If you want the most perfectly moist, flavorful, and juicy Thanksgiving Turkey, my dry brine turkey recipe is what you’re looking for. All you need to do is rub the turkey down with salt, seasonings, and fresh herbs. Then, place the turkey in the fridge and let the dry brine work its magic for the next 48 to 72 hours.
That’s all you need the prep you need to do, and you’re on your way to enjoying the best turkey you’ll ever eat!
When it comes to cooking a turkey, what you do before it goes into your oven makes all the difference in the world.
Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking a turkey. Because Iโm here to share my dry brining and roasting methods to make your holiday turkey the star of the holiday dinner
There are different thoughts on brining a turkey, with the choices being wet brine or dry brining. While both techniques will help you cook the most succulent turkey youโve ever had, the smartest, easiest way to achieve the best results every time is with a dry brine.
It doesnโt matter if this is your first Thanksgiving dinner, my dry-brine method will make you look like a seasoned veteran of Thanksgiving and turn out an impeccably juicy, flavorful bird.
If you’re looking for a non-traditional dessert for the holidays, my Tiramisu will be the perfect ending to your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to dry brine our turkey. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Citrus zest
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh Sage
Do I have to use specific herbs and spices to dry brine a turkey?
That’s a tricky question because if you want a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, the answer is yes.
But If you like specific flavorings and aren’t into traditional Thanksgiving flavors, then by all means, have fun substituting spices that you like.
Recipes should be used as guidelines, and in all honesty, the salt is the only ingredient you really need for dry brining; the rest are added for flavor.
Why Should I dry-brine my turkey?
When you’re dealing with a large piece of meat like a whole turkey, it’s easy to overcook it into a dry, flavorless disaster. Dry Brining gives the dry brine mixture time to penetrate into the meat.
Dry brining (dry rub) is a way to inject both flavor and moisture into a turkey, giving you a flavorful, moist, roasted turkey.
Rule #1 of Dry Brining
The larger the piece of meat, the more time is needed for the brine to be effective.
A dry brine, also called pre-salting, involves rubbing the salt, seasonings, and/or sugar directly onto the meat and skin and then letting the meat rest in the refrigerator for a period of time before cooking. During the process of dry brining, the salt draws out the juices through osmosis.
As the salt dissolves into the juices, it begins turning into a natural brine without any added liquid. This Natural brine is then reabsorbed into the meat and starts breaking down the tough muscle proteins. That is why this process needs up to 3 days to complete.
How to thaw a frozen turkey
The best way to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator in its original packaging. General defrosting times are 24 hours for every 4 pounds of Turkey.
If you have no choice and must thaw your turkey quickly, fill the kitchen sink with cold water and put the turkey in it, breast side down.
Make sure to completely submerge the turkey in water (in its original packaging) for the quick thaw method. Make sure to change the water every 30 minutes. This defrosting method will take 30 to 40 minutes per pound of turkey.
*When finished thawing the turkey, make sure to clean and disinfect the sink, spigots, and all surrounding surfaces.
*Don’t leave the turkey out to thaw on the countertop.
Chef Tips
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird. But most importantly, no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. *Buy your turkey early enough so that itโs thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey; you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, try and brine it for the full 72 hours.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 2 days is the minimum, and can go as long as four days if you’re working with a 20-pound plus bird. *Any length of time you can brine the turkey is better than not brining the bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Morton’s Kosher Salt for the best results. Diamond Kosher salt is a larger grain; if you use Diamond, increase the amount of salt by half. Don’t use table salt, it’s too fine and will make the turkey too salty.
- If you don’t have Kosher Salt, you can use Coarse Sea Salt or Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt because of the size of the coarse grains.
*The standard is one tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at one tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs. So if you’re turkey is smaller, adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
Does it Matter Where I Apply the Mixture?
It does make a difference where you apply the dry brine. Separating the skin from the meat so that some of the dry brine can be rubbed directly on top of the meat (below the skin) will give you the best results.
If you apply the brine directly on the skin, it will need more time to penetrate the skin and get to the meat. The breast will also get more of the dry brine than the rest of the turkey. The turkey breast has the largest amount of meat on a conventional turkey.
- After applying the dry brine, 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.
- Remove the plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated uncovered for the last 12 hours of brining. This will help crisp the turkey skin.
Can I use Dry Herbs?
Yes, you can, although I prefer fresh herbs. You can find them at most grocery stores in convenient little plastic containers. If fresh herbs are not available, by all means, use dry herbs. You can also add any other herbs or aromatics that you like.
Should I cook a Heritage Turkey Differently?
A heritage turkey is more elongated with drumsticks that are a good 1 to 2 inches longer than a modern bird, extending well beyond the tip of the breast.
Because of its more elongated shape, a heritage turkey cooks a little more quickly than a conventional turkey, so the biggest danger is overcooking. To make sure your Heritage Turkey is not overcooked, follow my recipe and change the cooking times.
Roast an unstuffed turkey at 425ยฐ for 20 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 325ยฐF until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 155ยฐF.
Cooking 15-20 minutes per pound for the total cooking time. That being said, I would start checking the internal temperature 2 hours after the second phase of the process using an Insta-read thermometer in the thigh.
Also, make sure to allow 1-ยฝ lb. per person compared to about one lb. for a conventional turkey. As an example, expect a 12-lb. heritage turkey to feed about eight people. Also, keep in mind that youโll have as much dark meat as light meat. A conventional turkey will have more white meat.
Chef Tips for Roasting
- Set your oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Let the turkey sit out of refrigeration for about 30 minutes so it can come to room temperature before roasting.
- Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting. **Do Not Rinse The Brine Off Turkey
- Start off roasting the turkey at 425ยฐF, and roast upside down for the first 45 minutes. At the end of that time, very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking.
- You’ll find that some ovens have cold spots. This is why it’s a good idea to rotate the turkey halfway through and baste for even cooking and browning. Keep some turkey or chicken stock handy in case your turkey doesn’t produce enough juice during the roasting process, and use that for basting if necessary.
- Always use an instant-read thermometer to ensure that your turkey has been cooked properly. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh without touching the bone registers. Your turkey will be done when the thermometer reaches 165ยฐF. It will continue to cook once you remove it from the oven, increasing by another 10 degrees.
- Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
I absolutely love my Meater Plus | Smart Meat Thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meats in the oven, on the grill, or in a smoker.
Do I have to start the turkey upside down?
No, you don’t. Safety should always come first and if you don’t think you can flip the turkey safely, skip that step. Still use the instruction for roasting starting at 425 degrees, then lowering to 325 degrees.
**If you do flip the turkey, take the pan out of the oven first. Don’t attempt this while the pan is in the oven.
You might also find heat-resistant gloves a good option. They’ll come in handy throughout the year.
Can I still Dry-Brine a Self-Basting or Kosher Turkey?
No, you can’t. That will make the turkey too salty! What you can do, is leave the salt out of the dry-brine ingredients and use the remainder of the seasonings as a dry rub. Feel free to add in your favorite spices.
Apply the dry rub for 24-36 hours and follow the roasting instructions.
My Turkey has been injected with a saline solution can I still use a dry brine?
While it’s not a good idea to add more salt to an injected turkey, you can still use the dry brine method. If your turkey is in the 15-pound range cut the Kosher Salt down to 1 Tablespoon. If your turkey is under 15 pounds reduce the salt accordingly. You can use the rest of the ingredients as stated in the recipe.
Why shouldn’t I stuff my turkey?
I know that the stuffing from inside the turkey is the best you’ll ever have. But it’s not a practice I recommend for two very important reasons.
The stuffing sucks a lot of the moisture (and flavor) out of the turkey. That’s why a stuffed turkey is often dry and overcooked. And the really bad news is, it puts us at risk for foodborne illness.
The longer it takes the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees gives bacteria more time to multiply. And that means that uncle Sal (salmonella) might be paying you and your guests an unexpected holiday visit, which will definitely put a damper on the festivities.
**Stuffed turkeys also take longer to cook.
If you have leftover turkey, try my Old Fashioned Turkey Croquettes.
If you’re looking for a new Chef Knife, check out Misen. I’ve been using their kitchen knives for years!
Recipe FAQs
Dry-brining, also referred to as salting, is the process of rubbing the meat down with salt. The natural moisture content of the meat creates a concentrated brine that isย naturally absorbed back into the meat before cooking.
Aย whole turkey needs two to three days of brining time. The dry-brining can be done days before Thanksgiving, giving you extra time on Turkey Day.
For the last 24 hours of the dry brine, leave the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator. This will dry out the skin, which in turn gives you incredibly crispy, golden-brown skin on the finished turkey.
Recipes to serve with turkey!
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
Ingredients
Dry Brine Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon coarse kosher salt I use Morton's Kosher Salt (coarse grain sea salt may be used)
- 1 tablespoon coarse grind black pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tablespoon sage finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tablespoon clementine peel finely zested any citrus may be used
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Roasting Turkey
- 1-2 carrots rough cut
- 1 onion rough cut
- 3-4 stalks celery rough cut
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 16-20 lb turkey fresh or frozen
- rough cut onion, carrot, sage, thyme and orange skin for inside the turkey (optional)
Instructions
Prep and Dry Brining
- 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. ย Then pat the turkey dry using paper towels, inside and out. ย 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). ย Then sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts, legs and wings
- Place the turkey breast-side up in aย roasting pan. ย 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. ย 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. ย
The Secret to Roasting
- Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting.**Do Not Rinse The Brine Off the Turkey
- Preheat the oven to 425ยบ.
- In the bottom of your roasting pan add roughly cut celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. ย Include the skin from the onion and carrots. ย Add 1 cup of chicken broth 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 allow the turkey to self baste the breast as the fat from the underside and dark meat flow into the breast.**If you don't feel comfortable turning the hot turkey, cook your turkey right side up for the entire process. The breast meat won't be quite as moist, but it's not a deal-breaker. Safety First!
- Brush the turkey with melted butter and roast upside down for the first 45 minutes. ย At the end of that time very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking. ( I used heat resistantย gloves) Brush again with melted butter if you like.Decrease oven temperature to 325ยบ. ย Cook the turkey until it reaches the temp of 165ยบ for the breast and 175ยบ for the thighs. ย The meat will rise an additional 10ยบ continuing to cook as it rests.*My 20-pound turkey only took an additional 3 hours to cook using this method. ย Make sure to check your turkey around the 2 ยฝ hour mark. ย ย
- Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before slicing. ย This will ensure that the juices stay in the turkey and don't all run out as you slice it. ย
Video
Notes
Dry Brining Turkey Tips
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) ย or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird.ย But most importantly no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. ย Buy your turkey early enough so that itโs thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey, you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, add an extra day to the process.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 3 Days really is the minimum, 4 is even better especially if you’re working with a 20 pound plus bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Kosher Salt for the best results. Salt that is too fine will make the bird too salty. Kosher salt, say it out loud, twice.
- The standard is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at 1 tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs.ย So if you’re turkey is smaller adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
- Add more water to roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.
- If you absolutely don’t have Kosher Salt and have to use Regular Salt decrease the amount of the salt by โ .
Irene Vastola
Hi Chef Dennis,
I am excited to try your recipe again this year and hope it comes out as great as last year. We had a few hiccups last year and I wrote to you a number of times but I still have a few questions, if you don’t mind. ( This is the third time I am writing as I was having computer connection problems and don’t know if any of my other tries went through.
In your directions, you recommend to remove the pop up thermometer. Won’t doing this leave a hole in the skin and promote the juices to leak as the bird roasts? You also say that you use Morton’s Kosher salt. I have read that Morton’s brand contains more sodium that Diamond Crystal, which I will be using. Does my ratio need to modified at all for a 22.85lb turkey?
I bought a fresh, never frozen free range young turkey, no hormones or antibiotics added, but the back of the packaging does indicate 4% sodium…am guessing to keep it fresh until Thanksgiving…will this present a problem brining? Will it be too salty? Or should I cut back on the salt? I also read somewhere where they recommend weighing and subtracting the neck and gizzards that are removed and adjusting the roasting time . Does this make sense?
Thanks for all of your help and direction. Have a blessed Thanksgiving! I will let you know how it all works out!
Lastly, after roasting the first 45 minutes @ 425 degrees, how long do I roast the 22.85 bird at 325 degrees?
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Irene
there should be no change necessary using Diamond Crystal. As for the hole in the skin, it should seal during cooking, but you can leave the pop up in if you like, just don’t use it to determine if the turkey is done, use an instant-read thermometer to check the thigh for doneness.
As for your time, you want to cook your turkey 15 per pound. A turkey of that weight should take between 5-6 hours to cook. I would start checking the temp at the 4 hour mark.
As for the 4% sodium, it’s not a deal-breaker but I would reduce the salt slightly, maybe 20%.
Hope this helps
Irene Vastola
Thanks, Chef Dennis! After removing the neck and gizzards, the turkey is about 22 lbs even. Its all brined and in the fridge!
I plan to make the stuffing on the side as you suggest…so after the first 45 minutes at 425 degrees, I just want to clarify…. it will still take how long at 325? Another 5 plus hours?( I thought it would could quicker after brining, especially when it is unstuffed..I was thinking 4 1/2 to 5 hours total….)
Thanks again!
Chef Dennis Littley
the 45 minutes was included in my time frame. It would take longer stuffed, I just got an email from someone who had that experience. It may take less time, that’s why I said to start checking it at 4 hours, or 3 hours after you flip and turn down the heat. I’m a little anal about overcooking so I check early.
Denise
Hi Dennis looking forward to trying your dry brine recipe this year. I always get a large turkey (28 pounds) I like to cut the pieces up before roasting g as it cuts the cooking time significantly. My question is do I still dry brine it for the 3 days? Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
it will still help to brine for 3 days, but 2 days will be enough.
Kevin
Hi Chef
Do you tent the bird with foil at any point in the cooking process? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
Only if it starts to look like the skin is getting too brown. Otherwise, you shouldn’t need to
Sherry
Have done wet brines in the past, and liked the flavor, I was thinking about slow roasting my Turkey (12 hrs, 200 degree oven 20 lb. Bird) in addition to the dry brine. And doing the bird flip as you mentioned. Any concerns?
Chef Dennis Littley
I have not cooked a turkey that way and if you’re familiar with the process I would say go ahead. If you’ve not done it before, I wouldn’t try it on Thanksgiving. I would also be concerned with the food safety aspect, cooking poultry at low heat could cause potential problems. You would definitely need to start with the high heat method and flipping wouldn’t really serve any purpose if you’re going to leave it in the oven for that long.
Melissa
Also, will using just butter at the end give the turkey enough flavor or can I mix more herbs with the butter???
Chef Dennis Littley
there will be plenty of flavor from the herbs in the brine, but feel free to add some to the butter.
Tracy
I’m excited to try the dry brining method this year. I’ve done various wet brines in the past but its such a nightmare trying to find space for that much liquid in my fridge since I usually make 20+ lb birds. This year I’ve seen several recipes using compound butter & placing under the skin of the breast& some rubbing over the skin before roasting.Would you recommend this with the dry brining? I wonder, too, how it will affect the drippings – I usually use them to make my gravy & worry about the citrus and/or the gravy being too salty. Any advice you can give will be appreciated!
Chef Dennis Littley
you can mix a little unsalted butter into some of the brine and use this under the skin. I don’t think it needs it if you use my cooking method but its entirely up to you. The stock will be a little saltier than it would be if you didn’t brine, but by stretching the gravy with some water or low salt chicken stock, it generally evens out. It won’t have a citrus flavor, you’re not adding enough to affect the stronger turkey flavors.
Tracy
Thanka you!
Ricky and Jennifer
We have followed this recipe from Chef Dennis the past two years and the bird has been a huge hit ! Highly recommend!
Keanna
This looks great. I have a recipe for a rub. Can I add those ingredients to the brine here? For example can I add garlic, onion powder and cayenne ( the only missing items
From the rub that are not part of your brine).
Chef Dennis Littley
you can add any other spices you like to the brine.
Keanna
Thank you!!!
Justine
This is the definitive guide to preparing a Thanksgiving Turkey. Your guests will rave over the juiciness and flavor of your turkey. They will want the recipe, and they will want to come to your house every year. At least one person will tell you that you need to plan more time for cooking the turkey. Ignore them. Follow this recipe exactly and you will have the best turkey youโve ever tasted. Iโm so excited to use this recipe for a third year this Thanksgiving!
Mary
Hosted Thanksgiving for over 30 years, never had the space to try brining. Found this method last year, sounded easy and you could prep the bird in advance – why not! Followed the instructions to the letter. Everyone agreed it was the Best turkey Ever, myself included, and I really liked having it ready for oven Day Of. This is my method from here on out. Thanks, & Happy Thanksgiving!
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for leaving such a nice comment Mary, Happy Thanksgiving!
Tammy
Hi Chef,
How far in advance do you dry brine a turkey breast or thigh?
Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
I would do 48 hours.
Dan Fusco
Hi Chef Dennis, I absolutely love your dry brine, but I lightly stuff ( family tradition) my 24 lb bird. My solution to drying out is my mother-in-laws method of laying strips of bacon over the breast to kind of self baste the bird, seems to work well with or method! What are your thoughts? Cant wait to try your Tiramisu, Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving
Justin l
Great recipe. I want really crispy skin so Iโm going to dry brine for 3 dayS. But If you roast for 45 minutes upside down first, wouldnโt that add juices to the skin making it less crispy? Also after flipping over right side up, do you baste? Or no baste?
Chef Dennis Littley
the skin still comes out pretty crispy. The key is leaving it unwrapped in the fridge for one day. You can baste it once you turn if you like, it would help keep it moist and if you baste with butter that should help the skin get crisp.
Justin l
great thank you. I was thinking of injecting with beer and butter also. I know I know probably overkill. But Iโll omit the salt from the injection and maybe just inject half the bird to taste the difference. Anyway I really like your method Iโm going to use it as my Turkey bible for the next few days!
Melissa
since you didnโt mention the type of butter you used, is it ok to use ghee? If so, should I add salt to it or leave it as is?
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes, it is. I use unsalted butter for all my cooking.
Susan
Good eveningChef Dennis…I have a couple of questions. I have a new induction stove with both a regular and induction oven, which Iโve never used. I ordered a 14-16 lb turkey, plus a 3-5lb breast and 2 extra drumsticks. I plan on using a dry brine on the whole turkey and other pieces but not sure of the timing to ensure everything finishes at the same time. Any recommendations would be most appreciated. This is my first time using a dry brine and Iโm a little nervous and not sure if I should use the convection or regular oven and for how long? Thanks in advance for your suggestions and guidance.
Chef Dennis Littley
The pieces will cook faster than the whole turkey. The breast and legs should take from one hour to an hour and a half to cook, so you could add them at that point in the roasting process. I would use a meat thermometer to check the temp, you want an internal temp of 165 on the pieces.
You can use the convection feature on your oven if time is a problem but with the smaller size of the bird, you may not need to. If you use convection it can reduce the cooking times by 30% so keep an eye on the internal temp of the bird and pieces.
James N.
Hi Chef Dennis,
I have become a huge fan of dry brining over the last few years and it definitely yields the best results.
However I always stuff my turkey, as my mother and grandmother did before me, just because of the amazing taste that is imparts to the stuffing.
While following your recipe last year, I performed your unique step of roasting the turkey face down for 45 minutes, prior to stuffing it, as the stuffing would just fall out. Unfortunately the result was that the neck flap and fat band that holds the legs, completely receded and crisped up. This made it impossible to stuff and put it back in the oven for the low heat cooking phase.
Any suggestion how to keep the neck flap from wasting away, short of just doing the stuffed turkey on its back like most recipes?
Chef Dennis Littley
If you want to stuff it, James, I would just follow the rest of the recipe, but cook it right side up for the whole time. I would baste it every hour to keep it moist.