Bourbon Turkey Brine

I'm pushing this recipe out quickly for Thanksgiving, moving it ahead of my scheduled recipes. This is a simple brine that doesn't need cooking and results in a juicy, flavorful turkey.

Annotated Cooking Notes: It's best to use a sweet bourbon for this. My favorite is Blanton's, but it's over $70 a bottle. More affordable options include Buffalo Trace or Benchmark Full Proof, both priced around $25.

Ingredients

1 gallon of water

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup coarse kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups bourbon

3 tbsp OG

1 tbsp black pepper

Juice and peel of one orange and one lemon

1 sprig rosemary

1 tbsp poultry seasoning

Directions

Mix all the ingredients and stir well. Then, put your turkey in a brining bag with the breast side down. Pour the brine over. Put in an ice chest and cover with ice for at least 8 hours.