Riesling
Riesling is an amazing grape that can make delicious sweet wines and delicious dry wines! Dry rieslings are particularly food friendly.
Cajun Turkey Brine Recipe
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Spice up your holiday this year with this easy-to-make and spicy-delicious cajun turkey brine.
This brine adds a kick of spicy Cajun flavor to your turkey. We think it’s a fun way to make a turkey that’s a little different than normal without going too crazy! What do you think of the recipe? Did you make any changes? Let us know in the comments below!
What is Brining?
Brining your turkey is an excellent way to help it stay moist and flavorful throughout the entire cooking process. By soaking the turkey in a liquid with salt present, the turkey will soak up water, and then retain some of the moisture while it cooks. In addition to the extra juiciness of the finished bird, brining is an excellent opportunity to add more flavor to the bird.
If you’d like to learn more about brining, check out our flavor school article on wet brining.
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey (This brine will work for up to an 18# turkey. Double recipe for a larger bird.)
- 2 gallon Water
- 2 cup Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Brown Sugar (light)
- 1/4 cup Paprika
- 1/4 cup Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Cayenne
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Directions
Pour all ingredients except turkey into a large pot.Stir together over medium heat until all the seasonings are dissolved. Place in refrigerator to cool down.
Add the turkey to a container large enough to hold the bird (we like to use a big water cooler like you see on the sidelines at sporting events), then pour in the brine. Cover the container, place in your refrigerator, and let sit for 8 – 18 hours.
Before roasting the turkey, remove from brine, and pat dry all over with paper towels. If you have time, let the turkey sit uncovered in your refrigerator for at least an hour to air dry further. This will help the skin crisp while cooking! Click here to see our Turkey Cooking Instructions.
