Should You Brine Your Turkey Before Smoking It?

Smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving or other holidays is becoming an increasingly popular cooking method. The smoking process infuses the turkey with delicious woody, smoky flavors while also keeping it incredibly moist and juicy. However, there is some debate around whether you should brine your turkey before putting it in the smoker. Here’s a comprehensive look at the pros and cons of brining a turkey before smoking it to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your holiday bird.

What is Brining?

Brining is the process of soaking meat or poultry in a saltwater solution (known as a brine) before cooking it The brine is typically made by dissolving salt and sugar in water, along with herbs, spices, and other flavorings.

When the raw turkey is submerged in the brine, the salt penetrates deep into the meat. The salt breaks down some of the proteins allowing the turkey to absorb and retain more moisture. The sugar also caramelizes during cooking helping lead to a crispy skin.

Brining makes the turkey incredibly juicy tender and infuses it with lots of flavor from the brine ingredients. It’s especially helpful for lean cuts of meat like turkey breast which can easily dry out during cooking.

A turkey is usually brined for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator before cooking. The longer brining time allows the salt to fully penetrate deep into the thick cuts of turkey meat.

Benefits of Brining Before Smoking

There are a few potential benefits that make brining worth considering if you’ll be smoking your turkey:

• Incredible Juiciness – Brining ensures the turkey stays incredibly moist and juicy from the inside out. The trapped moisture is especially helpful for maintaining juiciness during long, low smoking.

• Tender Meat – The salt in the brine partially breaks down the turkey’s proteins, making the meat noticeably more tender.

• Infuses Flavor – Not only does brining make it juicy, but you can also infuse lots of flavor into the meat from the spices, herbs and aromatics in the brine.

• Prevents Drying Out – With turkey breast especially prone to drying out, brining provides a buffer against overcooking and drying out during smoking.

• Locks in Smoke Flavor – The extra moisture also allows the turkey to absorb and hold onto more of that lovely smoky flavor from the long smoking process.

So if juiciness and tenderness are your top priorities, brining is a great way to help guarantee success, especially if you’re newer to smoking turkeys.

Downsides of Brining Before Smoking

However, brining isn’t always the best choice, especially when smoking a turkey. Here are some of the potential cons:

• Less Crispy Skin – All that retained moisture from brining can lead to soggy skin that never crisps up. Smoking alone can already make it hard to crispen the skin.

• Makes Skin Less Smoke-Absorptive – The brined skin won’t absorb as much smoky flavor during smoking since it’s already saturated with moisture.

• Dilutes Flavor – The extra moisture from brining can actually dilute the natural turkey flavor rather than concentrating it. The flavors from the brine also compete with the smoke’s flavor.

• Increases Cook Time – The high water content from brining may increase the time it takes for the turkey to fully cook since heat travels slower through wet meat.

• Difficult Logistics – Having space in the fridge for a large brining bucket is tricky. It also takes advance planning and prep work.

So for the truest smoke-kissed flavor and crispy skin, skipping the brine may be best for smoked turkey purists.

How Long Should You Brine a Turkey Before Smoking?

If you do decide to brine your turkey before smoking it, proper timing is crucial. Here are brining time guidelines:

• 12-18 hours – This brining time works well for most 12-15 lb turkeys. It allows enough time for full flavor and moisture infusion.

• 18-24 hours – Turkeys 15 lbs or larger do best with a longer brine between 18-24 hours to ensure the salt penetrates to the innermost thick parts.

• Under 12 hours – Don’t brine less than 12 hours or the turkey won’t reap the full benefits.

• Over 24 hours – Too long in the brine oversaturates the turkey, leading to overly salty flavor and a spongy texture.

Be sure to factor in the length of time needed for brining when planning what day you’ll smoke your turkey. Leave enough time for the brined turkey to fully air dry in the fridge before smoking as well.

Tips for Brining a Turkey Before Smoking

If you do decide brining is right for your smoked turkey, here are some tips:

• Make sure the turkey is fully submerged in the brine. Weigh it down with plates if needed.

• Chill the brine before adding the turkey so it stays cold throughout brining.

• Brine in the fridge in a clean bucket or stockpot. Keep at 40°F or below.

• Rinse the brined turkey and pat very dry before smoking. Air dry uncovered in the fridge for optimal results.

• Inject the deep breast with broth before brining for even more built-in moisture.

• Go light on any salt or sodium in your additional rub or smoke wood.

• Add some baking powder and sugar to the skin to help crisp it up after brining.

• Lower oven or smoker temp slightly to account for extra moisture. Use a meat thermometer for doneness.

Infusing Flavor Without Brining

If you want to infuse lots of flavor but aren’t sold on fully brining, here are two alternatives:

Dry Brining

Dry brining is a shortcut option that provides brining benefits without the hassle of a liquid brine. Simply rub salt generously all over the turkey (about 1/2-1 teaspoon per pound). Refrigerate 12-24 hours to allow the salt to penetrate. The salt will still season, tenderize and retain moisture. Then pat the turkey dry, rub with oil and seasonings, and smoke as usual.

Injecting

Injecting is an easy way to infuse moisture and flavor directly into the turkey breasts. Use an injection syringe to inject the breast meat in a few spots with a flavorful liquid like chicken broth, melted butter or a marinade. Let it marinate for just 1-2 hours before smoking.

Both these options skip the hassle of a wet brine while still amplifying flavor and moisture.

Whether or not to brine a turkey before smoking it comes down to personal preferences around flavor, texture and prep time. If you love ultra juicy, tender turkey with infused flavor, then brining really does deliver. But if you want true smoky flavor, crispy skin and concentrated natural turkey essence, skipping the brine may be best. Whichever route you choose, a smoked turkey makes for an incredibly memorable holiday centerpiece.