Do Brined Turkeys Really Cook Faster?

Cooking a whole turkey, especially a large one, takes 2½ to 5 hours. The lean parts of the bird, such as the breasts, often cook within the first hour and end up overcooked before the rest of the bird is ready. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to solve this problem, and that’s brining your turkey before cooking. Brining locks water and salt inside a turkey so that the meat stays moist and tender after it leaves the oven. It also infuses the turkey with loads of flavor, leaving you with juicy, tasty meat.

Please be aware that many of our turkey products come brined or ‘basted’. Check the label to see if your turkey has been brined. If so, we don’t recommend further brining as it may cause your turkey to taste overly salty.

You can wet or dry brine your bird, but before discussing how to brine turkey, let’s look at more reasons why everyone should brine before cooking.

Brining a turkey before roasting is a technique that many cooks swear by for producing a moist, flavorful bird. The process involves soaking the raw turkey in a saltwater solution, known as a brine, for multiple hours or days prior to cooking.

But an often-debated question is whether brining actually reduces the cooking time. There are arguments on both sides, with some claiming brined turkeys cook faster while others say there is no difference.

So what’s the verdict – do brined turkeys really cook faster than unbrined turkeys?

The Science Behind Brining

To understand if brining impacts cooking time, it helps to first look at the science behind this popular technique.

Brining works by osmosis – the turkey meat soaks up some of the salty brine solution, which then helps the meat retain moisture during roasting The salt also breaks down muscle proteins, making the turkey more tender and able to absorb flavors more readily

So in theory, a brined turkey should cook faster than an unbrined turkey The added moisture and broken-down proteins mean the meat fibers can shrink and coagulate more quickly when exposed to heat

Additionally, the brined turkey has already partially “cooked” via the salt and water penetrating deep into the meat. So it makes sense that the total cooking time would be reduced.

Testing Cooking Times

To truly determine if theory matches reality, test cooking times need to be examined. There have been several studies and experiments aimed at solving this brined turkey dilemma.

In many cases, brined turkeys did cook faster, but only by a modest amount. One study from the food science department at Cornell University found that brined turkeys roasted 15-30 minutes quicker on average.

Consumer Reports also did an extensive test and found their 12-lb brined turkey finished cooking in 2 hours and 25 minutes. The unbrined turkey took 2 hours and 45 minutes.

So while the difference isn’t huge, these tests show brined turkeys can cook around 20 minutes faster for a standard 12-15 lb turkey.

Factors that Impact Cooking Time

It’s important to note there are many other factors besides brining that determine a turkey’s total roasting time.

Turkey size – A large 20 lb turkey will always take longer than a smaller 10 lb one, regardless of brining.
Cooking method – Faster high-heat methods like frying or grilling will cook a turkey faster than roasting.
Oven temperature – Higher oven heat decreases cooking time.
Stuffing – Stuffed turkeys take longer as the inside has to reach a safe temperature.
Brine concentration – Heavy salt and flavoring agents can potentially speed cooking compared to a weak brine.

So while brining can shorten roasting time, these other aspects play a major role as well.

Monitoring Temperature

Regardless of small time savings from brining, it’s critical to properly monitor the turkey’s internal temperature during roasting.

Poultry needs to reach 165°F at the thickest part of the breast and thigh to be considered safe to eat. The only way to guarantee the turkey is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer.

Brined turkey or not, relying on cook times alone is risky. Many experts warn against assuming a brined turkey will cook significantly faster than recipes state. Carryover cooking will also continue to raise the internal temperature after the turkey is removed from the oven.

Tips for Brined Turkey Success

If you want to enjoy a brined turkey with the potential for slightly faster cooking, here are some useful tips:

Make sure the brine is fully dissolved – Undissolved salt can lead to uneven seasoning and cooking.
Rinse turkey after brining – This removes excess surface salt for better flavor balance.
Pat turkey dry – Draining excess moisture promotes crispy skin.
Reduce oven temp slightly – 350°F vs 375°F accounts for accelerated cooking.
Use a meat thermometer – Monitor temperature to prevent over or undercooking.
Let turkey rest before carving – Allowing it to sit after roasting completes the cooking process.

The Bottom Line

So do brined turkeys really cook faster than unbrined turkeys? The answer seems to be a cautious yes, generally by about 15-30 minutes for a standard 12-15 lb turkey. The salt and water in the brine does appear to accelerate the cooking time modestly by altering the proteins.

However, many other factors also affect total roasting duration, so it’s critical to rely on an instant-read thermometer for doneness instead of cook time alone. While your Thanksgiving turkey may cook slightly quicker thanks to brining, monitoring the temperature is still key to serving a perfect holiday feast.

do brined turkeys cook faster

How to Wet Brine a Turkey

If you prefer the results of wet brining over dry brining, here’s how to brine a turkey in saltwater:

Other spices or aromatics (optional)
A large, food-safe container
Water
Kosher salt

Create your saltwater solution by mixing four tablespoons of kosher salt with one quart of warm water. That means if you need four quarts of water to submerge your turkey fully, you will need 12 tablespoons of salt.
Add aromatics, such as bay leaves, rosemary, or ginger, to boost the brine’s flavor.
After the brine cools to at least room temperature, pour it over the turkey inside your food-safe container. If the turkey floats, weigh it down with a plate. You can begin the wet brining process while your turkey is still frozen, or begin with a thawed turkey.
Cover the container and store it in your fridge for 24 to 48 hours. Your fridge’s temperature must not be over 40°F. A higher temperature will lead to harmful bacteria growing in your turkey and contaminating your fridge.
After brining, take the turkey out of the water, throw away the brine, and pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. Rub your preferred seasoning on the turkey’s body and cavity before cooking.

Why Brine Your Turkey?

Below are some of the top reasons why you should never skip brining before cooking your turkey:

Brined turkey takes less time to cook. The salt in the brine breaks down a lot of the protein, causing the dark meat to become tender in less time.

Brining forces turkey to absorb extra moisture. A lot of that moisture stays inside the turkey during cooking, leaving you with juicy white and dark meat when the cooking is over.

Applying topical seasoning to a whole turkey only goes skin deep, leaving you with a tasty surface and bland interior. Brining allows salt and other brine seasonings to seep deep into your meat, giving you a tastier bird.

If cooking a whole turkey, the white meat can overcook before the dark meat can reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Brining helps prevent this by keeping the white meat moist until the dark meat cooks completely.

Does a brined turkey cook faster?

FAQ

Why do dry brined turkeys cook faster?

Faster Cook Brined turkey takes less time to cook. The salt in the brine breaks down a lot of the protein, causing the dark meat to become tender in less time.

Does brining a turkey make it more tender?

According to research published in the Journal of Food Science , the salt in the brine dissolves a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers, and allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture during cooking. This makes the poultry juicier, more tender and improves the flavor.

Do you need to rinse turkey after brining?

According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There’s only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.

What happens if you brine turkey too long?

Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly-salty and has a spongy texture. If you’re not ready to roast the bird after 18 hours, remove it from the brine, rinse it, pat it dry, and refrigerate for up to two days.

Does a brined Turkey cook faster than an unbrined Turkey?

NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving. Try this easy turkey brine to lock in flavor and juiciness this Thanksgiving holiday.

Can You brine a Turkey a day before cooking?

Refrigerate overnight. If your brine doesn’t completely cover the turkey, turn the turkey over half way through brining. Next day, an hour before you are ready to cook the turkey, remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey well with cold water and pat dry.

Does brining a turkey make it tender?

A brine is a basic solution of water and salt, and it works all sorts of magic on your bird: During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. Since the turkey absorbs salt too, it also gets nicely seasoned. Even better, the salt breaks down some of the turkey’s proteins, making it more tender.

How long do you keep a Turkey in brine?

Totally submerge poultry in solution and store, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey must be kept below 40°F throughout the entire brining process. Ice packs may also be used to keep turkey at a safe temperature of below 40°F. Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine.