Basics · Tested at home

Jack Daniel’s Maple Brown Sugar Turkey Brine

Name: Jack Daniel’s Maple Brown Sugar Turkey Brine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 44 h
Yield: About 18 cups brine; for 1 turkey up to 16 lb in a brining bag
Ingredients: 4 quarts water, divided; 2 cups dark brown sugar; 1 cup soy sauce; 1 cup maple syrup; ¾ cup sea salt; 8 cloves whole garlic cloves, peeled; 6 bay leaves; 3 large fresh thyme sprigs; 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns; 1 cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey

Adapted from Allrecipes’ Maple Turkey Brine: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219475/maple-turkey-brine/ This is my all time favorite turkey brine. I’ve made it so many times because I cook turkey breasts throughout the year,not just the big bird at Thanksgiving, and this is the one I keep coming back to. Before you start: This batch is for turkeys up to 16 pounds when used in a brining bag. Do not brine a kosher, enhanced, self-basting, or pre-basted turkey; those birds are already salted.

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Turn up the heat

Let’s cook.

Pour 2 quarts of the water into a large nonreactive pot. Add the dark brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, sea salt, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and Jack Daniel’s whiskey.
Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in the remaining 2 quarts water. Let the brine cool, then refrigerate it until completely cold before it touches the turkey. Never put poultry into warm brine.
Place a fully thawed turkey in a food-safe brining bag set inside a pan or other leakproof container. This quantity is for a turkey up to 16 pounds. Pour in the cold brine, press out excess air, seal, and keep the turkey submerged and refrigerated at 40°F or below.
For a whole turkey, brine 12 to 18 hours (overnight). For a turkey breast, brine 8 to 12 hours. Do not exceed 24 hours or the meat may become too salty.
Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the used brine. Do not reuse it. Pat the turkey very dry inside and out with paper towels; do not rinse.
Place the turkey on a rack set over a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours to dry the skin. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to cook.
Cook the turkey with your preferred method, using a food thermometer to confirm 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost parts of the thigh and wing. This recipe seasons the turkey; it does not prescribe a roasting method.

Options & Variations

Turkey breast

Brine 8 to 12 hours, then pat dry and refrigerate uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.

Whole turkey

Use a turkey up to 16 pounds in a brining bag and brine 12 to 18 hours before drying uncovered.

Serving Ideas

Storage

Cool the prepared brine completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Keep the turkey and brine refrigerated at 40°F or below for the entire brining time.

Discard all brine after it has contacted raw poultry; do not reuse it.

After brining, keep the turkey refrigerated uncovered on a rack for 12 to 24 hours, then cook.

Recipe Notes

Do not brine | Skip kosher, enhanced, self-basting, or pre-basted turkeys because they are already salted. Check the package for wording such as ‘contains up to X% solution.’

Thanksgiving-week schedule | Brine Tuesday night, remove and pat dry Wednesday morning, refrigerate uncovered through Wednesday, and roast Thursday.

Weekend schedule | Brine Friday night, dry uncovered Saturday, and roast Sunday.

From Justin’s kitchen

This is my all-time favorite turkey brine. I use it on turkey breasts throughout the year because they’re too good to save for November, and it’s the same brine I reach for when I’m making the big Thanksgiving bird. The overnight brine and uncovered refrigerator rest take planning, but that dry skin is worth it.