I’ve tried and tested numerous roast turkey recipes over the years, and this dry brine turkey roasting technique produces the juiciest, best tasting turkey ever. It’s also the easiest recipe I’ve ever used!
I’ve made roast turkey somewhere between 12-15 times in my life. I know that might not qualify me as a turkey roasting expert, but I am definitely an expert in turkey experimentation. I used to try different recipes and techniques every single time Thanksgiving rolled around, always searching for that one “holy grail” recipe that would have everyone oohing and aahing and exclaiming over my turkey roasting prowess.
I’ve basted. I’ve injected. I’ve stuffed. I’ve rubbed. I’ve marinated. I’ve massaged. I’ve brined. None of the turkeys I made were ever bad, but they were also never great. I basically gave up thinking that roast turkey could ever be anything other than a fairly bland, slightly dry, obligatory holiday meat that only truly tasted good when doused in salt, pepper and gravy, and scooped up alongside a heaping forkful of mashed potatoes.
Two years ago, however, I finally found my holy grail: THE DRY BRINE! And what shocked me more than the deliciousness of the dry-brined turkey was that it was also the easiest roast turkey recipe I’d ever tried. A dry brine requires nothing more than a roasting pan, some kosher salt, and possibly an herb.
I wish someone had told me about this technique back when I was wrestling a slippery, raw 20 lb turkey into a tub of liquid, or hovering next to the oven for five straight hours with a basting brush in my hand. But I likely wouldn’t have believed them until I tasted it for myself. You might not believe me either, but you should!
Most brines we think of are wet brines, which involve immersing the turkey into a giant vat of liquid that contains sugar, salt and other ingredients (cue the aforementioned turkey wrestling). Dry-brining simply involves coating the turkey in a few tablespoons of kosher salt and letting it sit in the refrigerator for up to two days. Don’t let the simplicity fool you, though — it results in the juiciest, most flavorful turkey I’ve made in 15 years of making turkeys.
The idea of a dry brine seems counterintuitive since salt is typically associated with drying foods out, not making them juicier. But there’s a scientific explanation about how and why dry-brining works. In layman’s terms, the salt draws moisture from the meat into the skin and then through osmosis (literally), the salty moisture reworks itself back into the turkey, ensuring that the meat is seasoned all the way through. (There are way more technical descriptions of how it works if you want to look them up, but I care less about how it works and more about the fact that it does!)
How to dry brine a turkey:
What you’ll need:
- A turkey
- Kosher salt
- A roasting pan & rack
- Possibly an herb or two
- Possibly some butter
Figure out your thawing/brining timeline:
Ideally your turkey should be thawed before you apply the brine. If you’ve bought a frozen turkey, it will need to thaw in the fridge for a few days (allow 1 day per 4 lbs); and after you apply the salt you’ll want to let it brine for at least 1 hour per pound, but it can go as long as 2-3 days. The nice thing about dry-brining is that even if your turkey isn’t fully thawed when it’s time to brine it, you can brine it anyway!
To give you an example of my timeline, I bought an 11 lb frozen turkey on a Thursday morning, put it in the fridge to thaw, applied the brine on Sunday morning, and cooked it on Monday afternoon.
Apply the brine:
Measure out approximately 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per every 4 pounds of turkey (I used a little less than 3 tbsp for my 11 lb turkey). FYI: I used the Diamond Crystal brand of kosher salt, but according to this article, if you’re using Morton kosher salt you might want to use a little less.
It’s not essential to use herbs, but if you’d like to add some (I used rosemary), finely chop about 1 ½ teaspoons of your herb of choice and add it to the salt mixture.
Start by sprinkling a little of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey, and then distribute the remaining salt over all surfaces of the turkey, concentrating slightly more on the meatiest parts.
Place the brined turkey on a platter and place uncovered into the refrigerator. As I mentioned in the last step, you should aim to let it brine for at least 1 hour per pound of turkey, but you can leave it for up to 48 hours. I brined mine for about 24 hours.
Over time, the skin will start to look a little brownish and dried out, but that’s OK.
after brining for 24 hours
Cook the turkey:
There’s some debate amongst dry-briners as to whether the bird should be flipped during cooking. I chose to do it, but I honestly can’t say whether it made any difference or not in the end result. Here’s how I cooked my turkey:
Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Cook the turkey breast side down on a rack inside a roasting pan at 425° for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes is up, flip the turkey over (use oven mitts to do this) so that it’s breast side up, and reduce the oven temp to 325°. Cook for 2 ½ more hours, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165° when poked into the thickest part of the meat. Depending on the size of your turkey, you may need to cook it a little longer.
If you’d like, you can baste the turkey with a little butter sometime during the cooking process, but it’s totally optional. I basted mine once with about 2 tbsp of butter, and that was it!
Some notes:
Dry-brined turkeys require less cooking time, so keep in mind that this turkey might be done sooner than other similarly-sized turkeys you’ve cooked in the past. That said, one of the great things about dry-brining is that even if you overcook the turkey a little, it will still be juicy and tender.
Do not use the dry-brining technique with a stuffed turkey or the stuffing will get too salty. You also should not do this with a kosher turkey since it comes pre-salted.
Dry Brined Roast Turkey
Dry-brining is such simple technique, and it results in a moist, flavor-packed roast turkey.
Ingredients
- 1 12 lb turkey
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp diced rosemary or other herb optional
- melted butter optional
Instructions
- Remove giblets, and rinse & pat dry your turkey.
- Measure out approximately 1 tbsp kosher salt per 4 lbs of turkey and place in a small bowl.
- If using herbs, stir 1 1/2 tsp diced herbs into the salt.
- Sprinkle a little salt into the cavity of the turkey. Distribute the remaining salt over all surfaces of the turkey, concentrating a little more on the meatiest areas.
- Refrigerate turkey on an uncovered platter for at least 1 hour per pound, but up to 48 hours.
- An hour before you're ready to cook, remove turkey from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Preheat oven to 425.
- Place turkey breast side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 325. Flip turkey so the breast side faces up and return to oven.
- Cook for about 2 1/2 more hours or until internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 165.
- Let rest for about 30 minutes, carve, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Cooking time is based on an 11 lb turkey. It may need to cook longer if it's bigger. *Do not dry-brine a kosher or stuffed turkey. If using Morton's kosher salt, use a little bit less than recommended. (see full post for explanation)
This recipe is honestly the most fool-proof one I’ve ever tried, and the most delicious. If you try it, make sure to come back and tell me what you think!
If you’re going to be hosting Thanksgiving at your house this year, check out my tips for HOSTING A STRESS-FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER.
And you might also enjoy my two favorite holiday side dish recipes: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
and Chopped Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Arugula Salad.
Scott says
I admit, I was skeptical. But I did it for Christmas today. Unbelievable. Super juicy and delicious. I told everybody about this recipe. I will try it again and again. Thank you.
Carole A says
I used this turkey recipe for the first time this Thanksgiving and it turned out awesome! I made a 19 lb turkey, my biggest ever, and the thought of liquid brining was scaring me. I did make a few changes and thought I’d put it down here if there’s anyone like me who has questions but doesn’t like to ask.
1. I admit I did a mediocre job patting the turkey dry as there was still some ice in the cavity. I pulled out what ice I could and drained out the excess fluid.
2. I followed the kosher salt 1 tablespoon to every 4 lbs of turkey pretty much to a “T” but instead of fresh rosemary used dried italian seasoning. It came out to about maybe 2 teaspoons of italian seasoning.
3. I had my turkey in a disposable aluminum pan to apply the brine because I ended up putting it in an oven roasting bag to brine overnight in the fridge in my roasting pan (it brined for about 18 hours). I’ve always used a roasting bag to make my turkeys because of the clean up part afterwards. The turkey came out of the fridge an hour before the roasting started. I did not stuff the turkey.
4. Since I used a roasting bag I didn’t baste it once I started and it stayed breast up. I also set the temperature to 350° and left it at that temperature throughout the whole roasting process. Based on my turkey size it roasted for 3 hours & 45 minutes. The turkey rested for the 30 minutes before carving and boy was it super moist & flavorful!
5. I used the drippings to make a gravy and I’m not sure if having the roasting bag allowed for more drippings. I mixed 4 tablespoons of flour with about 1/2 cup of water until it was well incorporated and then whisked it into the drippings I put in a pot on the stove. I whisked continuously to take out any lumps until the gravy came up to a boil. The gravy wasn’t super thick but it was definitely tasty! It filled up a 1.5 quart mini crockpot.
Thanks so much for this recipe! Definitely a keeper!
Rosie says
Thanks for this recipe. My turkey came up very moist and everyone loved it. Thanks.
KJ Washburn says
First turkey here, need confirmation.. The turkey I was given says “Basted with approximately 9.5% of turkey broth, salt, sugar, & natural flavoring. This turkey is brined for your convenience. For additional brining, reduce salt in your recipe by half.” on the packaging. Does that mean this turkey shouldn’t be used For your dry-brining recipe, or is this normal? & if I can use your recipe (I really want to) should I reduce salt in half i.e. 1 tbsp kosher salt per 8 lbs of turkey? Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving!!
Alyssa says
It sounds like the turkey you have came pre-brined. Is it a kosher turkey? It’s hard to know what to do without knowing exactly how much salt was already added to the turkey. You could try doing a dry-brine with a small amount of salt, but I can’t say how it will turn out because I’ve never tried it with a pre-seasoned turkey before. Good luck!!
Trena says
This will be the first time cooking a turkey by myself. Anytime ive watched someone else make one they always use an injection for seasoning. I came across this dry brine method and just knew I had to give it a try. My only question is, can you still inject it with the marinade or will it be too salty?
Alyssa says
Hi Trena – If you’d like to add some aromatics, you can add some crushed herbs in with the salt. But any sort of extra marinade that includes salt would make it too salty. I’ve done the injection method before, and I didn’t find it to give nearly as much moisture/flavor as the dry brining alone.
Lindsey Robb says
If I dry brine a chicken, do you still leave it uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours first or does that time depend on the weight of the bird too? I make a lot of whole chickens in the crockpot because it’s easiest but I need another easy method. Any directions for a chicken would be so helpful. I’m also using this method on my turkey this week and I have another one in the freezer for later.
Alyssa says
Hi Lindsey – You can use the same method on a chicken. The 24 hour timing will still be fine – you’ll just need to adjust the amount of salt & cooking time to the weight of the chicken.
Rachael Harry says
Do you rub the salt mixture on the outside of the skin only or do you rub it in between the skin and the meat? Also do you do add any other seasonings after the bringing before you put it in the oven? I have seen some recipes that say to lift the skin and rub butter in between the skin and the meat so I’m just wondering if I should do that too or if anyone has done that?
Alyssa says
Hi Rachael – You just put the kosher salt right on top of the skin and inside the cavity. You can add some chopped herbs to the salt if you like (rosemary is a favorite of mine). I used to add butter under the skin when I did other methods, but I don’t think it’s necessary with the dry brine because it gets juicy/moist without the butter. 🙂
Kelsey says
This is my first time making a turkey! my husband and I are hosting a Friendsgiving Sunday! I just bought the frozen turkey yesterday. it is thawing now! I only have 21/2 days for it to thaw. Can I put the brine on tomorrow well it is partially thawed? should I just save this for next tie I attempt the turkey?
Alyssa says
Yes, you can start the brine before the turkey is fully thawed. I’ve done this before, and it turned out just fine!
Stacy says
I noticed it says not to use a Kosher turkey. What kind do you suggest buying?
Alyssa says
Hi Stacy – Any regular turkey will be just fine. Kosher turkeys are already treated with salt, so that’s why they don’t work for this method – they would get too salty.
Stacy says
Thank you!
Tina says
Hi! Does the skin get crispy with this method? Also, do you cook it on a rack in the roasting pan? I have always cooked my turkey in a roasting bag but it always turns out dry. I’m excited to try this!
Alyssa says
Hi Tina! Yes, the skin does get crispy, but not overly crispy. You can always cover it with a cheesecloth or a piece of foil if it starts to get too brown before the turkey is done. I do place a turkey on a rack inside a roasting pan. I really think you’ll love this method – I used to suffer from “dry turkey syndrome” too, before I discovered the dry brine.
Jo Ann Porter says
Hi Alyssa,
Just found your recipe that I plan to try this Thanksgiving. Your recipe says to use 1 Tbsp of salt per 4 lbs of turkey but in another post you wrote tsp. Can you please verify? Thanks so much!
Alyssa says
Hi Jo Ann – It’s 1 tbsp per 4 pounds. 🙂 So if you’re cooking a 12 lb turkey, you’d use 3 tbsp of salt. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Kris says
I read the article in the link for the salt (Diamond vs Morton’s, since I could only find Morton’s in my grocery store) and got so confused because I had had it in my head “4 tbsp per pound, 4 tbsp per pound” but the linked article said TSPs. After double checking both articles, sure enough the linked article states 1 TSP per 1 lb, whereas this article is 1 TBSP per 4 lbs. WHEW!
This is my first Thanksgiving turkey (doing it a little late since family was out of town). I am so excited to try this!
Amy Boswell says
I’ve been cooking the turkey for family gatherings for twenty years. Like you, I had tried so many different techniques. My turkey was always okay but not great. I saw your recipe and decided to try the dry brine on my 21 pound turkey. Omgoodness!!! This is by far the juiciest and most flavorful turkey that I’ve ever prepared!! It’s also soooo easy!!! My family loved it!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Alyssa says
Awesome, Amy!! I’m so glad y’all loved it. I think that people are hesitant to believe it will turn out so good because it’s such a simple technique, but it really does get juicy and flavorful. XO
Sylvia Reid says
Do you rinse the salt off the turkey after brining time is done before cooking it ??
Alyssa says
Nope! It will absorb into the skin/meat so there’s no need to rinse.
Jo says
We’re cooking our Turkey tomorrow (we do a small-ish meal on Thanksgiving & a massive feast when the whole family is together to watch the Iron Bowl)
I’m giving this dry brine a shot this year! It’s been in the fridge, covered in salt, since this afternoon.
My question is do I need to cover it with foil?!?! My in laws are already questioning me about it being uncovered in the fridge & said “but you are covering it when it’s in the oven RIGHT?!?!”
Alyssa says
Hi Jo! Nope, no need to cover it in the fridge or in the oven. The only exception would be if the top starts to get overly brown but the turkey still isn’t done cooking. You could cover it towards the end to prevent further browning. But I typically leave it uncovered the whole time.
Melanie says
I forgot to leave the turkey out for an hour before putting in oven!!!!!! Did I just mess up big time?
Alyssa says
It should still be fine…just might take a little longer to cook.
Kailey says
Hi there!
My poor college roommates and I are cooking with just a 7-8 lb turkey. I’m concerned the time in the oven would be too much. What would you recommend?
Alyssa says
Hey Kailey – I love that you and your roommates are cooking a turkey together! I’m guessing ballpark for that size would be about two to 2 1/2 hours total, but your best bet is to use a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, just try taking it out of the oven and cutting into it to see if the juices run clear. It’s not an ideal method, but it works!
Allison Holt says
Thanks so much for the recipe! I always brine with liquid and doing that with a 20lb. bird can be slippery – to say the least 🙂 My question is that with liquid brining I have always rinsed the bird well before cooking it. You do not mention doing that. Is it still necessary to rinse the salt off with dry brining?
Alyssa says
Hi Allison! Nope – I’ve never rinsed it with the dry-brine. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
Allison Holt says
Alyssa
Thanks so much for getting back! I’ll let you know how it turns out. After 40yrs of roasting turks, I love learning new (and easier – way easier) ways to save prep time.
Christina says
Any tips for a 28 lb bird?
Alyssa says
Get a big pan! 🙂 If you’re aiming for the 1 tbsp/4 lb ratio, you’ll use about 6-7 tbsp of kosher salt to cover the bird. Other than that, it’s just about figuring out the right cooking time. I always aim for more time than I think I’ll need. Turkey doesn’t need to be served super hot right out of the oven…it’s better when it rests. And the dry-brined turkey gets so moist that if you need to reheat it a little right before serving it’ll still be good. Better to start early than to be waiting forever for your turkey to be done.
Laurie says
Do I need to use a brining bag when I bake the turkey?
Alyssa says
Laurie, I’ve never used one!
Maegan Ames says
Can I make gravy out of the drippings from cooking a turkey this way? Or would it be too salty?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try on Thursday!
Alyssa says
Hi Maegan – My mom made a delicious gravy out of the drippings last year. If I recall there weren’t a ton of drippings to work with, but she made it work with some chicken broth and flour. I’d call her and ask her for more details, but she’s out of the country right now!!
Nickie says
Can you use this recipe when cooking in an electric roaster? Would the recipe need to be altered in any way?
Alyssa says
I’m afraid I don’t know anything about electric roasters, but I don’t think it should impact the brining process. It just might affect overall cook time & temp.
Janette says
I’ve never cooked a turkey in my life. This is my first time ever, and I’ve decided to use your recipe. I’m so scared that it will be salty! I have friends coming over and I don’t want it to be a huge fail! Words of encouragement, please! ?
Alyssa says
Hi Janette – Phew, no pressure! 🙂 Just kidding. This really is a pretty fool-proof technique, so it’s perfect to use on your first turkey! It shouldn’t be overly salty if you’re using the right salt/lb ratio, and remember that if you’re using Morton Kosher instead of Diamond Crystal use a little bit less. It won’t come out super salty…just the right amount of flavor and moisture. And if you don’t already have one, I recommend getting a meat thermometer. It really helps with figuring out exactly when the turkey is done. I’m also a big fan of Alton Brown’s video tutorial on how to carve a turkey. With those things in your arsenal, you’ll be a turkey roasting pro! 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Crystal says
Will this dry brine work if we are drying our turkey?
Crystal says
Will this dry brine work if we are Frying our turkey?
Joanne says
What do you recommend of the amount of salt on a twenty pound turkey that I would use? I have family members that need to watch their salt in take due to high blood pressure. This is my first time trying dry brine turkey and I heard it gets salty. Help
Thank you
Alyssa says
Hi Joanne – The recommendation is 1 tsp per 4 lbs, so you’d be looking at about 5 tsp of kosher salt. You could probably use 4 if you’re worried about it being too salty, and it would still add nice moisture and flavor.
Grace Spivey says
I have a giant box of Morton canning & pickling salt. Can it be substituted for the Kosher salt?
Luisa says
Hi Alyssa,
Thanks so much for posting this dry brine recipe. We just finished Thanksgiving dinner and the turkey was a big hit and it was so easy to cook and this recipe doesn’t take hours and hours for your turkey. The turkey was so moist
Thanks again.
Alyssa says
That’s great, Luisa! At first I did a double-take at the date, and then I remembered it’s Canadian Thanksgiving today. 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the turkey!
Anna says
Hi Alyssa, can I use kosher sea salt for this recipe?
Alyssa says
Hi Anna, I’m not 100% sure if sea salt would have the same result as kosher. But if you don’t have access to kosher salt, I think it would probably still work ok with sea salt. Sorry I’m not more help! My gut says it would probably be fine to substitute but since I’ve only used kosher I just don’t know for sure.
Judy says
I’ve cooked dozens of turkeys, watched my Mother and her Mother cook turkeys all my life. Until a couple of yrs ago I never heard of brinning a turkey. Ever since this a couple of friends ask HOW I BRINNED MY BIRD I have been curious. I have read many recipes nut never been brave enough to try it. My concern is my broth, I like the broth for dumplings, dressings and my gravey. Therefor I have worried about some of the flavors taking over my side dishes. When I saw this technique my first thought was MAYBE ILL TRY THIS ONE, I’m a bit curios, you don’t wash off the salt, that concerned me about the possibility of it being to salty. It seems all the recipes I see are cooked uncovered, I have always used a roasting bag or roasting pan, so not to dry out my turkey and to gain all the broth possible. Now I’m back to being puzzled.
Alyssa says
Hi Judy! Nope, you don’t wash off the salt. It absorbs into the skin. The skin will look a little dry after it’s been sitting in the fridge a while, but the meat really gets flavorful and juicy. Some people do say you can cook it in a bag. If you google “dry-brined” turkey you’ll see some slightly different variations. But I’ve made it twice without covering it at all, and it comes out great! I just use a rack inside a roasting pan. As for the juices, a dry-brined turkey does have less pan drippings than a regular turkey, and the drippings will be saltier than normal. But as long as you keep that in mind, you can still use the drippings in your other recipes – just don’t add extra salt. My mom made a fantastic gravy out of the drippings from the dry-brined turkey I made. Whichever method you use, I hope your Thanksgiving is great!
Charlee @ Humble in a Heartbeat says
I have actually never made a turkey. Lots of chickens, but never turkey. I only discovered brining chicken this year (well, I’d heard about it a lot before but never tried it) and I can’t go back. I think I am going to try dry-brining my chicken next time and see how it turns out. If I ever have to make a turkey, I’ll be sure to turn to this recipe as well!
Alyssa says
Yes – it works great on chicken, too! And it’s a good way to test out the method. I always found turkey intimidating to cook, but it’s basically just like a big chicken.
Susan Deaven says
It was delicious and I thought the rosemary added extra flavor that wasn’t overpowering. Dad and I will be dry brining our Thanksgiving turkey this year!
Linda Riley says
I will try this recipe as my turkeys have been okay, but not great and I’m always disappointed. I’ll let you know when I make it, probably not until Christmas. Thanks
Alyssa says
You should definitely try it! I tried so many different techniques that claimed to be “the best,” and this is the only turkey I’ve ever really liked.