dry brine turkey

Dry brining a turkey is the easiest way to enjoy a delicious moist turkey at your holiday table.&nbsp; You'll amaze your guests and you'll be sharing my secrets on How to Dry Brine a Turkey with your family and friends.

How to Dry Brine a Turkey

salt

black pepper

thyme

sage

tbsp clementine peel finely zested (any citrus may be used)

tsp smoked paprika (optional)

carrots rough

onion rough cut

celery rough

garlic

turkey (fresh

rough cut onion, carrot, sage, thyme and orange skin

Mix the dry brine ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside

Remove the turkey from the wrapping and remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity and save for another use. Remove or discard any plastic or metal cages or pop-up thermometers.

If you can follow safe procedures, rinse the entire turkey in cold water thoroughly.  Then pat the turkey dry using paper towels, inside and out.  The FDA Does Not Recommend Rinsing Turkeys.  If you do rinse your turkey make sure to clean and sanitize the counters, sink, faucet and any areas possibly exposed.

Using your hands, gently loosen the skin over the breast and separate it from the meat, making sure to break through the thin membrane between the skin and breast while leaving the skin itself intact.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey and rub it into the cavity.

Rub 4 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the breasts (under the skin).  Then sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts, legs and wings

Place the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan.  Cover the turkey securely using plastic wrap, or place it into a small plastic bag and seal it, removing as much of the air as possible.   Refrigerate for 48 - 60 hours.

After the time has expired, uncover the turkey and allow it to remain uncovered and refrigerated for 8-12 hours.  

Prep and Dry Brining

Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting.**Do Not Rinse The Brine Off the Turkey

In the bottom of your roasting pan add roughly cut celery, onions, garlic, and carrots.  Include the skin from the onion and carrots.   Add 1 cup of chicken stock or water to the pan.**You can also place some aromatics inside the cavity of the turkey before cooking.  Onions, carrots, herbs of your choice, orange peel and any other spices you like.

Place the turkey upside down on a rack in a roasting pan.   This will self baste the breast as the fat from the underside and dark meat flow into the breast.  This will help keep the turkey from being dry.**If you don&#039;t feel comfortable turning the hot turkey, cook your turkey right side up for the entire process. The breast meat won&#039;t be quite as moist, but it&#039;s not a deal-breaker.  Safety First!

Preheat oven to 425º.  Brush the turkey with melted butter and roast upside down for 45 minutes.  At the end of that time very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking.   ( I used heat resistant gloves)  Brush again with melted butter if you like.Decrease oven temperature to 325º.   Cook the turkey until it reaches the temp of 165º for the breast and 175º for the thighs.   The meat will rise an additional 10º continuing to cook as it rests.*My 20-pound turkey only took an additional 3 hours to cook using this method.  Make sure to check your turkey around the 2 1/2 hour mark.   

Allow the turkey to rest 30 - 60 minutes before slicing.  This will ensure that the juices stay in the turkey and don&#039;t all run out as you slice it.  

The Secret to Roasting

Dry brine turkey is the easiest way to cook juicy, moist turkey that won&#039;t dry out! Rosemary, lemon zest, and kosher salt are all you need.

Dry Brine Turkey

kosher salt** (I use Morton's)

rosemary

Thaw

4 to 6 Days Before Cooking (depending upon weight) - Thaw Your Turkey (if needed): Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey (that&#39;s 3 days thawing for a 15-pound bird). For faster thawing, place the turkey in a cold water bath and change the water every 30 minutes. This will take about 8 hours for a 15-pound turkey.

Brine

1 to 2 Days Before Cooking - Brine the Turkey: In a small bowl, combine the salt, rosemary, and lemon zest. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and discard or keep for gravy. With paper towels, pat very dry (you do not need to rinse the turkey; this has a greater chance of spreading bacteria than removing it). Transfer the turkey to a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the salt mixture inside the cavity.

Rub the rest all over the outside of the turkey, including under the wings and the legs, and concentrating especially on the breast (no need to salt the very backside of the bird that is touching the pan).

Cover

Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, until either the day before or morning of cooking the turkey (the length will depend upon how early you started.)

1 Day Before or the Morning of Cooking - Let the Skin Dry Out: Uncover the turkey, then return it to the refrigerator. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours, or until 1 hour before cooking. This step dries the skin, which is important in order for it to crisp. The skin will turn somewhat translucent.

Stand

1 Hour Before Cooking - Let Come to Room Temperature: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature (do not brush off the brine). If you haven&#39;t removed the plastic &quot;carrier&quot; attached to the legs, do so now. Cook as desired. See How to Cook a Turkey and Spatchcock Turkey for methods.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1693583169/i4TNjTARe.mp4

Dry brine turkey is the easiest way to cook juicy, moist turkey that won't dry out! Rosemary, lemon zest, and kosher salt are all you need.

Dry Brine Turkey Video

This Herb and Salt-Rubbed Dry Brined Turkey comes out so moist and flavorful, with crispy golden skin and juicy tender meat.

Herb and Salt-Rubbed Dry Brine Turkey

marjoram

oregano

olive oil

(use

domestic turkey

Thyme (pronounced like 'time') is an evergreen herb with culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. The most common variety is Thymus vulgaris. Thyme is of the genus Thymus of the mint family (Lamiaceae), and a relative of the oregano genus Origanum.

extra virgin olive oil

(4) Four days before you plan to roast the turkey, mix the herbs and oil in a small bowl. Remove the neck and giblets and reserve for stock, if using. Loosen the skin around the shoulders of the bird and around the cavity. Carefully slide your hands underneath the skin to loosen it from the breast, thighs, and drumsticks.

Combine olive oil and herbs. Rub the herbs on the meat, under the skin. Pat the skin back into place.

Rub the salt inside the cavity and on the skin. Tuck the wing tips behind the neck and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the turkey in a large food-safe plastic bag (such as a turkey-size roasting bag) and tie. Put the bag inside a second bag and tie.

Day 1 to 3: Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate the turkey, turning it over every day, for 3 days.

Day 4: Remove the turkey from the bags and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a large roasting pan and refrigerate, unwrapped, to let the turkey air-dry overnight (for the fourth day).

4-Day Dry Brine:

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it temper on the counter for about 1 to 3 hours. Place turkey breast side up on a rack (sprayed with oil) in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep.

Roast turkey (Day 5):

Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F in convection roast setting. If using a probe, insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh not touching the bone and set the temp to 170F. Roast until the temp registers 170°F in the thickest part of a thigh, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or longer depending on the size of the turkey. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to settle.

Convection Roast Mode:

Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the turkey for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 325°F.

Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F in the thickest part of a thigh, about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to settle.

Conventional Oven:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlfsNLhkHk0

This Herb and Salt-Rubbed Dry Brined Turkey comes out so moist and flavorful, with crispy golden skin and juicy tender meat. 

PRINT RECIPE: https://www.skinnytaste.com/dry-brine-turkey/

Herb and Salt-Rubbed Dry Brined Turkey

This easy Turkey Dry Brine recipe will add significant flavor and moisture to your Thanksgiving Turkey. And simple? It&#039;s unbelievably easy to dry brine without the mess of a wet brining a turkey. The result is a delicious, juicy, flavorful turkey perfect for Thanksgiving Day!

Easy Turkey Brine Recipe

tbsp kosher salt (like Morton's)

tbsp sugar

tbsp black pepper

paprika

Combine all seasonings together in a bowl and set aside.

Place the turkey on a wire rack set on a baking sheet or use the roasting pan with a rack if it fits into your refrigerator. Rub the spices onto the backside, legs, wings, breast, and the cavity of the turkey. Leave the turkey uncovered and transfer it to the refrigerator and let chill for 24 to 72 hours.

After the turkey has dry brined, pat the bird dry and remove excess brine before proceeding with roasting.

Tested this week- definitely our choice for this Thanksgiving!

This Dry Brine Turkey recipe creates an incredibly tender, juicy turkey with beautifully browned, crispy skin. Dry brining is an easy method that transforms your turkey into a gorgeous, flavorful centerpiece for your holiday table.

natural turkey (safely thawed)

kitchen twine (for tying legs together)

kosher salt ((per 5 pounds of turkey))

thyme ((per 5 pounds of turkey))

black pepper ((per 5 pounds of turkey))

butter (softened)

granulated garlic or garlic powder

carrot

onion

orange

Remove the packaging (in or next to sink) and remove the giblets. Transfer the turkey to a large sheet of heavy duty foil for easy cleanup. Pat the cavity and exterior of the turkey dry with paper towels.&nbsp;

Combine the Dry Brine ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle a few teaspoons of the dry brine inside the cavity and use your hand to spread it around. Gently lift skin on breast portion and carefully reach inside and coat as much of the breast meat as possible with a couple of teaspoons of the brine. Sprinkle the remaining brine all over the outside of the turkey.&nbsp;

Transfer the seasoned turkey to a rack in your roasting pan (or a rimmed baking sheet). Cover it securely with plastic wrap - I used 5 or 6 sheets to cover my big roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to the refrigerator and forget about it for 24 to 48 hours.&nbsp;

Remove the plastic wrap and let the bird sit uncovered in the refrigerator for an additional 8 to 24 hours.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator about an hour before you are ready to roast it. Stand the turkey up to pour out and discard any liquid that might have collected in the cavity and pour off or blot up any juices that have collected in the pan. Place the turkey back on the roasting rack. If you chilled your turkey on a baking sheet, transfer it to a rack in a roasting pan now.

Brine the Turkey

Preheat oven to 325 °F. Combine the butter, olive oil, and granulated garlic in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Stuff the turkey cavity with the carrot, onion, and orange.

Scoop up some of the garlic butter mixture with your hand and spread it under the skin of both turkey breasts. Spread the remaining butter mixture over the outside of the turkey, being sure to get into all the nooks and crevices of the wings and legs. Tuck wings securely under the body and use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. Pour about 2 cups of broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven. Allow the turkey to roast for about 45 minutes and then baste it once every 20 to 30 minutes or so throughout the remainder of the roasting time, adding additional broth if it begins to evaporate from bottom of pan. Rotate the pan in the oven about halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. Tent with foil once skin is browned to your liking. 

Roast until the internal temperature of the meatiest portion of the thigh registers a solid 165 °F. The roasting time should range from approximately 3 to 4½ hours if your turkey is between 12 to 16 pounds.

Remove the turkey from oven, tent it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes before carving.

Roast the Turkey

We loved this recipe! Our turkey came out perfect. We will definitely save this recipe to make again. Thanks for sharing!

I made this recipe followed to the tee took to friends Thanksgiving. He also made his special turkey recipe. Turned out my turkey was gone, everyone was amazed. Besides it being time consuming it's easy to do and I recommend to try.

I loved this recipe sooo much!! I will never ever ever make a turkey any other way!!

I just made this turkey for a late holiday dinner and WOW. I didn't add any aromatics inside as that isn't our taste; and unfortunately, I found this recipe too late for a full brine per the recipe. I had it in the fridge for 24 hours and uncovered it from the saran wrap only for the last 2. Even with these exceptions, this was easily the best turkey I have ever had. I mean it was incredible. This is the only recipe I will ever use from now on. I will absolutely find the time for a full brine next year, but if you are like me and short on time (or fridge space for too long) the above "short cuts" still resulted in a turkey that garnered a round of applause from the family!

I have been making your recipe for the last 4 Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and my whole family loves it. My husband, who normally doesn’t like turkey, will only eat my turkey, and my dad, who is a French trained chef, thinks my turkey is perfection! The only  two things I’ve added are sherry to the chicken stalk while roasting, and I stuff the bird with my families traditional cheese dressing. The turkey always comes out juicy, flavorful, and beautifully browned. Thank you!!!

Best. Turkey. EVER! I used my free turkey from the grocery store WITH an 8% solution added.  It turned out great.  Will definitely use this recipe again.

Have used this receipt for 2 years. It is the best turkey I have ever had.

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Top 5 dry brine turkey recipes from across the web

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The most viewed dry brine turkey recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine