Should You Wash a Brined Turkey Before Cooking?

Time’s getting away from me! We spent all last week on pies, and it occurred to me this morning that I needed to run through what happens after brining the turkey. In years past, I’ve experienced a little trial-and-error with brining. While it unquestionably injects a lot of flavor in the turkey and helps it to retain a lot of juiciness and moisture, it also can result in saltier drippings, which can cause problems with both the stuffing (if you stuff your bird, which I don’t generally do) and the gravy, since the gravy is made from turkey drippings.

There are several things you can do to decrease the “over-salty” quality of your brined turkeys. The more of these tips you follow, the more you’ll be able to control the saltiness that can result from brining.

Brining is a popular technique used by many home cooks to help ensure a juicy, flavorful turkey on Thanksgiving The process involves soaking the raw turkey in a saltwater brine solution for hours or even days before cooking But once the bird is done brining, should you rinse it off before roasting? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you may think.

Why Brine a Turkey in the First Place?

There are a few key reasons brining has become so commonplace for holiday turkey prep:

It helps the turkey retain moisture. The salt in the brine seasons the meat and allows it to hold on to more juices as it cooks. This prevents the dreaded dried-out turkey syndrome.
Brining improves flavor. Not only does the salt enhance the turkey’s natural taste, but aromatic ingredients like herbs, spices, citrus and onions infuse the meat with extra flavor.
It makes the meat more tender. The brine helps break down some of the turkey’s muscle fibers so they cook up extra juicy and tender.
The skin gets crisper. Soaking in the brine tightens the skin so it roasts up extra crispy

The Potential Downside of a Brined Bird

While a brined turkey yields delicious results, the saltwater solution can make the meat very salty. Some brined birds may even have a pronounced ham-like flavor. For those who prefer a less salty taste, rinsing the turkey after brining helps reduce the saltiness.

However, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), washing raw poultry can increase your risk of food poisoning. This has led to the ongoing debate about whether you should rinse a brined turkey or not.

The Case for Rinsing a Brined Turkey

Here are some of the reasons why many home cooks stand by rinsing a brined turkey:

It removes excess salt from the surface and cavity. This helps control the saltiness of the finished dish. Simply patting the turkey dry does not remove as much residual salt.
It washes away herbs and spices stuck to the skin. Some cooks find little flecks of rosemary, thyme, peppercorns, etc. on the turkey skin unpleasant. Rinsing removes them.
It may make roasting easier. With less salt and seasonings coating the skin, the turkey may brown and crisp more evenly in the oven.
Brine can make eaters thirsty. Rinsing helps reduce the salt content so the turkey doesn’t make you parched.
It’s traditionally done. Many experienced cooks have always rinsed their birds after brining and see no reason to change.

Why You Should Not Rinse a Brined Turkey

On the other hand, food safety experts provide some compelling reasons to skip rinsing a brined turkey:

It can spread bacteria. Raw turkey naturally contains salmonella and other harmful bacteria. As you rinse the bird, those germs can splash onto your sink, countertops and other surfaces. Cooking kills bacteria, so it’s safer not to spread it by washing.
Brine keeps bacteria in check. The salt in the brine actually helps inhibit bacteria growth on the turkey while it’s soaking. So a properly brined turkey is likely safer than an unbrined one.
It won’t get rid of all the salt. While rinsing removes some surface salt, it doesn’t do much for all the brine absorbed deep in the meat. The turkey will still taste quite salty.
Pat it dry instead. Simply blotting the turkey with paper towels removes some surface moisture and salt. No splashing required.
Resting helps too. Letting the brined turkey air dry in the fridge overnight helps draw out moisture and salt from the skin. No rinsing needed.
Flavor loss. Unfortunately, rinsing can wash away some of the aromatic flavors infused in the turkey during brining.

How to Safely Rinse a Brined Turkey

The USDA indicates that while you should not wash most raw poultry, it makes an exception for brined turkeys. If you choose to rinse your bird after brining, follow these tips for safe handling:

Clear your sink first. Remove all dishes, sponges and other items. Clean and disinfect the sink and surrounding area.
Use a sprayer. For the most controlled rinsing, use a kitchen sprayer if you have one. This prevents excessive splashing.
Go easy. Gently spray the turkey cavity and outer surfaces. Don’t use full-force water pressure.
Contain it. Consider placing the turkey in a large container as you rinse it to catch all the water.
Dry thoroughly. Pat the turkey very dry inside and out with paper towels when done rinsing.
Disinfect again. Once the bird is patted dry, thoroughly clean your sink and prep area again.

The Best Approach? Don’t Rinse At All

To avoid any risks of spreading bacteria around your kitchen, your safest bet is likely not rinsing the turkey after all. Instead:

Dry brine it. For less saltiness, try a lower-sodium dry brine instead of a wet one. The salt rub infuses flavor without as much salt.
Soak less. If wet brining, reduce the soaking time to help prevent over-salting. An overnight brine is often enough.
Pat it totally dry. Blotting the turkey very well after brining removes some surface moisture and salt.
Let it rest. Air drying brined poultry for several hours or overnight in the fridge helps draw out salt and let flavors meld.

So go forth and brine your Thanksgiving bird if you wish—just think twice before rinsing it. With smart brining techniques and proper food safety precautions, you can enjoy all the benefits of a brined turkey without any added risks.

should you wash a brined turkey

After rinsing, fill the sink with cold water and soak the turkey for fifteen minutes.

This will “purge” the excess salt that has built up in the skin and surface meat and just decrease the intensity of the salt in the drippings.

Use a fresh (i.e. non-frozen) turkey.

The reason for this is that most frozen turkeys are typically injected with a sodium solution to help them freeze well, and brining an already-injected turkey can often result in an inedible bird (I’ve learned this the hard way.) Fresh turkeys are typically not preserved this way. Be sure to check the package before you buy the turkey, too; some frozen turkeys are thawed out before they’re sold, so they can give the impression of being “fresh.” But if they say “Injected With Sodium Solution” (or anything resembling this), you won’t want to brine them—or, if you do brine them, decrease the time.

I will say that my friend Julie found frozen turkeys at Whole Foods that were injected with a sodium solution, but on a very small scale. We just decreased the amount of time we brined them (around 12 hours instead of 16-24) and they turned out great!

To make it easy, just read the labels and/or ask the meat department or butcher. Just keep in mind that if you brine a frozen turkey, you’ll want to use one with injected with a lower sodium percentage than average.

should you wash a brined turkey

Do you rinse a brined turkey before cooking?

FAQ

Does brined turkey need to be rinsed?

Pat It Dry And if you’re wondering, no—you don’t need to rinse the bird, whether it’s been dry-brined or wet-brined, before adding more seasoning and roasting. Again, the bird needs to be dry, and Youngman also notes “it’s not particularly sanitary to wash meat in the sink.”

What happens if you don’t rinse a brined turkey?

But a brined turkey that is not rinsed would be too salty to eat. Brining slows down the growth of bacteria but does not kill it, said Linda Harris, a microbiologist at the University of California, Davis. She and other food scientists have been trying to get Americans to stop rinsing poultry since the late 1990’s.

Should you rinse after brining?

What to Do After the Meat Is Brined. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, remove the meat from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. You won’t need to rinse it with fresh water unless you accidentally brined it for too long. From here, cook the meat according to your favorite recipe.

Do you rinse a dry-brined turkey before roasting?

Some dry brining recipes call for salting the bird with 1 teaspoon of salt per pound, letting the turkey dry brine, then rinsing the salt off before roasting. I don’t do that, and here’s why. Rinsing poultry can easily spread bacteria to other areas your busy holiday kitchen.