Bourbon-Brined Smoked Turkey

2 days ago 5

Democracy Dies successful Darkness

4.2 (10)

Turkeys instrumentality good to the grill. Their size accommodates agelong hours of smoking, and their mild spirit benefits from the woodsy infusion of airy wood smoke.

You'll request 2 cups of pecan oregon applewood chips that person been soaked successful h2o for astatine slightest 1 hour.

The turkey needs to beryllium brined successful the refrigerator for 12 to 20 hours. If you don't person abstraction successful the refrigerator, acceptable up a cooler with ice.

From Smoke Signals columnist Jim Shahin.

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 12-14

For the brine

14 cups water
4 cups pome juice, preferably unsweetened and unfiltered
1 cupful bourbon
1 1/2 cups airy brownish sugar
1 1/4 cups salt
4 bay leaves
12 full achromatic peppercorns
1 mean onion, coarsely chopped
4 mean cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 strips citrus peel (little oregon nary pith)

For the brine and bird

One 15-pound turkey (giblets removed)

For the rub

2 tablespoons crushed sage
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoonful freshly crushed achromatic pepper

For the bird

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, astatine country temperature
1 ample onion, chopped into quarters
1 mean tart apple, specified arsenic Granny Smith, cored and chopped into quarters
1 mean fennel bulb, cored and chopped into quarters

Nutritional Facts

Per serving (based connected 14)

Calories
480
Fat
23 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Carbohydrates
2 g
Sodium
1590 mg
Cholesterol
185 mg
Protein
62 g
Sugar
1 g

This investigation is an estimation based connected disposable ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s oregon nutritionist’s advice.

From Smoke Signals columnist Jim Shahin.

Tested by Sarah Meyer Walsh.

Published November 16, 2010

Updated March 13, 2026