Wine Brined Turkey

15m
Prep Time
4 1/2h
Cook Time
4h 15m
Ready In


"A very tasty and moist brined turkey recipe I make for special occasions. Use a 12 to 14 pound turkey for this recipe. I use a extra-large re-sealable freezer bag to put the turkey and brine in and place it in a bucket in the refrigerator."

Original is 12-14 servings

Nutritional

  • Serving Size: 1 (76.2 g)
  • Calories 53.2
  • Total Fat - 0 g
  • Saturated Fat - 0 g
  • Cholesterol - 0 mg
  • Sodium - 4726.2 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate - 2.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber - 0 g
  • Sugars - 0.6 g
  • Protein - 0.2 g
  • Calcium - 11.2 mg
  • Iron - 0.2 mg
  • Vitamin C - 0.4 mg
  • Thiamin - 0 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Bring 3 cups of water and the salt to a boil and stir until salt is dissolved.

Step 2

Add a bit of ice to pot to speed up the cooling process and place in refrigerator until completely cooled.

Step 3

Meanwhile, pour the bottle of wine in a clean bucket big enough to hold turkey.

Step 4

Toss in the rosemary sprigs, garlic cloves, peppercorns and mustard seeds.

Step 5

Place the completely thawed turkey into the bucket; pour in the salt water when completely cooled.

Step 6

Add enough water to cover turkey and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Step 7

Remove turkey from brine and rinse the turkey inside and out; pat dry.

Step 8

Drizzle the fresh ground pepper over the turkey.

Step 9

If stuffing turkey, do so just before cooking turkey.

Step 10

Fit a roasting pan with a baking rack and place turkey on top of baking rack. Add water up 1/2 inch up side of pan.

Step 11

Cook turkey uncovered in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven, until cooked through. Meat thermometer should reach 165 degrees. I like to take the temperature in the meaty part of the thigh and in the breast to be sure. For a 12 to 14 pound turkey the time should be between 3.5 to 4 hours un-stuffed and 4 to 4.5 hours if stuffed.

Tips


  • Baking rack
  • Roasting pan
  • Large bucket

2 Reviews

TwisSis

I used this recipe on a turkey breast vs a whole turkey. I roasted a whole turkey, but felt I needed a breast for extra turkey meat to serve 10 & allow for leftovers. It was skinless & I was unsure if it would take on the red wine color, so I made 1 chg, used white wine & otherwise was faithful to the heart of the recipe. I did cover the surface w/a few pieces of bacon, so it was "self-basting". It was moist, flavorful & got a resounding seal of approval from my guests. Thx for sharing your recipe. :-)

5.0

review by:
(25 Nov 2014)

LindasBusyKitchen

The brining really helped to make the turkey extra moist. I loved the addition on the herbs with the wine. I loved it and so did my company! Thank you for posting this great holiday bird recipe Bea! Linda

5.0

(5 Dec 2013)

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