Artificial Flavors Free Easy Turkey Brine
A beautifully brined turkey is the secret behind that impossibly juicy, flavorful roast that has everyone asking what you did differently. This brine gets all of its depth from real, whole ingredients — fresh thyme, rosemary, smashed garlic, cracked peppercorns, and a halved lemon — so there's nothing synthetic hiding in the mix. For anyone trying to avoid artificial flavors, store-bought brining blends and seasoning packets can be a minefield of "natural and artificial flavor" fine print, but this recipe sidesteps all of that entirely. The aromatics steep right in the hot brine, pulling out every bit of fragrance before the mixture is cooled down and poured over the bird. After 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator, the turkey absorbs all that savory, herby goodness straight to the bone. The result is a roast that tastes genuinely homemade — because it is, from the very first step.
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Learn more →Ingredients
1 serving
- 1 gallon cold water, divided
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- 1
Combine 4 cups of the water, the kosher salt, and sugar in a large stockpot over medium heat, stirring until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- 2
Add the garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns, and lemon halves to the hot brine. Let the mixture steep for 5 minutes, until fragrant.
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