The $8.99 Ace Hardware Find I Buy Every Year for Thanksgiving

It helps me pull off perfect turkeys every single time.

I don’t take many shortcuts at Thanksgiving. If I’m going to the trouble of hosting, I want the meal to be a from-scratch affair, prepared and served with lots of love. When it comes to pulling off a perfectly seasoned smoked turkey, though, I rely on Traeger’s Orange Brine & Turkey Rub every time.

My family started using this product back in 2020 when I got my husband, Brendan, a Traeger smoker for his birthday. I knew he would be excited about a big, fancy cooking gadget, and on the plus side for me, it would get him to do more of the cooking. My sneaky plan to do less in the kitchen has totally worked—we’ve enjoyed so many delicious smoked and grilled meals, including all of our Thanksgiving turkeys.

Brendan has a habit of buying every single accessory for whatever new gadget has come into his life. Despite the pantry full of barbecue spice rubs and the garage full of wood pellets that we now have, the brine and rub kit is my favorite of the smoker-related items we’ve acquired. I purchase it every year online, but it is also seasonally available at some Ace Hardware locations.

Why I Love Traeger's Brine and Rub Kit

The kit comes with two different spice packets—one contains the brine mix, a blend of salt, sugar, herbs, spices, and bits of orange rind. The other smaller packet holds the spice rub, which you’ll sprinkle over the bird after it’s brined and before cooking.

While I could put together my own brine and rub, Traeger has perfected these blends. There’s no reason for me to mix up my own when its blends are so good! I love the aromatic hit of citrus from the oranges, and the mix of herbs and spices is pitch-perfect holiday goodness.

How I Use Traeger's Brine and Rub Kit

I start the turkey prep process the morning before Thanksgiving. I mix up the brine with water (plus a cup of bourbon, though that's optional) and let my 18 to 20-pound turkey brine in the fridge (or in a brining bag in a cooler full of ice) for 24 hours.

Then, when I'm ready to smoke the bird, I pat it dry with paper towels, rub it all over with butter or oil, and sprinkle on the spice rub. Into the smoker it goes, and the hard work is all done. Pro tip: I always spatchcock our turkeys. This cuts down on the cooking time by half at least, and I prefer the lightly smoked flavor vs. a whole turkey, which takes about five hours to cook through and has a more pronounced smokiness.

Smoking the turkey not only gives it an incredible flavor, it frees up oven and kitchen space for the rest of the holiday meal. And thanks to the brine and rub kit, my beginner cook of a husband now has the confidence to handle the preparation of the turkey from start to finish. I’m certainly thankful for that!