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 .
Genelle
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for sharing this delectable recipe! I’m roasting my 20 lb. turkey in a roaster using the precise temps in your recipe. Because it’s in a roaster and not the oven, do you recommend any changes to the recipe or keep it the same?
Thanks again and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Warm regards,
Genelle
Chef Dennis Littley
You’re welcome and Happy Thanksgiving!
I would just keep an eye on the temperature to make sure its not overcooked.
Tiffeny
So, Iโve been brining my turkey for a while now. Just wondering when I butter the upside down turkey before roasting, do I butter again once flipped? Or butter the breast side flip and butter the underside?
Chef Dennis Littley
you don’t have to brush it again with butter after you turn it.
Ann
I found your site looking for new ideas re:cooking a dry brined turkey. I put the rub on my turkey Sunday night (13lb) and plan to roast it in the morning in a roasting pan with a rack. I am interested in your idea of roasting upside down the first hour and flipping it, but am leary of turning a hot bird as I bave no special gloves and canโt imagine controlling it with utensils. Any tips? I also wonder about the high heat the first 45 min making the bird dry – is this just to get it started cooking faster? Also, I assume putting the breast side down on the rack will not damage the skin? And am I right to assume that if this makes the skin soft it will dry back out after I flip it again? Also, I did not cover my bird in the frig so I HOPE it is not too dried out. I didnโt cover it last year and got good results, but only brined it 2 days.
Chef Dennis Littley
flipping the turkey can be tricky and dangerous if you don’t have the right tools. It does really help how the turkey cooks but if you’re not comfortable I would not advise it. You can use kitchen towels to hold it with to turn it if you don’t have gloves. As you can see the skin on my turkey was not damaged but does have lines from the rack.
Gus
Hi Chef Dennis – Does the recipe call for an oven bag when cooking or no bag?
Chef Dennis Littley
there is no bag necessary for this recipe.
Justine
Thank you for the detailed recipe. I brined my 18 lb. turkey Wednesday morning to be roasted on Friday. I have a question about the settings I should use with my electric Wolf oven. Bake (most heat from bottom, light heat from top) or Roast (heats from bottom but most heat is from top)? There is also convection bake and convection roast, but Wolf doesn’t recommend convection if turkey has been brined. So I’m thinking that I will use Roast for the first 45 mins. while turkey is breast-side down. Then switch to bake when I rotate the turkey so the breast is always facing the least amount of heat. Does this make sense? I love my Wolf duel-fuel range, but there at too many options!
Chef Dennis Littley
Hi Justine
I’m not familiar with a Wolf Oven but from your description, it sounds like the best way to cook the turkey. As for convection, I’ve never been a big fan and it could make the turkey darker too quick, I would just use the oven without convection if you have enough time.
Lisa Sanderson
It seems you donโt truss the legs of the turkey. Is this what you recommend? Thanks, Lisa
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Lisa
I usually don’t truss the legs, but you can do it if you like.
Lisa Sanderson
I did not truss the legs; the dry brine provided an incredibly moist, delicious result on my 23+ lb bird! Took 4 hrs 45 mins to roast. Thx for the great recipe. Will definitely repeat this!
Chef Dennis Littley
you are very welcome Lisa, I’m happy to hear that your turkey turned out well! Now you have to try my Tiramisu recipe
Lisa Sanderson
It appears you do not truss the legs of the turkey. Is this what you recommend?
Judy
Hi…Just found your post…i have a fresh turkey…do I still gave time to brine for thanksgiving tomorrow?
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Judy
you really won’t get the effects of dry brining with the time you have left. That being said you can still do a rub for flavor and let it stay uncovered in your fridge so the skin gets crispy. Just follow my instructions for brining and also for cooking and although you won’t get all the benefits of brining you get some extra flavor and a moister turkey.
Cheryl
Hi chef! I’ve been dry salt brining my turkey for years. Yummy! I found out yesterday that 7 more adults are coming for thanksgiving dinner. I already have a 19 lb. turkey relaxing in its dry salt brine. So I panicked and bought a 7 lb. turkey breast without reading the label. I am hesitant to dry brine it because the label said salt added.i plan on cooking it tomorrow night. No room in my oven to do otherwise. Would just “massaging”the breast meat w/ herb infused soften butter do the trick? Or should I not bother? I plan to reheat it when I put my stuffing in the oven when the “big” turkey comes out to rest. Happy cooking to you!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Cheryl,
I think a herb infused butter is a great idea, with some basting, just keep a close eye on the temp so it’s not cooked any longer than necessary. I usually don’t brine any injected turkey products and time is running short, so a nice herb butter rub is the way to go.
I’m sure everything will be delicious. Happy Thanksgivng!
Bill Waldrop
Hello from Houston, Texas! Will this work if we want to deep fry the turkey, which we usually do? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’ve never deep fried a turkey but as long as its dry when you fry it, I would think it would work. You do need to dry brine the turkey for 2-3 days
Patty
Hi Chef Dennis,
I’m excited for my first turkey with my family and am trying your recipe (your welcome?). Kind of nervous. Do you butter/oil the turkey before you roast it?
Patty
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Patty
there is no need to oil the pan, just make sure to have something under the turkey so it doesn’t stick to the pan…. A rack is preferable but cut carrots onions and celery will work too. Follow my instructions for cooking and you’ll look like a superstar with your first turkey.
Todd Lentini
Hey Denmis,
New to dry brining but I’ve got one in right now. Now your recipe calls to put vegs in the bottom of the pan. My question is I have been traditionally roasting mine over the years with a quartered apple, orange and onion stuffed inside. I’m curious of your thoughts on this. Last year I wet brined for the first time, and roasted per my usual and marginal improvement. So I’m trying a dry brine this year.
Thanks,
Todd L.
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Todd
you can continue with your items for the inside of the turkey, it won’t affect the brining, it just adds some aromatics to the bird. Dry brining is a better alternative but you really need to give it enough time for the brine to work in.
Follow my roasting instructions and you should see much better results overall.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Vivian
Dear Chef. Your recipe looks awesome! How I wish I found it earlier to get a head start w the brining. But …
1) Do you recommend basting during cooking process?
2) Is it ok to cover breast meat w foil once it reaches 160 during cooking, until thigh meat reaches right temp?
3) Since I donโt have adequate time for this recipe, do you have any tips I could use to get to a juicier & crispier bird w just over 24-hr lead time?
Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving๐ฆ
Chef Dennis Littley
Basting never hurts, but you also don’t want to keep opening the oven to baste as this will affect how it cooks. So with that in mind I wouldn’t really bother unless you had to open the oven.
The only reason to cover the breast would be if it was getting to brown.
A dry brine isn’t going to be as effective with just 24 hours but its better than nothing. Leave it uncovered in the fridge for the 24 hours. This will help it be crisper. Also make sure to start it, breast side down for the first part of the cooking process, this will help keep the turkey moist.
Also remember to let it rest for 30 minutes so the juices stay in the turkey. Cutting it too soon will leave the juices all over the platter instead of in the turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Vivian
Will do. Thank you so much.
Best, Vivian
Cynthia
I heard that baking powder can be added to the brine mixture to help with browning/crisping the skin. Do you recommend this and how much should be used? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Cynthia
I have not heard that before and have not tried it, so I can’t recommend it. It’s not something I would test out at Thanksgiving.
Jennifer
Greetings! I love dry brining and your recipe looks wonderful. I have a hefty 22.5 pound bird almost done thawing. Do you think this method would turn out well if I roasted the turkey in an 18 quart roasting pan? Itโs a pretty close fit…
Chef Dennis Littley
that’s a call I really can’t make without seeing the pan and the bird. You don’t want to cramp the turkey into the pan, it doesn’t need a lot of room but there should be a little space all the way around the turkey so there’s room for air to circulate. You especially want a little room to turn the turkey over after starting it out breast side down. I might look for a large foil pan at the grocer.