Brining turkey and other proteins is a fantastic way to add different flavors to your final product. Along with these simple recipe ideas, you can also customize your own brine with these pro tips. Check it out!

First, try changing up the liquid. Instead of (or in addition to) water, you can use apple cider, wine, orange juice or beer. Keep in mind, these liquids have varying levels of acid and sugar in them, and your chosen meat will generally require less time in the brine. The sugars will also caramelize when cooking, so be careful of cooking temperatures and times to account for easier and faster browning.

Spices, herbs and other flavorings can also be added to the brine to impart more festive flavors. You would generally add these to the liquid when you heat it up to dissolve any salt or sugar.

If you want to follow a formula, get started with our easy recipes for a Latin-Inspired Brine, Scandanavian-Inspired Brine and Asian-Inspired Brine. 

However you decide to switch it up, have fun experimenting and remember to write down what you altered and how it tasted for next time!

Article originally published in November of 2016 and updated in October of 2022.