Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

turkey, brined and bagged!

(5 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Candi Hummer
Silver Springs, NV

Juicy, full of flavor, and even though it's a 20 pounder, it's gone the day after the holiday round here!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Turkey is the crowning dish on a Thanksgiving table. This recipe is all about having a moist and flavorful turkey thanks to a brine. The turkey sits in the brine for 30 hours and soaks up all the smoky and salty flavors. Pats of butter are put under the skin and slowly melt into the turkey. Using an oven bag helps the turkey maintain its flavor and moisture.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(5 ratings)
yield 10 -15
cook time 2 Hr 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For turkey, brined and bagged!

  • 1
    turkey, thawed
  • 16 c
    water
  • 48 oz
    salt (iodized)
  • 1
    shot glass Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2
    shot glass liquid smoke
  • 2 Tbsp
    garlic (heaping)
  • 1 lg
    onion (diced)
  • 1
    shot glass olive juice (from green olives)
  • 1 Tbsp
    celery seed
  • 1 Tbsp
    pepper
  • 1
    shot glass lime juice

How To Make turkey, brined and bagged!

  • Turkey in a clean cooler.
    1
    Thaw your turkey, leave giblets and neck in it while brining it. Place in a clean cooler.
  • Brine ingredients in a large stockpot.
    2
    Add all ingredients to stockpot except turkey and giblets.
  • Brine poured over the turkey.
    3
    Bring ingredients to a boil. Let cool to room temperature. Pour over turkey.
  • Ice covering the turkey.
    4
    Add ice to cover turkey. Set in a closed cooler out of the way for 30 hours. (I use a 5-day cooler. I never have to add ice after the initial time. Keep an eye on it and make sure you still have ice to keep it cool!)
  • Rinsing the turkey.
    5
    Rinse turkey.
  • Turkey dried and neck and giblets removed.
    6
    Dry turkey. Remove neck and giblets (boil those down for gravy and stuffing).
  • Pats of butter under the skin.
    7
    Loosen breast skin and place butter pads under the skin.
  • Flour poured into a roasting bag.
    8
    Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour to a turkey oven bag. Shake flour around in the bag.
  • Turkey placed in the oven bag.
    9
    Place turkey in the oven bag.
  • End of the roasting bag tied.
    10
    Tie off the open end of the bag.
  • Holes cut in the bag and turkey baking in the oven.
    11
    Cut 6 small holes in the top, cook in 350* oven for 3 hours (a 20lb turkey).
  • Roasting bag sliced open.
    12
    Remove from oven. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
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