Cajun Turkey Brine Recipe (For Ultra Juicy Cajun Turkey)

Long gone are the days of flavorless Thanksgiving turkey–now we all know how easy it is to make a homemade turkey brine and infuse our bird with extra cajun flavor and juiciness!

We’re such big fans of juicy turkey that this month we released two epic turkey recipes, our sweet apple cider smoked turkey brine, and this sassy cajun turkey brine for those who love that zesty, southern flavor.

We recommend you paint either bird with our turkey paint (AKA turkey compound butter) just for good measure before roasting or smoking your bird this year!

How To Cajun Brine A Turkey

This recipe is simple enough, we will create “the brew” which is our cajun seasonings and spices, added to a gallon of water with our salt and sugar in a large pot.

Bring this mixture to a boil and heat until the salt dissolves.

Then we cool this hot brine fully in the refrigerator.

Add the now cooled spicy brine, another gallon of water, and our entire turkey to a 5-gallon bucket. (You can pick one up at your favorite home improvement store in the paint department.)

How To Prepare A Cajun Turkey

To brine your turkey it must be completely defrosted or fresh. Frozen turkey will not brine because the brine solution can not penetrate frozen meat. Make sure to begin defrosting your bird in the refrigerator 3 days before you want to start the brine process.

Place the turkey breast-side down into the brine, You will want to rotate larger birds once during brining.

How Long Do You Leave Turkey In Brine Solution?

Brine overnight and up to 48 hours.

I have even gone 3 days in brine with this particular recipe with good results. We keep ours in a garage refrigerator, but those in colder climates might be able to place a lid on the brining turkey and keep in an ice cold area in the garage.

As long as the turkey is submerged in the brine and the brine and turkey stay at least 40 degrees or below, you’ll be good.

We usually start breast side down and rotate the next day. At least a 24 hour soak is encouraged for maximum flavor, but you will get good results in as little as 10 hours.

Remove the bird from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine and cook as usual.

How To Season The Turkey After Removing From The Cajun Brine

You can oil your bird with olive oil and sprinkle with a cajun rub, or our favorite way to season is to paint the outside of the turkey with our turkey compound butter (AKA turkey paint).

It’s a great way to get incredible flavor on your holiday bird and works especially well with cajun smoked turkey. The breast meat is very tender when using a wet brine and our compound butter makes sure the turkey skin is equally delicious!

However you choose to roast, fry, or smoke your turkey this is a great time to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.

Once cooking begins you will cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

We’ve got some great Thanksgiving dinner sides as well! Check out these tasty recipes…

• Houston Rodeo Blue Ribbon Potato Salad Recipe
• Rustic Potato Cake with Manchego and Chipotle Crema
• Ultimate Texas Roadhouse Green Beans Copycat Recipe
• Corn and Black Bean Salad with Mexican Vinaigrette
• Antipasto Salad with Marinated Mozzarella Recipe
• Deep Fried Turkey From Our Friends at 24/7 Grilling