The Complete Guide to Brining a Turkey for 48 Hours

If youre looking for an easy way to add flavor and moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey, look no further than this easy turkey brine recipe. There are two options: a dry brine and a wet brine. Both methods are simple and produce delicious results. So choose the option that fits your schedule and get ready to enjoy a juicy, flavorful turkey on Thanksgiving Day!

Brining a turkey is one of the best ways to ensure moist, flavorful meat when roasting it for Thanksgiving or any special occasion. Brining involves soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution, which allows the turkey to absorb moisture and seasoning. While you can brine a turkey for as little as a few hours, brining for a full 48 hours results in the most tender, juicy bird.

Why Brine a Turkey?

There are several benefits to brining a turkey

It helps the turkey retain moisture. The salt in the brine solution allows the turkey to absorb and retain more moisture, ensuring tender and juicy meat.
It enhances flavor. The salty brine helps bring out the natural flavor of the turkey. Any additional aromatics like herbs, spices, or citrus can also infuse the turkey with more complex flavors.
It improves texture. The salt has a tenderizing effect on the turkey meat, resulting in a smooth, velvety texture.
It promotes even cooking. Brining distributes moisture evenly throughout the turkey which helps it cook more evenly from the inside out.

How Long to Brine a Turkey

While you can brine a turkey for as little as 4-6 hours, brining for a full 48 hours yields the biggest impact on texture and flavor. The longer brine time allows the salt, water, and aromatics to fully penetrate deep into the turkey meat. Anything less than 24 hours may not allow enough time for full brine absorption.

Brining for longer than 48 hours runs the risk of the turkey becoming too salty. Due to osmosis, the turkey can only absorb so much salt and water. After 48 hours, the meat is fully saturated so brining longer does not provide any added benefit.

Tips for Brining a Turkey for 48 Hours

Brining a turkey for 48 hours takes some planning but is easy to execute with a few tips:

Use a 5% brine solution. Dissolve 1 cup kosher salt per gallon of water. This achieves the right balance of saltiness.
Keep the turkey submerged. Weigh down the turkey if needed to keep it fully immersed in the brine. All areas should be in constant contact with the brine.
Chill at 40°F or below. To prevent bacterial growth, keep the turkey brining in the refrigerator or a cooler packed with ice.
Make room in the fridge. You’ll need enough space for a large container to hold the turkey and brine solution. Remove items if needed.
Inject aromatics. Injecting the turkey with a flavored butter or broth helps aromatics penetrate deep into the meat.
Rinse and pat dry. Rinse the turkey under cool water and pat it completely dry before roasting. This removes excess salt from the skin.
Let rest before cooking. For best results, let the brined turkey rest in the fridge, uncovered, for 8-12 hours before roasting. This allows the skin to dry out.

Brine Ingredients

A basic brine is simply water and kosher salt. For more flavor, consider adding any of these optional ingredients:

Aromatics: garlic, shallots, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, citrus, bay leaves, fresh herbs
Sweeteners: brown sugar, honey, maple syrup
Spices and seasonings: peppercorns, cloves, coriander, cinnamon sticks, rosemary, thyme

Step-By-Step Instructions

Make the brine: In a large pot, combine 1 cup kosher salt per gallon of water. Add any aromatics, sweeteners, and seasonings. Heat over medium to dissolve the salt, then let cool completely before using.
Inject turkey: Using an injection syringe, inject flavored butter or broth deep into the turkey breast, thighs, and legs. This helps infuse flavor.
Submerge in brine: Place the turkey in a container large enough to hold it and the brine. Weight it down if needed to keep submerged.
Refrigerate: Cover and store the turkey in the brine in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Remove from brine: Take the turkey out of the brine. Discard excess brine. Rinse turkey under cool water.
Pat dry: Use paper towels to pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out.
Rest uncovered: Place turkey breast-side up on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 8-12 hours.
Roast turkey: Roast the turkey in a 400°F oven until the minimum internal temperature in the thigh reaches 165°F. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

With this complete guide, you can brine your turkey for a full 48 hours and enjoy the juiciest, most flavorful Thanksgiving bird you’ve ever tasted!

brine turkey 48 hours

What do you do after you brine the turkey?

Treat it like you could a normal bird. Most of the dry brine will fall off and you can remove a lot of that excess spice/salt from the bottom of the baking dish. Pat it dry, season it accordingly and then roast! This is my favorite recipe for a cooked bird! The herb butter makes for the best drippings which make the gravy out of this world!

What is a turkey brine and what does it do to a turkey?

Its basically just salt and different aromatics and maybe some water. I like to add brown sugar to give it a little hint of sweetness, some red pepper flakes, sage and lots of garlic. The whole mixture will just give the bird that extra subtle flavor everyone is looking for on Thanksgiving. And it helps the bird make incredible drippings for gravy.

How to Brine a Turkey for 48 hours

FAQ

Is 48 hours too long to brine a turkey?

Shoot for at least 16 hours but no longer than 24 hours. If you brine it any longer than 24 hours the turkey will be too salty.

Is 48 hours too long to brine chicken?

As mentioned before, for whole chickens, classic wet brines can be left on for a minimum of 12 hours and up to 2 days. Dry brines can be as short as a few hours, but ideally at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.

Can you brine turkey legs for 48 hours?

Pat the turkey legs dry with kitchen towel and sprinkle the salt mixture all over, ensuring even coverage. This dry brine method is efficient and effective, requiring a minimum of 12 hours and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Can you dry brine for 48 hours?

Dry brining steak is a great way to make sure your steak is super flavorful. Use this method on anything from ribeye to flank to filet cuts – in fact, this will work well on any beef cut! A good dry brine takes anywhere from 24-48 hours but you can short cut it if you need to.

How long does it take to brine a Turkey?

Space: Wet brining takes up a lot of fridge space for one to two days, making it unideal if your fridge isn’t large enough to hold a tub of brine and turkey. Time: Compared to wet brining, dry brining takes less time to deliver impressive results. However, a dry brined turkey will not be as moist as a wet brined turkey.

How do you brine a Turkey a day before roasting?

One day before roasting your turkey, bring 1 quart water, the salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes. Line the container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag to minimize cleanup. Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place the turkey in the bag.

Can You brine a turkey if it’s wet or dry?

So all that’s left is to decide if you’re going wet or dry turkey brine. If wet: grab a large vessel that will fit 1: the liquid brine mixture 2: and the bird and 3: will fit into your fridge.

Can You brine a turkey breast in the fridge?

This same method works to brine turkey breasts . Before you go further into brining, clear out space in your fridge. Some chefs suggest you brine a turkey in a cooler, but for food safety and to avoid falling into the food “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F, we recommend brining a turkey in the refrigerator.