Take your Thanksgiving turkey to the next level this holiday! The flavorful brine infuses your turkey with herbs and citrus. Top it off with a tangy cranberry balsamic sauce for a show-stopping centerpiece!

Level: Easy
Prep: 40 minutes
Brine Time: 24 hours (up to 72 hours)
Cook Time: ±4 hours
Cook Method: Smoker
Smoker Temperature: 275°F (135°C)
Doneness Temperature: 165°F (74°C)

Ingredients

• 1 whole Turkey

For the Brine:

• 1 bag of ice
• 6 gal. water
• 3 cups salt
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 3 no. oranges (sliced)
• 3 no. lemons (sliced)
• 2 bundle fresh rosemary
• 2 bundle fresh thyme
• 2 bundle fresh sage

For Turkey Rub:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup flakey salt
• ¼ cup black pepper (crushed)
• ⅛ cup ground nutmeg
• ⅛ cup ground clove

For the Cranberry Balsamic Sauce:

• 2 cups cranberry juice
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup fresh rosemary (chopped)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Instructions

Make the Brine: 

1. First, heat your water up to just above warm (the goal being to be able to dissolve your salt and sugar, which doesn’t take a lot of heat).
2. Next, pour the warm water into your sealable container with the rest of the brine ingredients and give it a rough stir to incorporate the flavors of the herbs and citrus.
3. Once stirred and dissolved, pour in your ice to cool the mixture.
4. Add your turkey into the cooled brine, seal it, and store in the fridge to infuse. We recommend up to 24 hours for maximum flavor!

Dry Rub & Smoke the Turkey: 

1. Once the turkey has been soaking for 24 hours, remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry.
2. Now, preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C).
3. It’s time to add some extra flavor! Mix your Dry Rub ingredients together and coat your turkey well with the mixture. Or if you'd like to keep it simple, use the Poultry Rub in our MEATER Pro XL Thanksgiving Bundle!
4. Insert two of your MEATER Pro XL probes into the breast and thigh of your turkey to ensure the most accurate temperature readings.
5. Using the MEATER app, set up your cook and select your target temperature as 165°F (74°C). Smoke the turkey at 275°F (135°C) and wait for the app to notify you when it’s done!

Make the Cranberry Balsamic Sauce & Finish Your Turkey

1. In a saucepan, add your cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, fresh rosemary, and salt & pepper and cook it together on a medium heat.
2. Stir constantly, don’t worry about any foaming, it’s perfectly natural! After 7-10 minutes turn off the heat and stir in the cranberries. (note: if there is too much foam after your cooking, simply strain the sauce into a bowl and stir your cranberries into it. A lot of the foam will dissolve as the sauce cools.)
3. Once the MEATER app notifies you that your perfect turkey has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and let it rest (the app will inform you when it is done).
4. Finally, slice it with your MEATER Blade and serve it with your awesome sauce. Enjoy being in charge of making the Turkey every Thanksgiving meal from here on out! It’s so good, everyone will be asking for it every year.