Save your turkey and make my Buttermilk Thyme & Garlic Turkey Brine for Thanksgiving this year yielding a moist and plump bird!
How in the heck is Thanksgiving NEXT week! Next week, people! Have you set your menu? Two years ago, I shared my recipe for Buttermilk Sage Turkey Brine and I’m at it again and created another delicious and flavorful turkey brine. This time I got inspiration from the herbs that I’m growing in my own herb garden; thyme! That’s how this year’s recipe for Buttermilk Thyme & Garlic Turkey Brine came about.
To make your brine you’ll start by combining the salt and warm water and whisking for a few minutes until it combines. Like I mentioned, I had an abundance of thyme that I hadn’t used and figured this would be the perfect base. I added in the thyme, quite a bit of fresh garlic cloves along with some peppercorns! Then it was time to pour in the buttermilk and whisk again. You’ll carefully place your turkey into the brine mixture. I like to place it breast side down so that only a little bit is exposed out of the brine mix and it’s typically not the part that we are eating. I like to let my brine sit in the refrigerator for a good 12 hours.
Before it’s time to start cooking, I’ll place the big pot of brine out of the refrigerator and was the turkey off well. With this brine I actually reserved some of the garlic cloves and thyme and stuffed it in the cavity of the turkey breast to enhance the flavor! So if your looking for a new brine this year or maybe new to brineing all together I challenge you to try my recipe for Buttermilk Thyme & Garlic Turkey Brine.
Buttermilk Thyme & Garlic Turkey Brine
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorn
- 1 bundle of thyme leaves
- 10 garlic cloves smashed
- 12 cups warm water
- 1 quart buttermilk
Instructions
- Place kosher salt, whole peppercorns, fresh thyme leaves and garlic cloves in a large stock pot (large enough to cover your turkey breast with a lid on). Then pour in warm water. Whisk water until salt has dissolved (about 2 minutes). Pour the buttermilk into the pot. Whisk again then place the turkey inside the pot. Turn the turkey breast so that only a small piece is exposed. Place lid on pot and refrigerate for at least 12 hours no more than 24 hours.
- After turkey breast has sat in brine for at least 12 hours. Rinse turkey breast off thoroughly and pat dry before baking.
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