No matter how many turkey recipes hit the internet each November, I still find myself typing “best Thanksgiving turkey recipe” into Google. There are endless ways to cook a bird—stuffed, spaced, even fried—but nothing compares to the timeless appeal of a brined roast turkey. When done right, it produces crispy, golden skin and tender, flavorful meat that stays perfectly juicy at all times.
Of course, “simple” doesn’t always mean easy. Between the size of the bird, removing giblets, and mastering the brine, a lot can go wrong and result in a dry or unevenly cooked turkey. So in my search for the definitive version, I turned to Michael Fojtasek, chef and owner of Austin’s award-winning restaurant Olamaie. He stopped by my kitchen, brined turkey in hand, to share his secrets. From the ideal brine recipe to achieving that crispy, caramelized, lacquered skin of our dreams, here’s everything you need to know to master brined roast turkey this Thanksgiving.
Why brine a turkey?
If you’ve ever bit into a Thanksgiving turkey that looked beautiful but tasted dry, you know why brining is important. Brine infuses the meat with moisture and flavor from the inside out, ensuring that every bite of your brined roast turkey remains juicy and tender, even after hours in the oven. The salt in the brine helps the turkey retain water as it cooks, so instead of drying out, the meat remains perfectly succulent beneath that crispy, golden skin.
Beyond the texture, the brine changes the flavor. A good turkey brine, whether classic with herbs and citrus or seasoned with peppercorns and garlic, creates a depth of flavor that seasoning alone can’t achieve. When you roast a brined turkey, the result is an evenly seasoned meat that practically bastes itself as it cooks, making it easy to achieve that restaurant-quality balance between crispy skin and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
How to brine a turkey
First, clear some space in the refrigerator: A brined turkey takes up some space. You can use a large pot; However, for many of us, a space-saving solution is a giant Ziplock bag. (You can usually find it with the turkey supplies at the grocery store.(it ripped this time of year or on Amazon). Place the turkey in the bag with the brine to make sure it is completely covered. Either way, Fojtasek advises using a non-reactive container and brining for 24 hours.
Which turkey is best to brine?
Fojtasek says, “The best turkey is a good organic bird that is as fresh as possible. However, if it has been frozen, be sure to let it thaw gently in the refrigerator.” Do not brine a turkey that has been previously salted; Since the brine is full of salt, you’ve already given the turkey all the seasoning it needs.
How to give your turkey that golden, crispy skin
Fojtasek shared his secret ingredient: sorghum syrup, a staple of classic Southern cooking. Similar in texture and color to molasses, sorghum is made from sorghum cane rather than sugar cane, and when used in brine, its natural sugars help create that crisp, beautifully caramelized skin.
If you have time, take it one step further after brining: remove the bird from the liquid and refrigerate it uncovered for 24 to 36 hours. Resting it breast side up allows the skin to dry slightly and form what chefs call a movie—the secret to that irresistible golden crunch.
How to Roast a Brine Turkey
When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator two hours in advance and preheat the oven to 350°F. Stuff the turkey with lemon, onion, garlic and thyme.
Next, you will tie the turkey, then pour a small amount of oil over the breast and rub it evenly all over the bird. This will give it a nice, uniform color when cooked. Season with salt and black pepper, then place in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160°F.
Description
Chef Michael Fojtasek shares the secrets to preparing a perfectly brined, crispy-skinned roast turkey, just in time for Thanksgiving!
- 1 whole turkey
- 1 lemon (cut into quarters)
- 1 onion (cut into quarters)
- Half a head of garlic
- A few sprigs of thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Garnish: chopped parsley and black pepper
- Brine (see recipe below)
For the turkey brine
- 1 1/2 quarters water
- 5 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 quart ice
- 1 1/4 mugs sorghum syrup (such as Muddy Pond)
- 1/2 head of garlic
- 1 onion (in quarters)
- 3 tablespoons whole black pepper
- 4 lemons (quartered)
- 6 thyme sprigs
- First, quickly rinse your turkey.
- Then, put it in brine. Be sure to use a non-reactive container. I generally use plastic. Brine for 24 hours. If you have time, the best next step is to remove the bird from the brine and place it uncovered in the refrigerator for another 24 to 36 hours. Allowing the bird to sit breast side up during that time allows the skin to form what we call a film or “crisp.”
- When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator for two hours and preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill it with lemon, onion, a head of garlic cut in half and a few sprigs of thyme.
- Tie it up. Pour a small amount of oil over the breast and rub it all over the bird evenly. This will give it a nice, uniform color when cooked.
- From there, I season heavily with salt and ground black pepper.
- Then, it is placed in the oven until the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh has a thermometer reading of 160°F. This can take up to three hours or even less than two, depending on the oven.
- Once it has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the oven and let it rest. I like to cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and set it aside while I finish the other parts of the meal. It needs to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes. I prefer more like 35.
- When ready to serve, remove the breast completely and then slice it. I also like to remove the legs and thighs to cut them. Everything is served on a hot platter and a little chopped parsley and ground black pepper are added. This is a great way to prepare a turkey that is all about flavor and beautiful crispy skin without doing anything crazy.
For the turkey brine
- Place the salt, water, garlic, onion, black pepper, sorghum syrup and lemons in a pot. Bring to a boil for two minutes. Pour over ice. Ideally, all the brine should be cold or, at most, at room temperature.
- Preparation time: 60
- Cooking time: 120
This post was last updated on November 15, 2025 to include new insights.
