When it comes to brining turkey, you have two options – dry brining or wet brining. But which technique yields the juiciest, most flavorful bird? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each method
What is Brining and Why Do it?
Brining is the process of soaking meat in a saltwater solution before cooking This allows the salt to penetrate deep into the muscle fibers,
The main benefits of brining turkey are:
- Increased moisture retention for a juicier texture
- Enhanced flavor as seasonings infuse into the meat
- Denser, firmer texture from the salt interacting with proteins
Brining makes it nearly impossible to overcook turkey and dry it out. It helps the bird stay succulent and delicious.
Dry Brining Basics
A dry brine, as the name suggests, uses a dry mixture of salt, herbs, and spices rubbed directly onto the turkey’s surface.
The salt draws moisture out of the turkey, which mixes with the seasonings. This concentrated brine then migrates back into the meat.
Pros
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Less messy than a wet brine
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Takes up less space in the fridge
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Intense seasoning flavor permeates the meat
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Crispier skin as moisture gets drawn out
Cons
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Slower infusion of brine than wet method
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Skin can toughen slightly from dehydration
Wet Brining Basics
In wet brining, the turkey is fully submerged in a saltwater solution. The liquid brine pumps flavor and moisture deep into the meat.
Pros
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Very fast brine infusion in just 4-8 hours
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Turkey ends up remarkably juicy and plump
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Skin remains supple with added moisture
Cons
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Can dilute flavor compared to a dry brine
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Requires lots of fridge space for a brining container
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Raw poultry handling creates more mess
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May yield slightly softer skin if overbrined
Comparing Results of Dry vs. Wet Brined Turkey
Moisture Level
Wet brining causes more moisture retention, almost to the point of being too juicy or waterlogged if brined longer than 8 hours. Dry brining provides great moisture, but wet has the edge.
Skin Crispiness
Dry brining draws out moisture from the skin through osmosis, so the skin crisps up exceedingly well when roasted. Wet brining adds moisture under the skin which reduces browning.
Flavor Intensity
Seasonings in a dry brine become highly concentrated, penetrating deep into the meat. Wet brining dilutes flavors. So dry brining infuses richer flavor.
Brining Time
Wet brining fully saturates the turkey in 4-8 hours. Dry brining requires 12-24 hours as moisture slowly migrates.
Fridge Space
Dry brining only needs room for the turkey itself. Wet brining needs space for a large container full of water and the turkey.
The Best Method Depends On Your Goals
If juiciness is paramount: Wet brining is ideal. The turkey can’t help but become incredibly moist and tender. Just avoid going over 8 hours.
If flavor intensity is your priority: Dry brining allows seasonings to deeply penetrate for robust flavor. You’ll taste the difference.
If you’re tight on space: Dry brining saves room in the crowded fridge before Thanksgiving. Plus, it’s less messy.
If you want glorious crispy skin: Dry brining wins. The skin dehydrates slightly, guaranteeing epic crispness when roasted.
If you’re squeamish about raw poultry: Dry brining avoids needing to handle and submerge the raw bird.
Mastering the Dry Brine Method
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide for dry brining turkey at home:
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp kosher salt per 2 lbs turkey
- Herbs, spices, sugar as desired
Instructions
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Combine salt, herbs, spices, sugar in a small bowl. Mix well.
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Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub butter under the skin.
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Generously coat the cavity and outer skin with dry brine mixture.
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Place turkey on a rack in a rimmed sheet pan. Refrigerate 12-24 hours.
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Roast turkey according to your recipe, brushing off excess brine first if desired.
And that’s all it takes to dry brine a turkey for the juiciest, most flavorful Thanksgiving centerpiece!
While both dry brining and wet brining have benefits, dry brining ultimately produces the best texture and flavor if done properly. The concentrated brine solution deeply seasons the bird. And the mild dehydration makes the crispiest skin possible.
With minimal effort, dry brining takes turkey to the next level. Just pat the bird dry, coat with a salt/herb rub, and let it work its magic in the fridge overnight before roasting.
Achieve brining success by understanding these core tips:
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Use 1 tbsp kosher salt per 2 lbs of turkey
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Let sit 12-24 hours for full brine infusion
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Add any desired herbs, spices, or sugar
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Dry out the skin’s surface for ultimate crispness
Your guests will be begging for your perfect dry brined turkey recipe. Never serve a bland, oven-dried turkey again!
How Brining Works
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, lets do a quick recap on brining basics. The basic process involves soaking meat (usually lean meats, like turkey, chicken, or pork chops) in a tub full of heavily salted water overnight. Most brines are in the range of 5 to 8% salt to water by weight. Over the course of the night, the meat absorbs some of that water. More importantly, that water stays put even after the meat is cooked. By brining meat, you can decrease the amount of total moisture loss by 30 to 40%.
To demonstrate, I cooked three identical turkey breasts in a 300°F (150°C) oven to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). One was brined, the other was soaked overnight in plain water, and the last was left alone. All three breasts came from non-kosher, non-enhanced birds (i.e., the birds were natural, having received no treatment after slaughter). I charted their weight straight from the package, after brining, and after cooking.
Both the bird soaked in brine and the bird soaked in water gained a significant amount of weight prior to roasting, but while the watered bird lost nearly all of that weight as it cooked, the brined bird retained a good deal more. This corresponded to a juicier texture on eating. So whats going on here?
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Some publications attribute it all to osmosis—the tendency for water to move across a membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration. In this case, water moves from the brining vessel (low solute concentration) to the inside of the turkeys cells (where there are lots of proteins, minerals, and other fun biological goodies dissolved in the water).
This theory is, in fact, inaccurate. If it were true, then soaking a turkey in pure, unsalted water should be more effective than soaking it in a brine, and weve already seen that that is not the case. Moreover, if you soak a turkey in a ridiculously concentrated brine (I tested turkey in a 35% salt solution), according to the osmosis theory, it should dry out even more.
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However, I found that despite turning the turkey inedibly salty, a highly concentrated 35% salt solution was just as effective at helping a turkey retain moisture as a more moderate 6% salt solution, indicating that the osmosis theory is entirely bunk.
To understand whats really happening, you have to look at the structure of turkey muscles. Muscles are made up of long, bundled fibers, each one housed in a tough protein sheath. As the turkey heats, the proteins that make up this sheath will contract. Just like when you squeeze a tube of toothpaste, this causes juices to be forced out of the bird. Heat them to much above 150°F (66°C) or so, and you end up with dry, stringy meat.
Salt helps mitigate this shrinkage by dissolving some of the muscle proteins (mainly myosin). The muscle fibers loosen up, allowing them to absorb more moisture, and, more importantly, they dont contract as much when they cook, ensuring that more of that moisture stays in place as the turkey cooks.
Sounds great, right? But theres a catch.
The Problems With Brining
There are two major problems with brining. First off, its a major pain in the butt. Not only does it require that you have a vessel big enough to submerge an entire turkey (common options are a cooler, a big bucket, or a couple of layers of heavy-duty garbage bag, tied together with hopes and prayers against breakage), but it requires that you keep everything inside it—the turkey and the brine—cold for the entire process. For an extra-large bird, this can be a couple of days, meaning that youve either given up using the main compartment of your fridge at the time of year that you most want to use it, or that you keep a constant supply of ice packs or ice rotating to keep that bird cold.
“brining robs your bird of flavor”
Second, brining robs your bird of flavor. Think about it: Your turkey is absorbing water, and holding on to it. That means that that extra 30 to 40% savings in moisture loss doesnt really come in the form of turkey juices—its plain old tap water. Many folks who eat brined birds have that very complaint: Its juicy, but the juice is watery.
Ive seen a number of solutions (solutions, get it? haha) offered for this problem, so I decided to test them all out side by side.
Is it better to wet or dry brine a turkey?
FAQ
Is it better to dry or wet brine a turkey?
What is the best way to brine a turkey?
Do you rinse the turkey after dry brine?
How many hours should you dry brine a turkey?