Dry Brined Turkey

Dry Brined Turkey is my favorite way to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey! Tired of the mess of brining your holiday bird? Try this dry brine turkey recipe for delicious, moist results!

This is my go-to Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe. So easy and the Best Turkey Recipe I’ve made in 30 years!!

Dry Brine Turkey

After years of soaking our turkey overnight in a brine solution, I finally got wise and tried a new method. To make a Dry Brine Turkey, basically, rub your bird with kosher salt and let it rest in the fridge for 3 days. A couple of massages, a flip upside down for the last day and a night uncovered is all that’s needed. Seriously, this is the Best Turkey Recipe! You’ll just need to pick up and have your turkey thawed at least 3 days prior to roasting it. Making the Turkey Brine Recipe is a piece of cake!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Making a Dry Brine Turkey

I didn’t realize the meat market was closed on Monday last year, so I didn’t get the full 3 days of dry brining. This year, I’m better prepared. The turkey was still a show stopper. Crispy skin and moist, lightly salted meat. I actually roasted a 22-pound bird and half was eaten by the end of the day. It is amazing what two twenty-something sons can pack away. PRO-Tip: Buy your turkey early enough so that it’s thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.

• The process is a piece of cake compared to filling a huge bag with a brine of water, salt, sugar and spices, lifting a slippery turkey into its bath and placing it in a cooler. Then if you happen to have a paranoid husband who is sure that raccoons will break into our cooler set on the patio overnight, you will also need to rig it so it is critter proof.
• PRO- Tip: The main point is to allot enough time for the osmosis to take place. Your turkey should be defrosted 3 days prior to roasting.

• Use kosher salt and pick your favorite herbs for turkey. Sage, rosemary, bay, poultry seasoning, and thyme come to mind. You can just use 2 or 3.
• Whiz them together in a food processor so they’re well interspersed with the salt.

• Generously cover your dried turkey (pat the skin dry with paper towels) with the salt mixture place in a large food safe plastic bag.
• Rub the turkey with the turkey brine recipe each day, and flip on the 3rd day.

• PRO-Tip: Make sure you wash your hands frequently when dealing with raw turkey. Poultry is known for harboring bacteria like salmonella.
• Bring the turkey to room temperature for about an hour before roasting. Baste with butter, then roast until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees both in the breast and inner thigh.

I’m exhausted just thinking of our previous exploits. If you haven’t heard of using a dry brine for your Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe, I think you’ll be delighted with the results if you give it a shot.

P.S. I have a delicious Holiday Honey Brined Turkey Recipe if you’d like to experiment with wet brining.

Use your dry brine Thanksgiving turkey leftovers to make these delicious recipes:

And if you have turkey leftovers, I love making Turkey Tetrazzini, Turkey Enchilada Casserole and Turkey Soup Recipe. Plus I’ve spotted these 21 Easy Recipes for Turkey Leftovers for more ideas, as well as this Leftover Turkey Monte Cristo and these Turkey Nachos! Don’t want to stuff your bird? Try this Crock Pot Stuffing!

Frequently Asked Questions About Dry Brining or Pre-Salting a Turkey

Can You Use Regular Table Salt to Dry Brine a Turkey?

No, table salt is too fine for dry brining. The turkey will be too salty. Instead use Kosher Salt, which is a coarse salt.

Can You Stuff a Dry Brine Turkey?

Yes! Ignore any advice to the contrary. If you wet brine your turkey, it must be rinsed thoroughly so the stuffing will not be too salty. With dry brining, you still should do a quick rinse of the cavity. The risk of the stuffing being extra salty is less likely with a dry brined turkey.

How Long Do You Air Dry a Dry Brine Turkey?

The rule of thumb is to brine the turkey covered for 2 days and uncovered, to air dry, for 1 day. Make sure to allot enough time for 3 days of brining.

Should You Rinse a Dry Brined Turkey Before Roasting?

There is no need to rinse your brined turkey before roasting. The skin will be salty, but I’ve never found it overly salty. 

How Long Do You Roast a Dry Brine Turkey?

Just roast as you would a regular turkey. Make sure the thigh meat is up to 160 degrees (after you let the turkey rest, the temperature will rise to a safe 165+ degrees). There is no different cooking method for a dry brined turkey.

To make your dry brine turkey, you might like:

• TWO Large Brining Bags
• All-Clad Roasting Pan with Nonstick Rack (I used this for the water bath when making cheesecakes, too!)
• OXO Turkey Baster

Recipes for your dry brine Thanksgiving turkey leftovers plus more Thanksgiving recipes:

• 21 Easy Recipes for Turkey Leftovers from Foodie Crust
• Leftover Turkey Monte Cristo from Wishes and Dishes
• Turkey Nachos from The View from Great Island
• Crock Pot Stuffing from Valerie’s Kitchen
• Turkey Tetrazzini,
• Turkey Enchilada Casserole 
• Turkey Soup Recipe
• Ciabatta Stuffing Recipe
• Cranberry Fluff
• Spinach Souffle
• The Best Sweet Potato Casserole
• Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
• 25+ Thanksgiving Recipes

Shopping List for Your Turkey Brine Recipe:

PRO-Tip: DO NOT use a turkey that’s already brined, like a Butterball.

• Turkey, not brined (Butterball and other turkeys are already brined. Double brining will make a very salty turkey!)
• Kosher salt
• Dry herbs like rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, I used about 1+ teaspoon of dried herbs. If you use fresh, use 1 tablespoon.
• Butter

Continue to Content

Print

Dry-Brined Turkey

This winning recipe from the L.A. Times will make for a juicy and crisp turkey without the mess of traditional brining.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Yield 12

Ingredients

• 16 pound turkey, defrosted, giblets removed (just adjust salt if using a different weight turkey)
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt (1 tablespoon for each 5 pounds of turkey)
• Herbs, optional (I used rosemary, thyme and bay leaves)
• 6 tablespoons melted butter, to baste

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry turkey. In a food processor, process salt plus about a tablespoon of any herbs you'd like to use (rosemary, thyme, bay).
2. Lightly salt the inside of the turkey, then sprinkle the breast side with a bit more than a tablespoon of the herbed salt, and each side with a bit less than a tablespoon of salt. Place the turkey in an oven bag and remove the air before closing it with a twist tie. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
3. Refrigerate for 3 days, starting breast side up, rubbing the skin through the bag once a day. Flip on day 3, then remove from bag to let skin dry 8 hours before roasting.
4. Let sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting. Place on rack in roasting pan.
5. Preheat oven to 425º, brush with melted butter and roast for 30 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 325º, cover top with foil if browning too fast and cook till turkey reaches desired temperature, basting as needed. May add some wine and chicken broth to bottom of roaster as needed.

Cook time varies depending on size of turkey.

Notes

Do not use a turkey that has already been brined or injected (like a Butterball) or your results will be too salty.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 423Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 196mgSodium: 722mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 58g

Data from the LA Times recipe