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 .
Linda
Thank you for the recipe. Our turkey was great and we will definitely use this brine next year. Flipping the turkey was a bit of a challenge but not as much as we feared. I was glad you told me to check our 25 lb. turkey at 41/2 hours because it took just over 5 hours. We had to let it rest for longer than I hoped but it was still juicy and delicious.
Our dinner was a success..thanks.
Mercy Luquetta-Cole
Dear Chef Dennis, I love your article!
I will have a 20-22 lbs turkey this year (size range is only for my supplier, I may end up getting a 20 or a 22 lbs!) . I always worry about how long will my brined turkey takes to cook? Based on one of the comments about a 24 lbs turkey I read here, it took just over 5 hour, will you say my 20-22 lbs should cook in just about 3-1/2 to 4 hours?
Should I brine my 20-22 for 3 or 4 days?
Also, I’ve roasted whole chicken in the past using ground fennel seed as part of the dry seasoning, we all enjoyed the flavor end result! Do you have any suggestions? like can I mix the fennel flavor with some herbs or something?
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Mercy
a lot has to do with individual ovens, I think to be on the safe side you plan for 4 1/2 hours but check the temp at 3 hours after the temperature reductions which would be 3 hours and 45 minutes. Make sure to use an insta read thermometer to check the temp and give turkey longer if needed.
As for brining 3 days is good but if you more time you can go four days. The sweet spot is 3 days. You can absolutely add fennel into the herbs, try an equal amount of the other seasonings, one tablespoon.
The brine seasonings is up to you, you can leave out or add seasonings to your tastes.
Let me know how it turns out
Dennis
Sue Tanner
We loved the dish! We are going to do this again but with chickens just to see how it comes out and we want to have it again. My husband’s work gave us a turkey this year, but we didn’t get until the 20th. He chose an almost 17 pounder and of course it was frozen, so had to make adjustments but I followed your recipe to the letter. I chose to skip the covered part and just went straight to uncovered and cooked it Christmas morning. Delicious! Thanks so much! Sue
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe Sue and thank you for the great review!
Gail Portis
Good Morning Chef
Question: I am just going to clean my
turkey … I have a dry run. Can I season it with the rub and leave overnight until I cook it. In other words how long can my turkey sit seasoned … do not want a too salty piece of meat
Merry Christmas Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
The dry brine can stay on for up to 3 days before roasting.
Treena
HI Chef Dennis,
Do i cooked my 21 pound turkey covered or uncovered? The receipe doesn’t specify. I don’t want a dry turkey. HELP!!
Chef Dennis Littley
You don’t need to cover the turkey unless it looks like its getting too dark. Otherwise roast it uncovered
John
Hi Chef Dennis, just been to fetch my turkey, planning to dry brine it this afternoon. Unfortunately, there’s been a delay and I won’t be able to pick it up until early tomorrow morning. It’s a 12 pound turkey, which we’re planning to serve around 3pm on Christmas Day.
Revised plan now is to get it early tomorrow morning (23rd), and get it dry-brined and wrapped by 8am. Then unwrap about 10pm on Christmas Eve and pop it back in the fridge until Christmas morning around 10am, then get it in the oven at 11:30am with the timings you gave me below (30 minutes plus 90 minutes). Then out and resting around 1:30pm to give me the oven back for the rest of the dishes.
I guess I’m getting 36 hours wrapped and 12 hours unwrapped. Just mindful of your advice below that if you don’t have 48 hours for the wrapped portion then it’s not doable, and wanted to check if you thought this would work with it being a slightly smaller bird?
Many thanks for your help, it’s really reassuring to have such great advice, especially as I’ve never done this before!
John
Chef Dennis Littley
hi John
That will for your turkey. A longer time is preferred but that still enough time to make the turkey flavorful and moist.
And I would check the internal temp of the turkey to make sure its reached 160- 165 in the dark meat.
Happy Christmas!
John
Great, thanks Chef Dennis, much appreciated!
Brian
Hi – any juices that come out while brining do you cook in or dump before cooking?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can dump those. Just make sure to add some water or chicken stock to the pan before you roast
Tina Heaney
Hello,
I want to cook my turkey in a rotisserie, if I put the veggies in the try under it can I make gravy from that? My thoughts was no since is is mostly fat?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use the fat to make a roux to thicken your gravy. There will be a lot of flavor in the fat.
Cassie
My turkey is 17lbs frozen, just put it in the fridge to thaw. It’s Thursday night, I don’t have enough time to dry brine for Christmas day do I?
Can I take the turkey out of the fridge for a few hours here and there to rush the thawing process?
Thank you
S
Hello,
Could you please tell me if your cooking time/temperatures are for convection ovens, or conventional ovens? Do you have a preference for this recipe? Also, do you have an opinion as to whether it is better to use the roast or bake option?
Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley
they are for conventional ovens, convection can reduce times by up to 25%. If you have the opportunity to use a roast option that would be preferable for the turkey, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t brown too much and it may reduce the cooking time down even more.
Linda
Hi do you have advice for cooking time for a large turkey..25lb. It is a large group. I am fearful of under cooking. I will definitely use your dry brine. Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley
That’s something you’re going to have to watch Linda. I would definitely start it early so you don’t have people waiting for dinner. 15 minutes per pound is the standard time for turkeys but you might find it cooking a little faster towards the end of the cooking time. Cooking time based on 15 per pound will be around 6 hours. I would start checking at 4.5 hours and I would definitely use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp of the meat. If you don’t have one its a small investment to make and they can be found in most grocery stores.
John
Hi Chef Dennis, thanks for the really informative article. Very much looking forward to trying it out. We’ll be having a 12 pound turkey, so based on your answers to previous comments I’m guessing I do about 30 minutes at 425 upside down, and then another 90 minutes at 325 and check it.
One thing I can’t quite work out is whether the vegetables are only if you don’t use a rack? Or do I still use them and put them on top of the rack?
Many thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi John
the vegetables are there as a dual purpose to lift the turkey up if you don’t have a rack and also to add some flavor to the drippings.
Don’t forget to cut down the amount of the brine by about a third since you have a smaller turkey. Your times are right for the process.
John
Great, thanks for the quick response!
Sharon
The best turkey I have ever made, my family enjoyed it so much some had a hard time leaving the table. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Happy Thanksgiving
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear your family enjoyed the turkey Sharon! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and the great review!
Andrea
Winner, winner turkey dinner! I followed your methods/tips again this year and WOW it was even better. Perhaps I’m better at it this year? Regardless I have talked up dry brining to those who love to cook. Did I mention how awesome the gravy also turned out? Hands down best ever. I was worried about choosing to do a breast only this year and my worry was pointless. The results were just as fabulous with less cooking time.
I appreciate the fact you respond to posts or inquiries. I learned more again this year. Thank you!
Dan
Chef D for the win. First time making turkey. Had 21 people depending on me. Came out great! Only problem is now I have to host next year.
Chef Dennis Littley
I love to hear that, thanks Dan!
Keanna
Started my brine Monday morning around 1 Am; just took the wrapper off to leave it uncovered till tomorrow morning. I am starting to panic that perhaps I over brined!!!