Making a turkey can be an overwhelming task.  There are so many different methods and opinions on what makes the best bird. I have always been a fan of brining the turkey. It may take a little extra time and effort but it makes for one juicy bird. Brining a turkey helps it become saturated in flavor. Thinking outside of the box this year I decided to try to brine a turkey in tea. I took inspiration from Good Earth Teas Turmeric Chai blend. Using the brewed tea rather than just relying on plain water to submerge the turkey really elevated the flavor. I also used some in the bottom of the roasting pan for gravy purposes. The herbs and spices I used complimented what is already in the loose tea. This gave the turkey a unique flavor. My family was so excited over the change in pace!

This recipe is based on 7-9 lb turkey. If you are going with a larger bird you will have to adjust the recipe accordingly. The amount of brine to submerge the turkey will need to be increased as well as the cook time.

This post has been done in partnership with Good Earth Tea. All recipes and opinions are my own.

Tumeric Chai Tea Brined Turkey

Use a spicy tea blend to brine your turkey. Get creative with good earth turmeric chai tea and turn your thanksgiving turkey into something special!

ingredients

brine

• 9 lb turkey, thawed and patted dry

• 8 c Good Earth Turmeric Chai Tea brewed using 1 1/4 tsp. of loose tea

• 6 c water

• 1 c coarse salt

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns

• 1 Tbsp fennel, dried

• 2 Tbsp fresh tumeric, grated

• 2 oranges, quartered

• 1 white onion, quartered

• 1 bundle herbs such as thyme, sage, and rosemary (about 2-3 sprigs each)

• 1 large brining bar

roasting the turkey

• 2 white onions, quartered

• 2 oranges, quartered

• olive oil as needed (about 4 Tbsp)

• coarse salt as needed, about 1/2 tsp per pound of turkey to cover the outside

• 1 c Good Earth Tumeric Chai Tea, brewed

instructions

turkey brine

1. Thaw turkey according to directions. Usually the method is submerging the turkey in water and placing it in the fridge. Where it will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw.

2. Brew the tea and reserve.

3. Bring the 6 cups of water to a simmer, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

4. Pat your thawed turkey dry, remove giblets, then place in large brining bag. Pour the tea and salt water mix over the turkey. Add in the cinnamon sticks, fennel, peppercorns, herb bundle, oranges, and onion. Seal up the bag and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

roasting the turkey

1. Remove turkey from brining bag and discard the excess brine. Save the herb bundle to place inside the turkey cavity. Place turkey breast side up in the roasting pan. Allow turkey to come to room temperature, this takes about an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Place the herb bundle, half of the onions, and half of the oranges in the turkey cavity,

4. Brush the outside of the turkey with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Then rub coarse salt on the outside of the turkey skin.

5. Pour the tea into the bottom of the roasting pan along with the rest of the oranges and onions.

6. Transfer pan to the oven and roast 30 minutes. Cover breast with aluminum foil. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes before carving.