Can You Freeze A Brined Turkey, Chicken, Or Other Meats?

Everyone loves a food hack that makes life easier and the food tastier. It could make you wonder if freezing brined turkey, chicken, or other meats is a good move. Don't fret! We've researched and found rather curious answers.

Absolutely yes! You can boldly freeze turkey, chicken, and other poultry meats in brine. The brine helps retain moisture in the meat.

However, not all meats can be frozen in brine. Read on as we explain how to freeze turkey or chicken in the brine. Also, find out which meats shouldn't be frozen in brine.

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Tender lard in spices, cold meat snack lard in brine, Can You Freeze A Brined Turkey, Chicken, Or Other Meats?

Treating And Freezing Turkey, Chicken, and Other Poultry Meats

When you purchase meats in bulk, you should store them well. The worst part is a ton of meat tasting like wood.

Scientifically, the brine will change the protein structure of the meat. The meat will retain water in cold temperatures in the freezer or refrigerator.

Is It Better To Salt Or Brine Poultry

Both brining and salting have salt as a common ingredient. Brine is a salt and water solution that can have spices in it. When you salt meat or poultry, you use salt and sometimes add spices.

When you brine poultry, you can freeze it or cook it immediately. Brining meat allows the salt to get into the meat well. Salting will only be on the surface.

However, do not freeze brined fish and meat for it to be succulent. Moreover, salt will make the meat rancid fast and shorten its shelf life.

How To Brine Turkey, Chicken, And Other Meats

Seasoned Uncooked Turkey in Roasting Pan

Brining will make your meat tastier with just enough salt and spices. The perfect brine will take the experience of your taste buds to another level.

Many cooks and homemakers have their to-go-to brine recipes. Here are some easy steps to make wonderful brine for chicken or turkey.

  1. Gather all the ingredients that you require. Different spices work well with different meats.
  2. Combine the salt, sugar, and spices of choice in water. The ideal ratio of salt should be four tablespoons to a quart of water. When using sugar, a tablespoon is enough for a quart of water.
  3. Boil the solution and let it cool a bit. The solution shouldn't be warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Add ice into the solution before immersing the meat.
  5. Cover the meat and transfer it to the refrigerator. Let it stay there for eight hours or overnight.

Tip: The meat should be immersed in the brine for the best results.

Check out this video for a crash course in brining.

How To Freeze Brined Turkey Or Chicken

Freezing brined meat slows the brining process and shortens your meal preparation time. To get the properly frozen brined meat, you should:

  1. Put the brine and the meat in an air-tight food-safe container.
  2. Squeeze any air out of the plastic bags.
  3. For long storage, wrap the container or bags with plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag. The extra packaging keeps any smells and odors or freezer burn at bay.
  4. Place the containers or bags in the coldest part of the freezer. Ensure that the temperature in the freezer remains constant.

Use a rigid plastic or glass container when brining. You can remove the frozen contents easily.

Check out these Glass Food Containers On Amazon.

Ensure that you freeze two to three pounds of meat per cubic foot. It will allow your meat to freeze evenly and avoid freezer burn.

Containers To Brine And Freeze Turkey, Chicken & Other Meats

Taste is important in food matters. Choosing the correct containers for brining and freezing is not difficult at all. Manufacturers make food-safe containers that can also store acidic foods.

A raw turkey in bourbon brine with rosemary, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, and orange zest

Stainless steel pots, plastic food containers, and sealable bags will not alter the taste of your meats. Food-safe glass containers can be used too!

Cooking pot with turkey soaked in flavored brine on wooden table

Brine Spices For Different Meats

Spices play an important role in any culinary endeavor. Ideally, balanced flavors make everyone look forward to meals. Cooking is a science, and flavors are like chemicals.

To get a perfect brine, pick the right spices for each meat. Chicken brine should have bay leaves, turmeric, ginger, lemon, garlic, onion, cardamom, peppercorns, and some chilis.

Have a look at this Spice Set on Amazon.

Turkey needs fewer spices. Bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and onions. Go easy when preparing brine for the duck. Cloves, soy sauce, and orange are more than enough.

Use peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme for wild game. Quail, pheasant, chukar, and goose fall under the category of wild game.

Is Brining Different From Marinating

Marinating and brining are somewhat worlds apart. Although you want your brined meat to be flavorful, that isn't the main goal when brining. Brining makes the meat juicier and more succulent while marinating infuses flavors.

Marinades have more acid and no water, but brines have water. Ensure you don't keep your meats too long in any marinade to avoid breaking their protein structure too much.

Here is a video comparing the two with the expected results.

Can You Brine Then Marinate?

Yes, you can. However, if you have a flavourful brine, don't bother marinating. Marinating a richly brined turkey or chicken is a waste of spices.

To get the most of the two, use only salt and or sugar in your brine. Then, make a marinade with the flavors you desire.

Please note that mixing marinade and brine is a no-no!

Can You Wash Off Brine?

You don't need to wash off the brine. Perfectly brined meat should be removed from the brine and patted dry.

Moreso, allow the meat to air dry to avoid breaking the protein any further. Expert cooks say you could wash the meat if it has overstayed in the brine.

Other Brine Bases Other Than Water

Brine has water as a base. But, there are other bases you could use instead of water. To make your meat food fit for the gods, you could use beer, apple cider, tea, juices, broth, wine, or vinegar.

Hard Apple Cider Ale

The other bases you can use might have more acidity than others. Therefore, avoid keeping the meat in such brine for too long. Otherwise, you'll be left with mush!

Will Brined Frozen Meat Change Taste?

Lean meats are the best for brining. They have less fat and can absorb the brine. Even though brined meat retains more water, it also dissolves the protein.

Freezing will create ice crystals that will further break down the meat structure. The longer you freeze the brined meat, the more the taste deteriorates. Ensure that you do not freeze brined meat for long.

What Is The Difference Between Dry And Wet Brine?

Dry Brined Chicken

Culinary experts know the key to tasty turkey and chicken is preparation. You may not know all the different preparation methods. But if you want to prepare brine for any meat, you'll have to understand the methods used.

There are two methods, dry and wet brining. The difference between dry and wet brine is the base. Dry brine means rubbing and immersing your meat in a lot of salt. On the other hand, wet brine is immersing your turkey in salty water overnight.

Both methods break the protein structure, and the meat doesn't contract when cooked. You can add dry spices to the salt when using a dry brine.

Tips And Tricks For The Perfect Brine

Brining is not compulsory when preparing any meat. Moreover, you'll need to leave the meat over a period of time for it to absorb the brine thoroughly.

But if you wish to entertain or have a scheduled family dinner, you might want to up your game a notch.

Different cooking methods can draw a lot of moisture from your meat, leaving it dry. Meat that has been stored in the freezer for a long time with no treatment might taste like sawdust.

If you want tongues wagging with praise for your meat dish, use the following tips and tricks to make the perfect brine.

  • Use food-safe containers for brining and storage.
  • The meat should be completely submerged.
  • Balance spices and salt proportions for ideal flavor.
  • Freeze the brined meat properly to avoid odors and freeze burn.

Final Thoughts

Tender lard in spices, cold meat snack lard in brine

Brined turkey or chicken can be frozen. But freezing brined beef and fish doesn't give the best results because of the different meat structures.

Prepare the brine using salt and additional spices if you so desire. Ensure that you wash your hands before and after handling the meat.

Take advantage of more information from these posts:

Does Freezing Beef Affect The Taste Or Quality?

At What Temperature Should A Chest Freezer Be?

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