Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider or juice
- 1-3/4 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bottles (12 ounces each) dark beer, chilled
- 6 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth, chilled
- 2 turkey-size oven roasting bags
- 1 turkey (18 to 20 pounds)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Reviews
I followed the directions except for the juniper berries, I used Tuscan garlic seasoning in it's place. I marinated the turkey in a bucket with lid instead of bags. It was tender, moist, and delicious..I marinated for 2 1/2 days. This is a keeper!
This is a fabulous recipe. It was so amazing. There were hardly any leftovers.
The brine is 5 star. The cooking instructions will leave you with a dry bird. 180 degrees internal is WAY to long. 165 degrees internal is the new govt. standard that was revised in 2004. I usually remove my turkey/chicken out at 160 degrees internal and wrap it in bath towels and place it in a cooler for 20 min. The temp will rise to 165 degrees and the bird stays nice and hot and the juices have had time to distribute evenly.
This recipe is outstanding! Since I was roasting a 6 3/4 pound chicken instead of an 18 pound turkey, I only used 1/3 of the brine recipe. My family enjoys the flavor of herbs, so I did use the full amount that the recipe called for. (I didn't have juniper berries, so I substituted rosemary). The chicken was moist and flavorful and absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again.