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–+ servings
Ingredients for apple cider turkey brine: apple cider, herbs, salt, brown sugar, oranges, onions, green apples, and garlic.

Apple Cider Turkey Brine

Easy apple cider turkey brine gives turkeys a juicy texture and extra flavor. Ready in less than 5 minutes, you can get your brine on and then focus on all the other sides you'll need to make.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Brining Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cider brine, apple cider turkey brine
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 1156kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 gallons apple cider
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 medium apples
  • 1 medium orange
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 package roasting herbs blend
  • 1 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon whole black pepper
  • 20 pound turkey

Instructions

  • Slice the orange, apples, and onion into rough quarters and place in a bucket or very large stock pot.
  • Slice off the top of the garlic head, exposing the tops of the cloves and toss in the bucket.
  • Dump the spices, salt, sugar, and herbs into the bucket and then pour the apple cider over top.
  • Give it a good stir to combine all the ingredients and help the salt and sugar to dissovle.
  • Remove the gizzards, neck, and any packaging from your turkey and then carefully lower it into the bucket with the cavity opening facing up.
  • Gently push until you have fully submerged the turkey.
  • Cover the turkey in the bucket and put the bucket with the brining turkey in the fridge to rest in the brine for at least 8 hours but up to a couple of days before removing to roast.

Notes

*These nutrition facts are not accurate. You discard the vast majority of the brine, which is factored into this calorie calculation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pound | Calories: 1156kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 164g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 408mg | Sodium: 11021mg | Potassium: 2587mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 84g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 5mg
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