Dry Brine Turkey

Why You’ll Love This Dry Brine Turkey Recipe

• Simple. All you need for this easy brine technique is a few dried herbs, kosher salt, and a thawed turkey.
• Little clean-up. Throw the parchment paper away and clean the baking sheet afterward. That’s it!
• Great for the holidays. Use this dry brine turkey recipe for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s dinner parties.
• Beginner-friendly. Pat the turkey dry, rub on the salt brine, and refrigerate your turkey until it’s time to cook. You can do this up to 2 days ahead of time.
• Versatile. Even after the holidays, use this dry brine method to improve the look and taste of your favorite chicken, pork, steak, or fish recipes!

Dry Brine Ingredients

The earthy, herby, fresh flavors in the recipe come from the combination of herbs in the dry brine. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

• Whole turkey – Remember that a whole frozen turkey needs up to one day of thawing for every 5 pounds of turkey (that’s almost 3 days for a 12-pound turkey!). So plan accordingly. You can also use this dry brine for turkey breast, thighs, quarters, or legs.
• Kosher salt – Go for coarse sea salt if you it. Otherwise, kosher salt or another mild sea salt is best. Avoid iodized table salt if you can.
• Herbs – I chose dried rosemary, thyme, and sage. You can also use fresh herbs, chopped finely. If you wanted to skip the herbs and simply brine your turkey with salt, that’s fine, too, or you can check out some more easy flavoring ideas below.

What Else Can I Add to a Salt Brine?

In addition to or instead of the classic herb combination in this recipe, try mixing 1 tablespoon of the following into the dry brine to create new flavor profiles for your Thanksgiving turkey:

• Italian seasoning
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Taco seasoning or Southwest spice blend
• Shawarma seasoning

How to Brine a Turkey

For all the flavor that dry brining infuses in a turkey, you’d never guess it only requires 3 simple steps. This classic dry brine turkey is the only method you’ll use to season your turkey from now on. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.

1. Prep the turkey. Pat the turkey dry with a paper towel on all sides. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
2. Mix the dry brine. Whisk the salt, rosemary, thyme, and sage in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the turkey.
3. Let it chill. Cover the turkey with plastic wrap. Chill for up to 2 days and then cook it.

Ways to Cook a Brined Turkey

Think of dry brining as a pre-seasoning for your Thanksgiving or holiday turkey. After it’s sat in the brine, your turkey is ready to prepare for the oven as usual. Here are some of my favorite easy whole turkey recipes. Keep in mind that since your brined turkey is pre-seasoned, you may need to reduce the amount of added salt listed in the recipes.

• Maple Smoked Turkey. This smoked turkey has a complex flavor profile with sweet maple syrup, ancho chili powder, and smoky paprika. Dampen a paper towel with water and rub it on the turkey to remove any excess salt without getting it too wet.
• Oven Roasted Turkey Breast. If you’re cooking for a smaller Thanksgiving crowd, this recipe’s perfect. I recommend skipping the salt altogether in the garlic and herb butter. You don’t want to over-salt the turkey breast, which is already very lean and mild in flavor.

Tips for Best Results When Brining

The secret to a perfectly crispy-skinned dry brine turkey with a juicy interior is avoiding excess moisture at all costs.

• Don’t overdo it. Never dry-brine a turkey for more than 2 days to avoid bacteria build-up. Raw poultry is particularly sensitive to bacteria and can cause food poisoning even if it’s stored in the fridge.
• Clean up well. When you’re done with the baking sheet and any other kitchen items, like knives and cutting boards, clean them well with soap and water to avoid cross-contamination later.
• Avoid moisture. Don’t add any sauces or liquids to the dry brine mixture. Any liquids added to it cancel out the purpose of the dry brine, which is drawing out excess moisture. Stick to dry spices for best results.
• Watch the temperature. If you live in a high-humidity area that’s also very hot, don’t allow the turkey to rest on the counter to come down to room temperature before cooking it. Heat and humidity speed up bacteria build-up. It’s best to prep the turkey for baking and/or roasting straight out of the fridge.

What to Serve With Your Thanksgiving Turkey

In my house, nothing rounds out our Thanksgiving dinner like a mountain of creamy mashed potatoes, a side of cranberry sauce, and cornbread stuffing. Serve this dry brine turkey with homemade turkey gravy on the side. I also love lightened-up green bean casserole, glazed carrots, and stuffed acorn squash as a vegetable dish. Try these vegan pumpkin pie bars for dessert!

Storing Leftover Dry Brine

While you must discard any salt brine that comes into contact with the raw turkey, you can prepare a large batch of the salt mixture to store ahead of time, if you’d like. You can also keep any leftover, uncontaminated salt rub stored airtight in a jar or container in the pantry. In both cases, this applies when you’ve used dried herbs and not fresh ones. Properly stored, the dry brine can stay fresh for several months.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

• Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
• Bacon Wrapped Figs with Herb Goat Cheese
• Bacon Green Bean Bundles
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel