Part 1: Thanksgiving Turkey: Brining This is hands down the best brine for a Thanksgiving turkey, especially if you are going to smoke it. But it still tastes amazing if you bake the turkey. We’ve been making this brine for at least 15 years. My brother was the one that introduced this recipe to us! You can also use this recipe to brine chicken! It’s equally good done that way! Look for Part 2 on smoking the turkey soon! Brine Recipe (we double this for a 20 lb turkey or larger): 2 quarts Apple