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Keto Pickle Juice Brine Turkey Recipe

I’m starting to think about Thanksgiving day and I used to use this Best Turkey Brine Recipe every year because it’s really is the best!  The technique works to make a perfectly tender and juicy turkey every single time I make it.  I’ve used it for years!  Here’s the problem though…  It’s made with sugar…  That’s not so good on the Ketogenic Diet.  You don’t understand.  This turkey is filled with tons of flavor.

If you are new to the Ketogenic Diet and want to start, read this article:  Simple Way to Start the Ketogenic Diet

You just don’t understand how disappointed I am not to be able to use this recipe.  This turkey recipe is filled with tons of flavor.  I think I really like it the most because you can’t mess it up.  I have a fear of ruining Thanksgiving dinner when all the guests are over.

I’ve been thinking and thinking about how I can make a sugar free Keto Friendly Turkey Brine Recipe that will still have all the flavor I’m used to.  This dinner is so important to me that I did a test run with a recipe I concocted beforehand!

I already know the science behind vinegar used to break down protein to tenderize it but I wasn’t sure if you absolutely had to have sugar for it to tenderize and not taste sour.  I decided to try a pickle juice brine with lots of yummy seasonings.

Guess what?  I turned out amazing!!  You don’t need sugar at all!!  You know what a relief that is?!

Be sure to save the turkey broth from the cooked turkey.  This makes the BEST Keto Turkey Gravy Recipe!  OH!  Wait – Don’t forget to make the Keto Stuffing Recipe too!  This stuffing is perfect in taste and texture!  It’s the closest thing I’ve tasted to real stuffing!  You will love it!

Grab the printable version of this recipe at the very bottom of this post.

Oh, and if you are looking for a super cute Keto Friendly Appetizer, this Keto Appetizer looks like a turkey and is made with meats and cheeses.  It’s adorable!

Keto Pickle Juice Brine Turkey Recipe Ingredients

• 1 large container of pickles (the large container you find in the bulk section)
• bag of ice
• Reynolds Oven Bags (turkey size)
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorn or black pepper
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 – 6 cloves of garlic (or 3 tablespoons) minced
• 3 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Optional: 1 tablespoon McCormicks Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning (LOVE THIS STUFF) or any of your other favorite seasonings that work well with Turkey

Keto Pickle Juice Brine Turkey Recipe Instructions

1. Peel the rosemary off of the steam and dice a few of them to get the oils from the leaves.
2. Place the defrosted turkey into a large poultry bag or cooler (like I did).
3. Pour all the ingredients (pickles juice, water, and seasonings) on top of the turkey that sites in the cooler.  Make sure the liquid is covering most of the turkey.  Add more water if you don’t have enough pickle juice to cover it.
4. Add a bag of ice over the turkey to allow it to stay cool for the next 12+ hours. Or put your poultry bag in the refrigerator if you have room.  Ideally, you want to marinate this turkey more than 12 hours but no more than 24 hours ahead of time.
5. For each pound of meat, you should refrigerate it for one hour. For example, if you have a 12 lb turkey, you need to refrigerate this for 12 hours. Add ice to the cooler as needed.  I usually only need one bag of ice to keep it cool before I cook this turkey.
6. Remove the turkey from the brine marinade.  Discard the brine marinade.
7. Place the turkey into the Reynolds turkey steam bag and place about 2 more cups of water in the bag so it can create a steam when it’s cooking.  I like to cook the turkey with the breast down in the juices too.  It always comes out perfect!  No need for basting the turkey or monitoring it every hour either.

Here’s the best part.  The turkey flavor was amazing!  The pickle juice brine recipe did its job without sugar!  I’m so impressed!!  It didn’t have a pickle flavor either.  It took on the flavor of all the seasonings I added!!  So good!  You have got to try this!

Here are a few photos we took of this process:

This photo shows the defrosted turkey sitting in pickle juice and water before we added all the seasonings.

After we added all the seasonings, we topped it off with ice to keep it cool.

This was after the marinade time was up and we placed it in an oven save turkey bag.

You leave a bit of room at the top for the steam.

This is what the pickle juice marinade looks when you are done with it!

It’s going in the oven…

The turkey is done!  Save the juices though, because that’s what makes the best Keto Gravy!!

Don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest for later!

Keto Friendly Turkey Brine Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 large container of pickles
• bag of ice
• Reynolds Oven Bags turkey size
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorn or black pepper
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 - 6 cloves of garlic or 3 tablespoons minced
• 3 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Optional: 1 tablespoon McCormicks Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning LOVE THIS STUFF or any of your other favorite seasonings that work well with Turkey

Instructions

 

• Peel the rosemary off of the steam and dice a few of them to get the oils from the leaves.
• Place the defrosted turkey into a large poultry bag or cooler (like I did).
• Pour all the ingredients (pickles juice, water, and seasonings) on top of the turkey that sites in the cooler.  Make sure the liquid is covering most of the turkey.  Add more water if you don't have enough pickle juice to cover it.
• Add a bag of ice over the turkey to allow it to stay cool for the next 12+ hours. Or put your poultry bag in the refrigerator if you have room.  Ideally, you want to marinate this turkey more than 12 hours but no more than 24 hours ahead of time.
• For each pound of meat, you should refrigerate it for one hour. For example, if you have a 12 lb turkey, you need to refrigerate this for 12 hours. Add ice to the cooler as needed.  I usually only need one bag of ice to keep it cool before I cook this turkey.
• Remove the turkey from the brine marinade.  Discard the brine marinade.
• Place the turkey into the Reynolds turkey steam bag and place about 2 more cups of water in the bag so it can create a steam when it's cooking.  I like to cook the turkey with the breast down in the juices too.  It always comes out perfect!  No need for basting the turkey or monitoring it every hour either.
• Here's the best part.  The turkey flavor was amazing!  The pickle juice brine recipe did its job without sugar!  I'm so impressed!!  It didn't have a pickle flavor either.  It took on the flavor of all the seasonings I added!!  So good!  You have got to try this!

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy.

Tried this recipe? Mention @ISaveA2Z or tag #KetoFriendlyRecipes!