Apple Spice Smoked Turkey Brine
On September 12, 2023
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Smoked turkey brine will add moisture, tenderness, and amazing fall flavors of apples, fresh herbs, and spices to your turkey! This turkey brine recipe is so amazing, it will likely become a regular for all your holiday gatherings.
Can You Brine and Smoke a Turkey?
This is a big question when it comes to smoking a turkey, and the answer is a resounding YES! You can brine and then smoke a turkey! In fact, I prefer to use this apple spice turkey brine before making my Smoked Turkey recipe. It’s amazing, I tell ya!
By brining the turkey first, you help to moisten it up and keep it tender while it is in the smoker. It also helps to even out the cooking time of all the meat of the bird, as some parts of the turkey will cook faster than others. Lastly, brining before smoking a turkey adds lots of flavor (especially with this apple spice brine!) so you won’t need any further seasoning!
Best Turkey for Brining
Important note! For this recipe, I recommend using an unbrined turkey (for obvious reasons!). If you are set on brining your own turkey, make sure you purchase a turkey that has not been pre-brined.
Most people don’t realize that the grocery store turkeys they are buying are pre-brined. You will see on the label things like “injected with a ___% saline solution” or “self-basting,” and both of those terms mean your turkey has been injected or brined before it was ever sold to you.
The people selling turkeys love to do this because they can charge more money per pound for what is essentially just saltwater. If you have a pre-brined turkey, I would recommend skipping this smoked turkey brine and going straight to either slow smoking or spatchcocking and grilling at a higher temperature.
Smoked Turkey Brine
There are several ways to brine a turkey. The most popular are either using a dry brine or a wet brine prior to cooking.
- Dry brine. Some folks prefer a dry brine of just a ratio of salt and sugar on the exterior of the bird. Dry brining cuts out the extra moisture with added water and relies on the moisture of the meat itself.
- Wet brine. I prefer using a wet brine for my smoked turkey, where the salt mixture is suspended in liquid and the turkey is left to marinate in the chilled brine before cooking. In a wet brine, you have the opportunity to infuse more flavor, like spices, herbs, and other flavorful liquids into your meat. That’s exactly what we’re going to do in this smoked turkey brine recipe. It’s all about adding tons of flavor before putting that bird in the smoke. Wet brining is a process that can take a day to get right, so be sure to plan ahead so you get the correct amount of time.
During the brining process, the salt actually changes the cellular structure within the bird and helps retain a lot of moisture while cooking. This process will also slightly change the texture of the meat. I love the tender texture I get with a brined bird, but some people think it is too soft and like a little extra chew from an unbrined bird.
That’s the joy of recipes, you kind of get the opportunity to test things out, see what you like, and adapt them for your own tastes.
How to Brine a Turkey
Let’s get this process started! Even though Thanksgiving can be stressful, this process doesn’t have to be. Plan a bit ahead, and you’ll be all set for the big day.
- Make the brine. Combine water, apple juice, salt, spices, and herbs in a large pot on the stovetop. Bring the contents to a boil.
- Chill completely. Remove the brine from the stove and stir in additional apple juice and ice cubes to bring the brine down in temperature. Allow to fully chill before adding a turkey. You don’t want to add the warm liquid to a raw turkey!
- Brine the turkey. Place the turkey in the solution and place everything in the fridge. You can brine in a large stockpot, in a big zip-top bag, or in a small cooler, just be sure the turkey stays submerged and that the brine temperature remains below 40 degrees F.
- Pat dry and smoke. Once your turkey is brined, pat it dry well with a paper towel to remove excess brine. You can rinse your bird, but take caution! Rinsing can help remove some salinity from the bird, but it comes at the risk of spreading bacteria. Your best options are to either pat dry with a paper towel after removing the bird from your brine, or gently submerge the turkey in a deep bucket or something full of cold, clean water.
This turkey should be sufficiently seasoned and not really require anything else in terms of a rub, but I do recommend coating lightly in oil or melted butter to help crisp the skin. If you do want to use a rub, try my Smoked Turkey Rub! It’s a great combo of BBQ and herbaceous flavors that really enhance the flavor of the turkey without being overpowering.
How Long to Brine a Turkey
Once you have your turkey brine made and ready to go, plan on brining your turkey for at least 8 hours. A good rule of thumb is to brine for around 1 hour for each pound of turkey, not exceeding 18 hours.
Do not brine for over 18 hours or you run the risk of your turkey becoming too salty or changing the texture of the meat too much. When in doubt, you can always remove your turkey a bit earlier than you originally planned.
Brined Turkey Recipes
Now that you know how to brine a turkey, try it out with these tasty smoked turkey recipes from Hey Grill Hey!
Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe
Thanks for using Hey Grill Hey recipes this holiday season. I can guarantee this recipe is going to be a keeper, and one you’ll use with every smoked turkey you make. If you want an even deeper dive into ALL THINGS SMOKED TURKEY, check out my Smoked Turkey Pitmaster Class. I’ll teach you everything you ever wanted to know about smoking the perfect holiday bird.
Are things looking a bit different around here? We got an upgrade! This post was originally published in April 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Simple Apple Spice Turkey Brine
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1 ½ cups kosher salt or 1 cup table salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon candied ginger
- 10 cloves
- 2 sprigs each rosemary, sage, and thyme
After the Brine is Cooked
- 6 cups ice cubes
- 4 cups apple juice
- 1 large apple quartered
- 1 yellow onion quartered
Instructions
- Make the brine. In a large stockpot, combine the water, apple juice, salt, spices, and herbs. Bring to a boil.
- Cool. Remove the brine from the heat and stir in the remaining cold apple juice and the ice cubes. Allow the brine to fully cool before adding the turkey.
- Brine the turkey. Once the brine is fully chilled, add the turkey to the container you plan to brine it. Pour the apple spice turkey brine over the turkey and nestle the sliced apple and onion in the brine around the turkey. Brine in a container that can keep the turkey fully submerged in the brine. Also, keep your turkey and brine below 40 degrees F during the entire brining process. Brine your turkey for a minimum of 8 hours, and no longer than 18 hours, or approximately 1 hour per pound of turkey.
- Pat dry. Once your turkey has been in the brine for long enough, remove from the brine pat completely dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with a little cooking oil or melted butter for a crispier skin. You don't need to add any additional salt or seasoning to the exterior of the turkey before grilling or smoking. If you like, you can stuff the turkey cavity with the apple and onion slices from the brine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My only suggestion is to brine a day earlier and store in frige for 24 hours to dry the exterier, uncovered.
This is the 3rd year we have done our turkey with this brine. The first year we smoked it the 2nd we did it in the oven since our Smoker was broken and this year we are smoking it. Everyone loves the turkey this way and goes back for more. Great recipe!
Found this recipe last year, but wasn’t sold on it. So I did two 14lb Turkey’s two way’s. My old stand by Herb roasted Turkey with basting every 20 mins. It is always a big hit. The other way is Smoked Turkey after using this Apple Brine. Oh My Lord!!! This is good. With 16 people at Thanksgiving we had a few tough critics. Many people tried both but every one went back for 2nds of the Smoke Apple Turkey. They made me promise to make it again this year. You have to try this recipe. It’s the best.
This is more of a question??Not sure if anyone will see this before I have to brine. I am just interested in the cinnamon and candied ginger. Do you pick this up in the Turkey or is just an overall flavor profile. I love all your recipes. Just these two spices in my Turkey seems weird to me.
I dont have experience with this specific recipe, but you usually can not detect the specific flavors in a brine when eating the meat. So I would say it’s more for overall flavor profile. It’s one of those things where you can customize the ingredients to your preferred taste.
I have been trying to post a reply and keep getting an error. I am happy to try sending my response to you another way if you would like – maybe email?
I’m certain your question is better answered by Susie, but because I have wondered the same things, I thought I would tell you what I have found. I definitely think they are picked up more in the overall flavor profile – I have only used this brine on turkey breasts, but everyone always raves about the flavor (I also use her sweet rub). I wasn’t sure about the ginger because I’m not a huge fan and I also tend to use less cinnamon than most recipes call for, but I use her recommended amount for both in this recipe and they aren’t overpowering at all. Also, I had trouble finding candied ginger myself, so I have used crystallized ginger that I found at Target and is has worked really well.Hope that helps. Happy Thanksgiving!
I think my comment was sent successfully now. The problem I was having the first time is that I was trying to include a link to the crystallized ginger I buy at Target, so I took that out.
You won’t taste the cinnamon or candied ginger as a result of adding it to the brine. It helps with the overall flavor profile and the aromatics are amazing. Follow the recipe to a “T” and you won’t regret it. I used this recipe three years ago for my first ever smoked turkey and my family has designated me as the cook / chef for thanksgiving dinner ever since :-).
I have used this Brine several times and will again his year. As mentioned by another user, it will add to the overall spice profile. If I had to choose 2 dominant flavors from this brine, it’d be apple and clove.. but nothing overpowering. Hope this helps
Did a pre Thanksgiving turkey for family and friends in our treager. Unbelievable was the general concession. Moist and flavorful. Definitely a keeper
I smoked my first turkey this year using this brine and it was freaking fantastic! I’m now smoking chickens with it for friends as holiday gifts. This brine really imparts a lovely holiday spice to it…not overwhelming, but bright enough to taste the apple and the spices. Thank you so much for your recipe!
I have used this on Thanksgiving Turkey and with the help of the comments I made a few adjustments. I rinsed the packaged solution Turkey first and reduced the salt. I think it was suggested to reduce by 1/2 I reduced by 3/4. My turkey was very moist and was no where near salty.
Hi – can the leftover brine be used in the drip pan to be used later to make the gravy?
The brine is quite salty, I wouldn’t use it to make gravy.
Not recommended unless both brine and turkey were maintained at 40° or below. Anything higher is prime for bacteria. Even then, I’d make a fresh smaller batch!
Best turkey ever! Easy brine with wonderful flavor. The only way we’ll do it turkeys from now on year. Really most and flavorful. Whole 24 lb turkey gone last year with only 6 people.
So glad to hear! Happy Holidays!
Did you just do this recipe? Not make it any larger?
Did you double the brine?
We made this last year and it was the best Turkey we’ve ever eaten, so thank you!! Question about doubling the brine: would you double everything in the recipe, including the salt?
Awesome, thank you! Yes, double everything.