ultimate turkey brine for flavor. The apple juice in this brine gives a sweet flavor to poultry and is perfect for turkey. Buy the cheapest apple juice you can find because it won't matter how much you spend and you are going to need a lot.

Prep Time: 20?minutes

Cook Time: 10?minutes

Total Time: 30?minutes

Yield: Makes 1 gallon of brine

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts water
• 2 quarts apple juice
• 1 cup of table salt or 1 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 10 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• zest of one orange

Preparation:

In a large pot combine salt, sugar and one quart of water. Bring to a light boil stirring until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add cloves, peppercorns and orange zest. Allow to cool. Add remaining water (cold) and apple juice. Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Place poultry in a large plastic container. Pour brine over top. Brine poultry for 1 hour per pound in the refrigerator.

Thoroughly rinse all the brine from the turkey before cooking. Otherwise there will be a salty flavor to the turkey. For a more detailed explanation, see my article on brining turkey.

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This flavorful brine is perfect for pretty much any meat, but particularly pork and chicken. Because of the vinegar in this brine it has an extra tenderizing affect.

Prep Time: 15?minutes

Total Time: 15?minutes

Yield: Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 5 tablespoons kosher salt or 3 tablespoons table salt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring constantly until salt is dissolved. This is enough brine for about 6 pounds of meat. Brine pork and beef for 1 hour per pound and poultry for 30 minutes per pound.

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