Ready for the holidays? Here's the best brined turkey recipe you'll ever make, which can be prepared in the oven or on your smoker! I've been making this same brined turkey recipe for at least 10 years now. I prefer to smoke my turkey after roasting it, but this will work either in the oven or on the smoker and still taste amazing year after year!
Prepare the brine. Soak your thawed turkey for 24 hours in the refrigerator over night.
Next day, drain the turkey and discard the brine. Place turkey stuffing ingredients into cavity of bird and coat with melted basting herb butter.
Place the turkey on a roasting rack (with foil) breast side down at 425 F for 45 minutes.
Take out the turkey from the oven and place breast-side up, and continue cooking until the turkey breast reaches 160F. At this point you can also finish cooking the turkey on your smoker at 225 F. Remove when turkey reaches reaches 160F.