Apple Cider Vinegar Brine For Turkey

Apple Cider Vinegar Brine For Turkey makes for a fantastic smoked turkey! This brine made for an excellent and moist smoked turkey!  Once you brine a turkey, you will never make one another way.

Now I have fallen in love with my Pit Boss Pro 1100 from Lowes, if you don’t have Lowes, Walmart and Amazon carry other Pit Boss options or the Pit Boss website.  I love that I can set it at 225 with smoke and run inside and take a shower or prep sides, and it just cooks my meat with a fantastic smoke flavor!   I had compared it to other pellet grills like a Traeger on the market, but I have been happy with my choice. 

Apple Cider Vinegar Brine For Turkey Ingredients:

• Turkey– Any size turkey will work for this recipe, even a turkey breast. You can cut the ingredients in half if you are doing a small bird.
• Salt
• Brown Sugar 
• Peppercorns 
• Dried Rosemary
• Cinnamon Sticks– If you don’t have cinnamon sticks, you can do a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon per stick.
• Thyme 
• Ground Sage
• Minced Garlic
• Whole Cloves
• Medium Oranges
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Water 

How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar Brine For Turkey:

Cut up your oranges into quarters. 

In a large stockpot, add all of the brine ingredients (but not the turkey).  (If you don’t have a large stockpot, I highly recommend one, you can even bring meats in them or make amazing leftovers.  Check them out on Amazon -> here)

Bring the brine ingredients to a rolling boil to allow the salt and sugars to dissolve. 

I stirred mine as it was warming up to ensure everything was mixing well.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  

If your pot is big enough, add your turkey to the brine once it has cooled if not, pour the brine into a container to put the turkey in it. 

I used a Tupperware That’s Mega Bowl, which held my 12-pound turkey and the brine.   (They are on Amazon -> here as well if you don’t have a local hookup)

Keep cold in a fridge, or continue to add ice to it.

Allow the turkey to brine for at least 18-24 hours. 

How Long To Cook A Turkey For

Now this will vary some smoker to smoker. The most common practice is to smoke for a couple of hours at 225 and then turn the temperature up to 350 to decrease the remaining cooking time. When turning the temperature up, you can cover the turkey with foil if you like.

• You can start smoking on a smoke setting for an hour or two before increasing the temperature.
• 225 degrees Fahrenheit for ~30 minutes per pound of meat.
• 250 degrees Fahrenheit for ~25 minutes per pound of meat.
• 325 degrees Fahrenheit for ~12 minutes per pound of meat.

For Example, a 15-pound turkey at 225 degrees would be about 450 minutes. Divide that by 30 to get 7.5 hours of cook time.

The most important part is not to smoke for time but for temperature. You will want to use a meat thermometer to ensure your bird reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees before serving. I use a Thermoworks Thermapen for all my temping of meat, it reads instantly. (You can see it -> here!)

How To Thaw A Turkey

How long your turkey takes to thaw will vary based on the site. The graphic below is a general guide to thawing a turkey based on size. Be sure to always keep your turkey in food safety guidelines.

How To Smoke Apple Cider Vinegar Brined Turkey:

Remove your turkey from your brine and place it to the side on a tray or platter. When removing the turkey from the brine, you can lift it straight up, and it will keep some of the seasonings from the brine on it.

Sprinkle with more rosemary; you can also use more seasonings if you want to. 

Pour your brine out; I poured the brine into an over-the-sink strainer to catch all the large pieces of the brine.  

Start your smoker up and get it rolling smoke before you place your bird in the smoker.

You will need to monitor your turkey with a meat thermometer to watch for the turkey to cook thoroughly. 

I smoked my turkey on the smoke setting for 1 1/2 hours and then smoked it at 250 for 6 hours.

Serve and enjoy! 

How To Store Leftover Turkey

Once the leftover turkey is cooled, store it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to five days. You can freeze leftover turkey for up to three months in an airtight container to freezer bag.

Storing leftovers properly requires the right tools! My preferred storage method is if the leftovers can be sealed in a food saver. If not, then an air-tight container or Ziploc bag for the fridge is the way I go. The air-tight container and a freezer Ziploc bag are the next best bet for freezing the leftovers. I also use a food scale to measure portions and divide them into serving sizes.

The Best Leftover Smoked Turkey Recipes:

I love to use leftover smoked turkey in other recipes! From Pot Pies to soup to a casserole, there are no limits. I even use my Pit Boss Grills and Blackstone griddle to make leftover dishes too!! Check out all my tried and true leftover turkey recipes ->HERE.  

What To Serve With Smoked Turkey:

Any of the classic turkey dishes will go with smoked turkey. I love to smoke versions of classics as well. You can see my full list of side dishes for smoked turkey -> here that go with smoked turkey.

Bread: Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread, Garlic Parmesan Biscuit Pull Part Bread, English Muffin Garlic Cheese Bread, Easy Cheesy Monkey Bread, Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls, Honey Rolls

Smoked Appetizers: Smoked Cream Cheese, Easy Smoked Queso Dip, Easy Smoked Refried Bean Dip

Smoked Side Dishes: Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Green Bean Casserole, Smoked Sweet Potato Casserole, Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Loaded Cheesy Potatoes, Smoked Deviled Eggs, Smoked Loaded Baked Beans, Creamy Smoked Macaroni And Cheese, Smoked Loaded Cheesy Potatoes

Grilled Side Dishes: Cheesy Grilled Asparagus, Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Grilled Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes, Grilled Corn On The Cob,

Desserts: How To Smoke A Pie, Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake, Crescent Roll Peach Dumplings, Pumpkin Bars

Smoked Turkey Recipes: 

A dry rub works amazingly well on turkey, but doing a brine with the dry rub adds more flavor.  There is no wrong way to smoke a turkey.  Now, I buy extras during the holidays, so I have extra turkeys to smoke later in the year!