How To Brine A Turkey In A Cooler

We have used this method for years and it still holds up as the best turkey you’ll ever eat…including a Greenburg Turkey.

SACRILIGE!

Go find them at GobbleGobble.com

Brine A Turkey

I you’re looking for an easy recipe to brine a turkey, I gots one for ya! (if you can’t wait, scroll to bottom of page for printable recipe)

As I stated before, this is a tried a true method I use every year.

Get ready for the easiest way to brine a turkey and one of the most delicious birds you’ll ever eat:

Brining A Turkey In A Cooler

Years ago, Garry read about how to brine a turkey and he wanted to try one for the holidays.

We researched the method, made a few adjustments, and what follows is our happy experience.

We brine a turkey for Thanksgiving every year we host, with great success, and you can too!

Three Questions

People usually have three main questions when brining a turkey:

1. Is Brining a turkey hard to do?
2. Is Brining a turkey messy?
3. Do I have room to brine a turkey?

I get it. I thought of each and everyone of these objections when Garry said we should try brining.

#1: Is brining a turkey hard to do?

No!

Matter of fact, it’s one of the easiest methods to guarantee you a bird that is tender, moist (every time!), and packed full of flavor.

Brining is the opposite of hard; it’s practically foolproof!

Not that you’re a fool – YOU’RE NOT!

#2: Is brining a turkey messy?

Not the way we do it (in a cooler).

The messiest part, if you can call it that, is cleaning the cooler afterwards to make sure none of the bacteria remains from the turkey.

Gotta hose, dishwashing soap, and a backyard?

Easy cleanup!

#3: Do I have room to brine a turkey?

Folks usually think of using a turkey brine bag, then placing the turkey in the fridge.

The fridge that is already stuffed to the gills with other holiday food.

Yeah, no.

We tried that.

There’s a story at the end of the post as to why we decided on a cooler.

Can You Brine A Turkey With Giblets Inside?

Show of hands (Internety hands!): how many of you, upon making your first turkey, cooked it with the bag of giblets still inside the neck cavity?

Maybe even called the turkey company to share your upset that you didn’t get a bag of giblets that you planned to use for the gravy (yep – I did that once…).

So! Many! Internety! Hands!

It’s a very common mistake not to take the giblets out, but that being said, I wouldn’t intentionally brine a turkey with the giblets inside.

And if you do?

Just take out the bag at the end and discard.

Easy enough, right?

Can You Smoke A Brined Turkey?

Yes!

Since we typically smoke ours for hours on the pit, brining seemed like the perfect companion.

Why?

It’s easy to dry out a smoked turkey that spends hours cooking (no matter what method you use).

Smoked birds and tenderness aren’t words that usually go together, but throw in brining and you have a winner.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to smoke your turkey to benefit from brining; roasting a brined bird is just as delicious.

Seasoning A Turkey

Is there a secret to seasoning a pre-brined turkey?

Nah.

The only thing I would advise against is using any seasoning with salt, since it was the basis of the brine.

How To Season A Turkey

My best advise is to use what you like.

Suggested Seasonings:

• butter under skin
• oranges or any citrus under skin
• onions under skin
• a fancy-pants poultry rub
• nekkid – no seasonings and you just let the brine speak.

Why Brine A Turkey?

Brining used with any cooking method helps to retain moisture in the muscles and lends an unbelievable tenderness to the finished product.

Doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced cook or a newbie, brining is a simple technique any cook can utilize.

Most people think that when you brine a turkey or chicken, that the end result will be an overly salty beast.

So. Not. True.

The opposite is true: when you brine poultry, the end result is tender moist deliciousness that most people would love to replicate.

Think of brining as internal basting.

I’m gonna show you how!

GET REEEEEEADY TO BRINE!

How To: TURKEY BRINING 101

The ratio of salt to water in brine can vary wildly, depending on your source.

Do a quick Google search and you’ll see what I mean.

I’ll tell you how we did it and leave you to do some research on your own to determine what will work for your tastes.

Turkey Brine Ratio

* We use a ratio of 1 gallon of water to 1/2-1 cup of kosher salt. (salt makes the meat juicy by allowing the muscles to take in and retain water)

* We use a ratio of 1 gallon of water to 1/2-1 cup of sugar. (sugar acts as a browning agent)

* Herbs and other ingredient added to taste. (herbs and other spices act as the yum factor)

~ A gentle reminder: OMT! uses Amazon referral links at no cost to you.~

* A cube cooler to immerse the turkey.

* Ice

That’s it. 

Nope, not kidding. 

Seriously…that’s it!

Step-By-Step Recipe For Two 12-13 Pound Turkeys

Use half the amounts in the following recipe for one bird. (we always do two birds, because it’s not much more work and there’s always room on the pit. we debone one for future meals and stick in the freezer!)

For those short on time: there’s a printable recipe at the end of this post, if that’s what yer heart desires.

1: Thaw The Turkey And Remove Bagged Giblets

Fun story: When I was newly married, I called Butterball (after I had already stuck the turkey in the oven to roast), because they didn’t include the bag of goodies with my turkey.

How dare they!

Turns out, the bag was hidden under the flap.

#newb #soembarrassed #ithappensmoreoftenthanyouthink

2: Give The Turkey A Good Rinse

Then, pat dry.

No need to wash it with soap – don’t do that!

3: Pour Four Gallons Of Water Into Cooler

(MAKE SURE COOLER STOPPER IS IN POSITION TO PREVENT DRAINING!)

I’m sure you can guess why that part in parentheses is bold. (yes, it it experience speaking)

The easiest way to do this is to buy 4 gallons of water in one gallon jugs and empty those into the cooler.

I mean, you could do it the redneck way and use your hose, but…NOOOOO!

Filtered water is even better (the hose thing was a joke – don’t do that!).

4: Add Two Cups Of Salt.  Stir Well.

Kosher salt – always (there’s a note below as to why).

5: Add Two Cups Of Sugar. Stir Well.

White table sugar.

Don’t be afraid!

6: Add 1/2-1 Cup Uncrushed Peppercorns

At this point add any other seasonings you want to try.

In the pics below, you can see it’s very simple seasonings.

Don’t let that slow you down.

Add what makes ya happy.

7: Submerge Turkeys  

Make sure they are fully covered by the brine.

See what I mean about using a cube cooler?

Perfection.

These two bad boys were covered by about 2-3 inches of liquid.

8: Add Enough Ice To Cover Turkeys

We used a 20 pound bad of ice, mainly because it was a warm evening.

If you live where the temps are cold at night, you don’t have to use so much.

The ice is to ensure the turkeys don’t spoil.

9a: Securely Close Lid On Cooler And Leave For 24 Hours  

Again, the ice will keep everything safe and cool

Check on them periodically to make sure the ice hasn’t melted.

And yes, it feels completely weird leaving the turkeys in a cooler outside for 24-hours.

9b: Brining A Turkey In A Cooler Is Scary

Only to the uninitiated!

The biggest pushback from this post has been the idea that putting the turkeys in a cooler, with ice, isn’t sufficiently safe.

All I can tell you is this is how we’ve been doing it for years.

We have yet to get sick, nor have we died from food poisoning.

I think the key is using enough ice.

Use enough ice!

10: Take Out Turkeys

Rinse thoroughly, especially the inside cavity. 

You are washing the salty salty brine off. Don’t skip this part.

Smoke.  Roast.  Grill.  Whatever rocks your socks.

Didn’t I tell ya it was going to be easy?!

This is truly an easy recipe to brine a turkey.

Brine Frozen Turkey

Wait. What?

Can you brine a frozen turkey? Can you simply pull it out of the freezer, wrangle off the packaging, ice-pick the tiny bag of innards out of the cavity, dump it in a cooler filled with ice and brine and let it do its thang?

Yes!

While I have never brined a frozen turkey, but can understand the need, here’s what the great Internets tells us about the timing:

Starting with an 12 lb turkey, you would go about 8 hours to thaw and brine at the same time.

Add 1/2 hour for every pound over 12. For example:

!2 pounds = 8 hours

13 pounds = 8.5 hours

14 pounds = 9 hours

…and so on until you compute for the weight of your bird.

Brining Temperature

For the frozen and thaw brining method, do not let your brine temp exceed 40 degrees. If it does, add more ice.

Monitor closely and always err on the side of food safety.

Also, if you do this method, come back and tell us how it went!

Turkey Brine Recipes

Once you have mixed your perfect ratio of salt, sugar and water, then you have to decide what else to add to your brine recipe.

When we’re preparing a brined turkey to share with others, we tend to use a very basic recipe like the one above.

Can’t go wrong with simple spices.

When we brine for ourselves, we get more creative.

We’ve used lemons and herbs and anything that speaks to us from our spice pantry.

You can also add other liquids like white wine or hot sauces. 

CALIENTE!

You really can’t go wrong.

Turkey Brining Tips

Before ya go, here are the tips worth knowing.

A Cube Cooler Is The Way To Go.

I know the idea may seem odd to many, but over the years we have discovered that this method works best. 

If you use a flimsy brining bag, prepare to clean up spills.

As a side note: when you are done brining, clean that cooler like you mean it. Wash it. Disinfect it. Wash it again.

Bacteria is NOT yer friend.

Kill it. Kill it good!

Do Not Use A Brining Bag

Remember earlier, how I said there was a story about why I don’t recommend using a brining bag for a turkey? 

The first year we brined a turkey, we bought a turkey brining bag. When filled, it was flimsy and incredibly slippery and awkward to maneuver.

As we made our way to the garage fridge, where we planned on storing it overnight, we kept shouting to each other to BE CAREFUL!

The bag heard us and had the last laugh; it split open steps away from the fridge.

All we could do was stand there, dumbfounded, watching gallons of sticky brine form a mighty river, flowing through our garage, down the driveway and into the street.

It smelled delicious, but was a beast to clean up.

Sure, now we can laugh…

Trust me, a cooler works best.

You just need to remember to clean it thoroughly after using it to brine raw poultry.

You don’t want to invite salmonella to your next event.

Use Kosher Salt

There is a significant weight difference between table salt and Kosher salt and the two are not interchangeable here. 

When you see the brine measurements of salt versus water, you can safely assume kosher salt is used.

~ Do not be afraid of the amount of Kosher salt in the brine. 

In order to transfer the magic brine into the turkey, you need these amounts, otherwise your turkey is just bathing in salt water and that’s totally weird.

Accept The Accolades

Humbly accept the praise heaped upon your head after all partake of your masterpiece.

I ain’t even kidding.

Anyone tastes your brined to perfection turkey (smoked or roasted to perfection) is gonna want to marry you.

This is truly the easy way to brine a turkey.

Now get to brining, mah babies!

Here is the simple recipe, just scroll down a bit for the printable.

Easy Recipe to Brine a Turkey

This brine is for two 12-13 pound turkeys

Ingredients for brine:

• 4 gallons of water
• 10-20 pounds of ice
• 2 cups Kosher salt
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup whole peppercorns
• Various spices that you choose

Directions to brine a turkey:

1. Remove bag of giblets and and organs from turkey/s cavity.
2. Wash and pat dry turkey/s.
3. Place water in cube cooler.
4. Add 2 cups of salt and stir well.
5. Add 2 cups sugar and stir well.
6. Add peppercorns. Stir well.
7. Submerge turkey/s, making sure there is 2-3 inches of liquid brine covering them.
8. Add ice to cover completely. Don’t skimp!
9. Cover cooler tightly and let brine overnight.
10. In morning, check to make sure ice is still intact – add more if necessary.
11. After 24-hour period, take turkey out of brining liquid, rinse off, then pat dry.

You are now ready to cook!

Will This Brine Work For Chickens?

Yes!

You can use for brining turkey in a cooler, or a for brining chickens in a cooler – or even use in a brine bag for turkey (or chickens!).

Printable recipe below!

Original Post: December 13, 2013 ~ Updated Post: November 7, 2024

If you’re interested in having the Top 10 OMT! Recipes in one place (no searching!), click anywhere on the image below ▼

 

If you liked this how to brine a turkey post, you might like these:

Easy Crock Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

These ribs are incredibly easy and amazingly delicious. If you have leftovers (I don’t even know you!), pull off the meat to put in tacos or burritos. Nom.

How To Cook Burgers in the Oven

Another easy meat recipe, when you grow tired of the brined turkey and pork ribs!

One Pot Goulash Recipe: American and Hungarian

OMT with all the meats!

This goulash dish is a family favorite and once you try it, it will be your family’s too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading! I hope you are also making!

How To Brine A Turkey In A Cooler

Now that you know how to brine a turkey in a cooler, get to practicing!

It really is perfect for any occasion.

Let us know if you try brining a turkey (or chicken!) and what you think.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Share It!