Honey Brined Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.
• Recipe Summary.
• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 13 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Steps:

• In a medium pot, bring 3 quarts of the tap water to a boil over medium heat. Put the kosher salt in a large bowl and slowly (and carefully!) pour the boiling water over the salt. Stir to blend.
• Add the molasses, honey, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme and garlic to the salt and water mixture. Stir to blend. Add the remaining 3 quarts of cool water. Add the ice to a cooler or bucket large enough to hold the brine and the turkey. Pour the brine over the ice and use a large whisk to blend all of the ingredients.
• Submerge the turkey, breast side down, in the brine. Make sure the cavity of the bird fills with the liquid as you are submerging it. Cover the cooler and allow the bird to sit in the brine overnight or for about 12 hours.
• Remove the bird from the brine and dry it thoroughly with thick (absorbent) kitchen towels. Take care to wipe inside the cavity as well. Discard the brine. Whisk together the butter and the lemon zest. Gently lift the skin covering 1 breast of the turkey and spread half of the butter right on the meat under the skin. Repeat with the other breast. The butter will add extra moisture and richness as the bird roasts.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange the turkey in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Put on the lower rack of the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the turkey taken from the thickest part of the thigh reads 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove the turkey from the oven to a cutting board or serving platter and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Steps:

• Pour water into a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add salt and honey and stir to dissolve. Remove pot from the heat and stir in apple slices, onion, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and peppercorns. Let brine cool to room temperature. You can set the pot in a sink full of ice water to speed up the cooling process.
• Stir in apple cider, ice, and apple cider vinegar. Allow brine to fully chill to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees C), or colder, before using.

Steps:

• For brine, place first four ingredients and 4 cups cider in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Stir in remaining cider; cool to room temperature., Place one roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey breast inside both bags; add brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a baking pan. Refrigerate 6-24 hours, turning occasionally., Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a roasting pan with foil. Drain turkey, discarding brine. Place on a rack in prepared pan; pat dry., Roast turkey 30 minutes. Brush with oil; roast until a thermometer reads 170°, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes.

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Line extra-large stockpot with heavy large plastic bag (about 30-gallon capacity). Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag. Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve. Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper. Pour brine over turkey. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag. Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Drain turkey well; discard brine. Pat turkey dry inside and out. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity. Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch fresh thyme to main cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste turkey with 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; reserve juices.
• For gravy:
• While turkey cooks, place reserved turkey neck, heart and gizzard into large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat until turkey stock is reduced to 3 cups, about 2 hours. Strain turkey stock into bowl; reserve turkey neck and giblets. Pull meat off neck. Chop neck meat and giblets.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons all purpose flour and whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup reserved turkey pan juices (juices are salty, so add according to taste). Simmer gravy until thickened to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped turkey neck meat and giblets; season to taste with pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Add chicken stock.
• Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey in the bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around the turkey, causing the turkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavity. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• In a large saucepot, simmer first three ingredients until solids are dissolved. Add apple juice and submerge pork belly in mixture. Place in the- refrigerator for 3 days.
• After three days have passed, remove the pork from the brine, rinse the belly, and pat dry with paper towels. Lay on a rack over a sheet pan and place in front of a fan for 1 hour to form a pellicle. Lay the pork in the protein box of a cold smoker and smoke for 4 to 6 hours. Chill the meat in the freezer for 1 hour to stiffen for easy slicing into strips of bacon. Slice what you need and keep the remainder in a freezer safe bag in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Place the strips of bacon onto a sheet pan fitted with a rack and place into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Remove from rack and drain on paper towels. Enjoy.

Steps:

• Unwrap the turkey and remove the neck and giblets (reserve for gravy). Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry. Fill a large pot with 2 quarts water; add the orange zest, orange juice, 2 cups kosher salt, the sugar, black tea bags, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns and bourbon. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Add 4 quarts cold water and let cool. Submerge the turkey in the brine, adding water to cover, if necessary. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the turkey from the brine; rinse and pat dry. Mix the butter, honey, dijon mustard and spicy brown mustard until combined. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the butter, then rub the rest under the turkey skin on the breasts and legs. Rub 2 tablespoons of the reserved butter on the skin; chill and save the rest for your gravy. Let the turkey stand 30 minutes at room temperature before roasting.
• Put the oven rack in the lowest position; preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a large roasting pan, tucking the wing tips under. Tie the drumsticks together with twine. Roast until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes per pound. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving. Whisk the reserved 2 tablespoons flavored butter into your gravy just before serving, if desired.

Steps:

• FOR TURKEY: Line extra-large stock pot with heavy large plastic bag.
• (about 30 gal. capacity) Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag.
• Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve.
• Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper.
• Pour brine over turkey.
• Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag.
• Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Drain turkey well; discard brine.
• Pat turkey dry inside and out.
• Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity.
• Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch of fresh thyme to main cavity.
• Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape.
• Place on rack set in large roasting pan.
• Rub turkey all over with 2 TBS olive oil.
• Roast turkey 1 hour.
• Baste with 1 cup chicken broth.
• Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer.
• Transfer turkey to platter.
• Tent loosely with foil let stand 30 minutes.
• Pour pan juices into glass measuring cup, spoon off fat and reserve.
• MEANWHILE, PREPARE GRAVY: Place reserved turkey neck, heart and gizzard into a large saucepan.
• Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots,onion, celery and bay leaf.
• Simmer over medium heat until turkey stock is reduced to 3 cups, about 2 hours.
• Strain into a bowl; reserve turkey neck and giblets.
• Pull meat off neck.
• Chop neck meat and giblets; set aside.
• Melt 5 TBS butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
• Add 5 TBS flour and whisk for 2 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup reserved turkey pan juices (juices are salty so add according to taste).
• Simmer gravy until thickened to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add chopped turkey neck meat and giblets; season to taste with pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

Steps:

• Place orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, lemon, oranges, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in ice to start chilling the brine.
• Pour brine into a large bucket; add more ice to finish cooling.

Steps:

• 2-3 days before the big day, start defrosting your turkey. Make sure you have time enough to defrost thoroughly before brining so that it cooks properly. Combine hot water and salt in a large bucket or cooler and stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in vegetable broth and honey, then add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler or bucket lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours. Remove turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub all over with vegetable oil. Heat grill to 400 degrees F. You're going to want the grill to stay at 350 degrees after you put the turkey on. The turkey should also never be over direct heat. With our grill, we turned all the burners on to preheat it and then turned half of them off and took half of the grills off. The smoke bomb is placed on the side with the burners on, and place the turkey on the side with burners off. Make 4 smoke bombs by making pouches out of double layers of 12 inch square aluminum foil. In the middle of the square, place hickory wood chips, rosemary, thyme and cinnamon stick. Fold or roll the sides of the square to create a pouch, leaving a small part of the top open. Place the turkey directly on the grill, but not over direct heat. Cut out the bottom and up the side of an aluminum roasting pan to wrap around the turkey. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, check the bird. Switch sides by sliding the grills that the turkey is on to the other side, making sure to keep the turkey over indirect heat (turn on/off burners as you switch sides). If the turkey is starting to brown, cover with aluminum foil. Also, replace smoke bomb. Continue to check and switch sides in the same manner every hour until the bird reaches 160 degrees F (a meat thermometer is a must!). Once it reaches 160 degrees, about 3-4 hours, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

Steps:

• Mix hot water and kosher salt in a 54-quart cooler, stirring until the salt dissolves. Mix in vegetable broth, honey, and orange juice. Pour in the ice cubes, place the turkey into the brine with breast side up, and close the cooler lid. Place the cooler in a cold place and let the turkey marinate overnight or up to 12 hours. Brine temperature must stay colder than 40 degrees F (4 degrees C).
• Remove turkey from brine, discard brine, and dry the turkey thoroughly with paper towels. Mix vegetable oil with poultry seasoning in a bowl, and rub the turkey with the mixture. Place apple, celery, onion, and orange pieces into the cavity of the turkey.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for indirect heat and lightly oil the grate. Build a 'smoke bomb' by placing about 1 cup of hickory or cherry wood chips into the middle of a 12x12-inch doubled piece of aluminum foil. Gather up the edges of the foil to make a pouch and leave the pouch open at the top. Set the smoke bomb directly onto the coals if grilling with charcoal, or onto the flame bar of a gas grill.
• Set the turkey onto the grill in position for indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast, not touching a bone, and close the grill. Set the probe thermometer for 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
• Grill turkey for 1 hour and check the bird; if skin is already golden brown, cover the breast, legs, and wings with aluminum foil. Replace the smoke bomb with a new one; close cover and continue to grill until probe thermometer registers 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), 2 to 3 more hours. Remove the fruit and vegetable pieces from the cavity, cover turkey with aluminum foil, and let rest for 1 hour before carving.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons pepper, and 6 thyme sprigs; bring to a boil then remove from heat.
• Pour mixture into a large bowl; cool to room temperature.
• To the bowl: add 6 cups water, salt, honey, and sugar, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Pour salt mixture into a 2-gallon heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bag.
• Add ice and turkey; seal.
• Refrigerate 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
• Remove turkey from bag; discard brine.
• Pat turkey dry using paper towels.
• Rub turkey with oil.
• Mix together 1 tablespoon pepper and chopped thyme, rub over turkey.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place turkey on a roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bake for 1 hour or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 180°F.
• Place turkey on a platter.
• Cover with foil and let stand 15 minutes.
• If desired, garnish with thyme sprigs.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, I use a 5 gallon pot, bring water, beer and chicken broth to a rolling boil. Add salt, honey and sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Drop heat until the liquid is at a simmer, then add the cloves, bay leaves and allspice berries. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, let stand while putting the 7 pound bag of ice into the drinking cooler. Pour the hot brine into the ice.
• When the brine is cool place turkey into the brine for no less than 16 hours, my best result was after 48 hours in the brine. Rinse the turkey, inside and out.
• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Stick probe thermometer into breast meat of turkey, make sure not to hit the bone. Set temp alarm to go off at 160 degrees, if your thermometer has that function otherwise you'll have to keep an eye on the temperature.

Steps:

• Combine hot water and salt in a 54-quart cooler; stir until salt dissolves. Stir vegetable broth and honey into the water. Add ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine with the breast facing up; cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towel; rub vegetable oil over turkey to coat. Discard brine.
• Put 1 cup wood chips in the center of each of two large sheets of aluminum foil. Wrap edges around wood chips to form small pouches, leaving small openings at the top.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly oil the grate. Place 1 pouch of wood chips directly over the flame beneath the grate.
• Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Close the lid and cook until the turkey's skin is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove and discard first pouch of wood chips; replace with remaining pouch.
• Cover turkey with aluminum foil, return cover to grill and continue cooking until the turkey is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Remove the turkey from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 1 hour before carving to serve.