Dry Brined Turkey

The first time my husband and I tried a Dry-Brined Turkey instead of a wet-brined turkey, we were absolutely hooked – I can’t get enough of this perfectly moist turkey with crispy, crunchy skin. This method is a total game-changer and much easier than keeping the brine at the right temperature – it is going to change your Thanksgiving dinner prep forever!

I will never go back to wet turkey brine after trying this super-simple – and frankly much easier to store brine – no giant cooler and ice needed, just slide it back in the fridge!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Dry Brine a Turkey

Dry brining turkey is the easiest way to prep a turkey before a big meal – since there is no worrying about keeping a turkey at temperature in a cooler or having to keep it on ice and worrying it will be too warm. You simply wrap it in plastic wrap after seasoning with salt and pop it right back in the fridge!

This turkey isn’t just easy to prep, it is flavorful, and the meat doesn’t get weirdly watery or have a funny texture – it stays moist, and full of rich meaty flavor.

This turkey is juicy, with the most amazing crispy, crunchy skin – and you can use any method you wish to roast it after dry brining – even deep frying! I personally love using the Brown Bag Turkey method, or smoking turkey.

I hope you love this method for dry-brining a turkey as much as I do!

Dry Turkey Brine Recipe Ingredients

To dry-brine a turkey, you will need:

• Kosher salt – kosher salt works through reverse osmosis to first pull the turkey’s natural juices out of the meat and mix with herbs and pepper, then helps them soak back into the turkey, resulting in an evenly seasoned turkey that stays tender, moist, and delicious – without liquid brine that can give turkey an odd texture and flavor.
• Pepper – black pepper brings a subtle, balanced spice to dishes without overpowering lighter meats like poultry and brings a bit of dimension, a hint of smoky flavor, and helps turkey taste less bland.
• Herbs – this is where you get to be creative! You can use a simple Italian herbs seasoning blend for a classic flavor, or use any kind of herbs or seasonings you’d like. For turkey with a bit of a citrus kick, you can use herb mixes with lemon or orange peel in them – you can use garlic power, ginger, cumin, oregano, thyme, basil, za’atar, blackening spices, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, turmeric – the sky is the limit!

Steps to Dry Brine a Turkey

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:

Prep

In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, and herbs well.

Season

Cover bird in salt, pepper, and herb mixture – get salt all over turkey, under skin, and in cavity. Season all over bird.

Refrigerate

Wrap turkey in plastic wrap or place in large plastic bag.

Roast

Use any recipe you’d prefer to roast turkey after dry brining – we’re partial to our Smoked Turkey or Brown Paper Bag Turkey!

Tips and Tricks For Perfect Dry-Brined Turkey

Don’t use a kosher or pre-brined turkey. These will already have been salted, so if you brine them, you will be making a quite salty turkey!

How does dry brining work? Dry brining works through reverse osmosis – the salt sinks through the meat, allowing the salt to first draw out the turkey’s natural juices, then reabsorb them into the turkey, for a naturally flavorful bird without adding liquid that will change the texture of your turkey.

Any type of turkey works. This method works with turkey breast, turkey legs or cut-up turkeys – like our spatchcocked turkey.

Find the right amount of salt and herbs you need. For every five pounds of turkey, you need one tablespoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs (or 1 tablespoon of fresh diced herbs), plus 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. You can use this calculation to make turkey breast, drumsticks, or wings – or even to dry brine whole roasted chicken and cornish game hens!

Dry Brine Timing: Start the dry brine at least 24 hours before roasting; 48–72 hours is even better for maximum flavor and juiciness.

Pat Dry First: Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels before applying the brine so the salt adheres evenly.

Refrigerate on a Rack: Place the turkey on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet so air can circulate as it rests.

Do Not Rinse Brine: Do not rinse the turkey after dry brining. Wiping it lightly with a paper towel before cooking is enough to remove excess salt.

Bring to Room Temperature: Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting so it cooks evenly, no matter what method you use.

Does Dry Brine Affect Cooking Time for Turkey?

We’ve found dry brining does result in just a bit faster cooking. Dry brining turkey can reduce cook time by 1/4 to 1/3 – so be sure to monitor the temperature of your turkey as you cook, no matter how you are preparing it!

Dry-Brined Turkey FAQs

Let your turkey dry-brine in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 1-3 days.

You can cook a dry-brined turkey any way you would prepare a brined turkey – frying, roasting, smoking – and with any flavor. Don’t brine again.

While you can technically dry brine a frozen turkey, the brine won’t fully absorb into the meat when frozen, so it is best to dry brine fully thawed turkey.

Turkey should thaw 24 hours for every 5 pounds of meat.

You can keep a dry brined turkey in a cooler like you would a brined turkey – but as you aren’t keeping this turkey in liquid, it requires a lot less space, and is best kept in the refrigerator so that you can keep the temperature even and don’t have to worry about refilling ice and checking the cooler temperature like regular brining.

Using a coarse salt is important to this recipe – if using a fine, iodized salt, you need to reduce the salt you are using by half, or your turkey will be very salty.

What to Serve With Dry-Brined Turkey

If you’re looking for delicious, hearty, family-pleasing Thanksgiving side dishes to make this year, we have you covered.

We love creative takes on Thanksgiving classics like our Cheeseburger Stuffing, Easy Grilled Carrots, and Roasted Parmesan Green Beans – or a tangy, lightly sweet Cranberry Pecan Salad, Baked Scalloped Corn with crunchy cornflakes, or our irresistible Yeast Rolls.

And be sure to save our Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini and Leftover Turkey Pot Pie for leftovers!

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You can find our entire Thanksgiving Recipe Index.

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