Easy Turkey Brine Recipe (dry Brine Or Wet Brine Directions) (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to dry brine or wet brine a turkey? ›

Both ways produce a flavorful and moist turkey but have other important considerations that may impact your choice. Wet brines infuse flavor and moisture more quickly than dry brines; however, a larger vessel for the brining process will be needed as well as enough refrigerator space.

Do I Rinse Dry Brine Off of a Turkey? No, dry brine does not need to be rinsed off of the turkey. It's another reason this dry-brined turkey recipe is easy! The salt you use for the brine will also flavor the turkey as it cooks.

You can brine the turkey a few days ahead of time, inject it or season it. If you are looking for a brine recipe, be sure to check out my cranberry brine recipe. Another option for a brine is a dry brine. A dry brine is perfect for deep frying because no additional liquid is introduced.

Dry brining works best for fattier and more robust cuts such as beef, pork, and lamb. This would also include wild game such as deer, elk, etc. The caveat might be poultry with skin since these are bad about ending up rubbery when cooking at low and slow temperatures.. the extra water just doesn't help that situation.

But wet brining uses more salt and takes up more space than dry brining. Dry brining is generally best for tougher meats and larger roasts that take longer to cook. Dry brining is easier and uses less salt. Dry brines are also best for skin-on poultry to help crisp the skin.

Transfer the turkey to a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours. Without rinsing, roast, omitting any additional salting steps called for in those recipes. Dry-brining for more than 24 hours will produce even juicier and better-seasoned meat.

With a dry brine for turkey, you can't really overdo it, but you'll probably want to max out the salt-covered rest at three full days before moving your bird to a preheated oven.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

It's better to cook a turkey at 350°F after preheating the oven to 450°F. This makes the skin crispier and ensures the turkey will get cooked evenly.

Is dry brining a turkey a good idea? ›

If so, wet brine or dry brine? Our opinion: You should always dry brine your roast turkey. Learning how to brine a turkey is the key to making sure your bird is super flavorful and moist.

Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.

As mentioned earlier, dry-brined meats and fish taste more of themselves than they do when wet-brined because they aren't holding onto extra water weight, which dilutes flavor.

Just remember to omit salt from the seasonings you are using after you pre-salt or dry brine. If you choose to add seasoning when you dry brine, start with the salt on your food. Then you can add the other flavors on top.

So, what is dry brining? Simply put, it involves salting and then resting food before cooking it. Dry brining uses the food's own moisture to form the brine that then soaks back in. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry brining also helps us achieve better browning and crispy skin.

A dry brine is an herb and salt rub applied directly to the turkey. This creates satiny leg meat and juicy, perfectly seasoned breast meat. Air-drying the turkey on the last day of the 4-day process will make the skin crisp when roasted.

Benefits of Dry Brining

Improves tenderness - The salt breaks down some muscle fibers and connective tissue to make the meat more tender. Maintains juiciness - The salty brine retained in the meat keeps it succulent when cooking by raising the temperature at which proteins contract to squeeze out moisture.

This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. If needed, prepare more brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup salt per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey. Cover and refrigerate.