Just in time for Turkey Day, we are sharing Mr. That Which Nourishes’ Top Secret Turkey Brine with you. Because you need this for your Feast.

Lots of brines call for citrus and spices and other such yum. Our favorite poultry we’ve ever had from a restaurant utilized a tea brine and we noted that and needed to try and recreate it! Brining just adds a layer of infused flavor that elevates any bird to a whole new level. So we put our heads together and created this loveliness for our poultry.

Ideally, you brine it for 6-18 hours so plan ahead! And if you can’t find this particular tea, order some for your next bird you smoke or roast and see if you love it as much as we do! We love Good Earth Sweet and Spicy Tea for drinking as well, so you won’t be sad to have this in your pantry for any use!

A few notes about the way we brine our turkey (if you want more brining info there are lots of options online). We do not rinse our bird after brining as the ratios of salt/water do not require that. For a crispier skin on your turkey, do set your brined bird on a baking sheet — uncovered — and let it air dry overnight in the fridge. As always, use the most care when working with raw poultry. Thoroughly disinfect any surface that may have had any contact with any droplets from the bird.

To brine: brew 10 bags of Sweet and Spicy tea in 1 gallon of water and let cool to room temperature. To the water, add 1 sliced onion, 1 T. peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4 tsp. fresh garlic, 1 c. kosher salt, 1/2 c. honey. Place it in a big enough pot or food-safe container to fit your turkey plus the liquid and refrigerate 6-18 hours. Rinse, pat dry and either air crisp (see above) in your refrigerator or proceed to smoking or roasting.