Our good family friend, Dr. David Jockers, inspired this savory turkey brine recipe. I added my own touch, incorporating the herbs and spices I use in my Thanksgiving meal. I wanted something that would take an ordinary, organic, free-range bird to a whole new level. This recipe does just that!
My favorite kind of herbes de Provence contains lavender flowers and rosemary. Bonus: This turkey brine recipe is excellent for nursing moms as it does not contain sage. I know it will be a staple at your holiday table as well!
Table of Contents:
Make Your Best Turkey Ever!
I often get asked what kind of turkey I use. I prefer to use a fresh, free-range, organic, non-GMO turkey. Frozen may be your only option depending on where you live, and that’s fine! This recipe will still work for you.
Here are some tips to help you make your best turkey ever, no matter what you have in your icebox!
- Brine the turkey when fully thawed so the mixture can seep into the skin. Be sure to clean the bird before brining it, and keep putting ice over it. This ensures that your turkey stays cold!
- Be sure to plan ahead! Brining a turkey takes two days. Anything less will yield less-than-desirable results.
- Rub organic butter over the turkey, adding smoked sea salt and herbes de Provence. If you really want to elevate your cooking game, you can make your own herbed butter blend! I also like to tuck a few pieces of butter under the turkey skin.
- Stick a whole onion and a full garlic flower into the turkey’s cavity. Cut the onion in half and break out all the garlic cloves in the flower. This makes the turkey really tender and is Dr. Z’s favorite spot! Bonus: Onions are anti-cancer. (1) Win-win!
- Finish the turkey off with a big bunch of rosemary and parsley. Bend it to fit as much as you can in the bird! A little extra effort goes a long way in creating the most delicious bird.
- Stick to the same flavor palate! Incorporate Thanksgiving spices into other things, including stuffing. This helps the flavors mesh with one another, even though each dish is unique.
- Once the turkey is done, cook the organ meat separately in the same mixture. You can then use this to start bone broth. Bone broth is a rich source of protein that contains collagen, which is great for your skin, nails, and hair. (2)
Healthy Brine Ingredients 101
This recipe uses everyday ingredients to create one fantastic brine! I’m willing to bet that you have most of these things in your cupboard already. If not, here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt: Salt is a common ingredient in most brines as it changes the meat’s molecular structure, allowing it to retain more moisture. Traditional table salt undergoes a rigorous harvesting process that strips it of vital nutrients.
We recommend using Colima sea salt because it’s hand-harvested. This gentle procedure leaves the good stuff intact!
Organic Raw Local Honey: Adding honey to your brine gives your bird a little sweetness, but it also helps it get golden brown in the oven! Honey is a healthy sweetener as it’s natural and not as hard on your blood sugar as brown or white sugar. (3) We recommend using raw honey as it’s minimally processed.
Purified or Distilled Water: Tap water can contain toxins linked to congenital disabilities, diabetes, and more. For this reason, we recommend that you always use purified or distilled water.
This doesn’t mean you have to use plastic bottles, though! There are plenty of excellent in-home filtration systems that make purifying water a breeze.
Organic Vegetables and Herbs: Adding vegetables gives your brine a little extra flavor. For this recipe, we use onions, celery, and carrots. I also love using garlic and rosemary in my brine. Get creative and come up with your own flavor combos.
The herbs release their juices and oils during the boiling process, creating a rich brine! I guarantee you’ll never skip this step again!
Make Mama Z’s Turkey Brine Recipe
Brining a turkey sounds fancy, but it’s not complicated. All you have to do is boil some ingredients together and keep the turkey cool!
You can start brining your turkey two days before eating it, but not later than the morning before cooking. Remember, the longer you let it brine, the better your results.
Herbed Turkey Brine
Supplies
Ingredients
- 1 large organic onion , diced
- 2 large organic carrots , diced
- 3 stalks organic celery , diced
- 1 flower of organic garlic , open all the cloves
- ½ bunch organic rosemary
- ¼ cup organic herbes de Provence
- 6 organic bay leaves
- 1 cup pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- 1 cup raw organic local honey
- 1 quart purified OR distilled water boiling
- 7 quarts of purified OR distilled water , room temperature
- Ice
- Additional pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground OR Applewood smoked sea salt, PLUS organic white pepper, ground AND organic fresh herbs of choice (if possible), for cooking the bird
Instructions
- Clean your turkey and place it in a brining bag along with the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, herbes de Provence, and bay leaves. Place the sea salt, honey, and boiling water in a large pot. Turn the heat to “low” and stir just until the salt and honey dissolve. Let cool. Add ice to the pot to get it to cool a little faster.
- Pour the remaining room-temperature and cooled brining mixture into the brining bag and seal. Add ice or ice packs to the cooler and/or add additional ice to the brining bag. Be sure to monitor the bag throughout the brining process to see if it feels cool or has ice cubes. If not, add more ice.
- On the day you plan to cook the turkey, remove it from the brining bag and rinse it well. I like to stuff the cavity of my turkey with all of the brining ingredients, so I pour the carrots, onions, etc., into a cooler and rinse well. You can also add these ingredients to your bone broth.
- To cook the turkey, remove the giblets and the neck (a great start to your bone broth) and pat the bird dry. Use cooking twine to tuck the wings of the bird and tie the legs. Spray the bird with unrefined (non propellant) coconut oil, avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray or butter. Season inside and out with salt, pepper, and herbs of choice. Let the bird sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F and place the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Fresh birds cook faster, so check earlier than you think. Baste occasionally, and if the skin browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Cook until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Notes
Step One: Create the Brine
Clean your turkey and place it in a brining bag along with the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, herbes de Provence, and bay leaves. Place the sea salt, honey, and boiling water in a large pot. Turn the heat to “low” and stir just until the salt and honey dissolve. Let cool. Add ice to the pot to get it to cool a little faster.
Step Two: Pour Brine Over Turkey
Pour the remaining room-temperature and cooled brining mixture into the brining bag and seal. Add ice or ice packs to the cooler and/or add additional ice to the brining bag. Be sure to monitor the bag throughout the brining process to see if it feels cool or has ice cubes. If not, add more ice.
Step Three: Cook the Turkey
On the day you plan to cook the turkey, remove it from the brining bag and rinse it well. I like to stuff the cavity of my turkey with all of the brining ingredients, so I pour the carrots, onions, etc., into a cooler and rinse well. You can also add these ingredients to your bone broth.
To Cook Your Turkey
To cook the turkey, remove the giblets and the neck (a great start to your bone broth) and pat the bird dry. Use cooking twine to tuck the bird’s wings and tie the legs. Spray the bird with unrefined (non propellant) coconut oil, avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray or butter. Season inside and out with salt, pepper, and herbs of choice. Let the bird sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F and place the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Fresh birds cook faster, so check earlier than you think. Baste occasionally; if the skin browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Cook until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Want more healthy holiday recipes? Check out this list of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes! These dishes are free of sugar and gluten, but not free of flavor! You’ll find side dishes, drinks, appetizers, and desserts.
References:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11448651/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32436266/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19817641/
