Dry Brined Turkey is my favourite approach to put together a Thanksgiving turkey! Uninterested in the mess of brining your vacation chicken? Do this dry brine turkey recipe for scrumptious, moist outcomes!
That is my go-to Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe. Really easy and the Finest Turkey Recipe I’ve made in 30 years!!


Why You Should Make
- It’s a lot simpler and fewer messy than soaking a turkey in a single day in a brine answer!
- You massage the turkey with a salt and herb mix and let it relaxation within the fridge for 3 days.
- The salt infuses into the turkey meat flavoring it completely!!
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey – It shouldn’t already be brined (Butterball and different turkeys are already brined. Double brining will make a really salty turkey! Verify the label.)
- Kosher Salt – Desk salt is simply too high quality.
- Dry Herbs – rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, sage. use about 1+ teaspoon of dried herbs. When you use recent, use 1 tablespoon.
- Butter – I exploit salted for basting, however unsalted works, too.


Professional Ideas
I didn’t notice the meat market was closed on Monday final 12 months, so I didn’t get the total 3 days of dry brining, however the turkey was nonetheless a showstopper. This 12 months, I’m higher ready. Crispy pores and skin and moist, evenly salted meat. I really roasted a 22-pound chicken and half was eaten by the top of the day. It’s superb what two twenty-something sons can pack away. PRO-Tip: Purchase your turkey early sufficient in order that it’s thawed and able to brine on the Monday earlier than Thanksgiving.
- The method is a bit of cake in comparison with filling an enormous bag with a brine of water, salt, sugar, and spices, lifting a slippery turkey into its tub, and inserting it in a cooler. Then in the event you occur to have a paranoid husband who is bound that raccoons will break into our cooler set on the patio in a single day, additionally, you will must rig it so it’s critter-proof.
- PRO- Tip: The principle level is to permit sufficient time for osmosis to happen. Your turkey ought to be defrosted 3 days previous to roasting.
- Use kosher salt and decide your favourite herbs for turkey. Sage, rosemary, bay, poultry seasoning, and thyme come to thoughts. You’ll be able to simply use 2 or 3.
- Whiz them collectively in a meals processor so that they’re nicely interspersed with the salt.
- Generously cowl your dried turkey (pat the pores and skin dry with paper towels) with the salt combination and place in a big food-safe plastic bag.
- Rub the turkey down every day, and flip on the third day.
- PRO-Tip: Ensure you wash your arms often when coping with uncooked turkey. Poultry is thought for harboring micro organism like salmonella.
- Deliver the turkey to room temperature for about an hour earlier than roasting. Baste with butter, then roast till the interior temperature reads 165 levels each within the breast and interior thigh.
I’m exhausted simply pondering of our earlier exploits. When you haven’t heard of utilizing a dry brine to your Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe, I feel you’ll be delighted with the outcomes in the event you give it a shot.
P.S. I’ve a scrumptious Vacation Honey Brined Turkey Recipe in the event you’d wish to experiment with moist brining.


Recipes for Turkey Leftovers:
Regularly Requested Questions
I used a moist brine for years, and the mess and problem have been price it till I discovered this simpler, tastier various. Dry Brining a turkey could take longer, however it’s virtually all hands-off time and the outcomes are scrumptious.
No, desk salt is simply too high quality for dry brining. The turkey will likely be too salty. As a substitute use Kosher Salt, which is a rough salt.
First, you want a turkey. Don’t purchase a flavor-injected model like a Butterball as it’s already brined. Additionally, have available some kosher salt, a number of dry herbs like sage, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Plus, you’ll want a turkey brining bag.
The rule of thumb is to brine the turkey coated for two days and uncovered, to air dry, for 1 day. Be certain to permit sufficient time for 3 days of brining.
Sure! Ignore any recommendation on the contrary. When you moist brine your turkey, it should be rinsed totally so the stuffing won’t be too salty. With dry brining, you continue to ought to do a fast rinse of the cavity. The chance of the stuffing being further salty is much less seemingly with a dry-brained turkey.
There is no such thing as a must rinse your brined turkey earlier than roasting. The pores and skin will likely be salty, however I’ve by no means discovered it overly salty. And in the event you rinse your turkey, the pores and skin won’t crisp to perfection. Additionally, rinsing poultry all the time will increase the danger of contaminating your sink and counters with salmonella or different micro organism which might be discovered on uncooked poultry.
Place your unrinsed turkey on a rack in a big roasting pan. Roast as you’d another turkey, basting with butter or butter and wine as wanted. Roast till your turkey reaches the FDA’s really helpful temperature for doneness.
Your greatest wager is to make use of a meat thermometer. The readings ought to be: 180°F within the thigh, 170 °F within the breast, and 165 °F within the stuffing, in response to Butterball. Be certain the thermometer is inserted deep into the meat with out touching the thigh or breast bone.
You too can take a look at the turkey juices, however this technique will not be as correct. When slicing into the turkey, the juices will likely be clear when totally cooked. If the juices are reddish pink, it’s not carried out.
As a suggestion, take a look at the packaging of your turkey (or on-line) for the really helpful cooking time for the burden of your turkey. It’s going to differ relying on whether or not it’s stuffed or not. Begin checking your turkey a few half-hour earlier than the time is up so that you don’t overcook your chicken.
Masking your roasted turkey with foil and letting it relaxation for half-hour after it’s carried out permits the interior juices to reabsorb holding the turkey meat juicy.
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Components
- 16 pound turkey, defrosted, giblets eliminated (simply modify salt if utilizing a unique weight turkey)
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (1 tablespoon for every 5 kilos of turkey)
- Herbs, elective (I used rosemary, thyme and bay leaves)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter, to baste
Directions
Notes
Don’t use a turkey that has already been brined or injected (like a Butterball) or your outcomes will likely be too salty.
Really useful Merchandise
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Diet Data:
Yield:
12
Serving Dimension:
1
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 423Complete Fats: 20gSaturated Fats: 6gTrans Fats: 1gUnsaturated Fats: 31gLdl cholesterol: 196mgSodium: 722mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 58g
Information from the LA Instances recipe
