There are a lot of opinions out in the world about how best to prep a turkey for Thanksgiving. Should you make a dry-brine turkey? Wet-brine? Skip brining altogether? We’ll just cut right to the chase: The official Epi opinion is that dry-brining is the only brine method you should consider when prepping a holiday bird. The process is literally just coating the raw turkey in salt (and maybe a few other flavorings) and letting it hang out in the fridge for a couple of days. It’s exponentially easier to pull off than a wet brine and it imbues the meat with so much flavor, your guests will never complain about dry, tasteless meat again. But let’s back up:
Roasting a turkey can be an intimidating task. It’s a large piece of meat that requires careful prep and cooking to ensure it turns out juicy, tender and full of flavor. One of the best tricks to nail turkey success is to salt it properly before roasting. Salting, also known as dry brining, transforms an ordinary turkey into a delicious showstopper.
Learn how to perfectly salt your turkey with this simple technique. A salted turkey guarantees moist seasoned meat and crisp, golden skin every time.
Why Salt Your Turkey?
Salting also called dry brining improves a roasted turkey in several ways
- It seasons the meat thoroughly, adding lots of flavor
- It helps the turkey retain moisture for tender, juicy meat
- It enhances the skin, crisping it up nicely
Salt works its magic by drawing moisture out of the turkey, then allowing that seasoned liquid to be reabsorbed. This process seasons the entire turkey, inside and out.
Wet Brining vs Dry Brining
Wet brining is another popular turkey prep method. It involves submerging the turkey in a saltwater solution before roasting.
Dry brining provides similar results, with much less hassle:
- It doesn’t require submerging the turkey in liquid
- No need for a large container to brine
- Less messy to prepare
- Eliminates soggy skin
For moist, flavorful turkey with crispy skin, dry brining is the clear winner.
How Much Salt Do You Need?
When salting a turkey, use:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt per 4-5 pounds of turkey
- For a 12 lb turkey, use about 3 tablespoons salt
- For an 18 lb turkey, use around 4.5 tablespoons salt
Too much salt can make the turkey overly salty. Stick within those recommended amounts for well-seasoned meat without going overboard on saltiness.
Always use kosher salt, which disperses and penetrates meat better than regular table salt.
Simple Dry Brining Process
Follow these easy steps for salting turkey success:
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Combine the salt: In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt along with any other seasonings like herbs, spices, citrus zest, etc.
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Prep the turkey: Remove turkey from packaging and pat dry. Loosen the skin from the breast meat.
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Apply the salt: Rub half the salt mixture under the turkey skin, covering the breast and thigh meat. Rub the remaining salt inside the cavity and all over the outside of the turkey.
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Refrigerate: Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24-48 hours.
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Roast: Roast the turkey as you normally would, following your favorite technique. The salted turkey is ready for the oven.
It’s that simple! The salted turkey can go straight into the oven, no rinsing required. The salt permeates the meat, dissolving as the turkey cooks.
Tips for Salting Turkey Success
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Apply the salt at least 24 hours before roasting, up to 48 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavorful the meat.
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Let the salted turkey air dry uncovered in the fridge. This helps achieve ultra crispy skin.
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For even deeper flavor, make a seasoning paste with the salt, herbs, citrus, pepper and olive oil.
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If using a pre-brined turkey, reduce the salt to 1-2 tablespoons total.
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Roast the turkey at a high temp (425°F) for the first 30 minutes to crisp the skin.
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Tent the breast with foil if it browns too quickly while the thighs finish cooking.
Benefits of a Salted Turkey
The payoff for salting your turkey is huge:
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Moist, juicy meat throughout
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Deeply seasoned flavor in every bite
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Crisp, golden brown skin with no sogginess
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Overall better texture and taste
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Foolproof method for turkey success
Salt your next turkey using this simple dry brining technique. Your holiday table will be graced with the most mouthwateringly delicious roasted turkey!
Dry brining vs. wet brining:
There are two ways to brine your Thanksgiving turkey: a wet brine or a dry brine. Dry brining simply involves rubbing a turkey in a salt-and-herb mixture and letting it sit in the refrigerator for many hours (usually about one hour per pound). Wet brining is slightly more involved: it requires soaking a turkey in a salt-water solution (herbs, spices, and aromatics can be incorporated, and sometimes other liquids like beer or molasses are added to the water) for several hours or overnight.
Why dry-brining results in the best turkey:
The wet-brining method involves some complex maneuvers. For one, you’ll need to source a giant bucket or a big bag to let the turkey bathe in. It’s a process prone to nightmarish outcomes (#throwback to when former Epi food editor Rhoda Boone ended up with a fridge flooded with turkey water). You’re far less likely to encounter such problems when making a dry-brined turkey. Sure, you’ll have to make a little room in the fridge, but that’s the nature of Thanksgiving turkey, no matter which route you take.
Dry-brining has more going for it than mere user-friendliness. It also renders the turkey skin extra crispy: As the turkey rests uncovered in the fridge, the skin dries out, allowing it to crisp beautifully in the oven. Additionally, dry-brining ensures the turkey meat is penetrated with seasoning throughout.
When you dry-brine a bird, the salt draws out moisture from the turkey, causing the salt to dissolve. Once dissolved, the salt combines with those turkey juices and gets reabsorbed into the meat. Along the way, the process breaks down muscle proteins, giving way to the most tender, moist, well-seasoned turkey you’ll ever taste, no basting or buckets required.
Best Thanksgiving: How to Brine a Turkey & How to Salt a Turkey
FAQ
Do you rinse a turkey after salting?
How long does it take to salt cure a turkey?
Should you salt the cavity of a turkey?
How much salt do you put in a whole turkey?
Do you use kosher salt to Salt a Turkey?
We prefer to use kosher salt for salting because it’s easier to distribute the salt evenly. Whole turkey: Apply kosher salt (1 teaspoon per pound) evenly inside cavity and under skin of breasts and legs, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, unless your recipe calls for air-drying at the same time as salting, and let rest in refrigerator 24 to 48 hours.
How does one eliminate salt from their body?
Sodium is an essential nutrient for human health. It assists in conducting nerve impulses, contracting and relaxing muscles, and significantly contributes to the balance of water and nutrients in the blood. Rather than attempting to “eliminate” sodium from the body, it is recommended to consume at least 500 mg of sodium per day, and limit your intake to 2300 mg per day.
How do you cook a turkey breast with salt?
Encase Turkey Add turkey to pan, breast side up. Cover turkey completely with salt mixture; insert thermometer, and firmly press and smooth salt to seal. 6. Crack Salt Crust
What happens when you salt a turkey breast?
When you salt a turkey (or chicken) breast, meat juices are initially drawn out through the process of osmosis (yes, this time it really is osmosis at work). As the salt dissolves in these juices, it forms what amounts to a very concentrated brine, which then allows it to break down muscle proteins.