Dry Brine Turkey – The Recipe Critic

When you dry brine your turkey, you end up with a beautifully browned bird with crispy skin on the outside and juicy, flavorful meat on the inside! It will for sure be one of the most flavorful, moist turkeys you’ve ever had!

Ingredients for Dry Brine Turkey

The ingredients needed to make a dry brine turkey are simple pantry staples. If you aren’t sure what you are going to do with your turkey this year, you’ve got to try this simple dry brine technique. The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Dry Brine

• 15-Pound Turkey: Give yourself three days to allow your 15-pound turkey to thaw! If you use a different size turkey, refer to my tips section for how to adjust accordingly.
• Kosher Salt: Using kosher salt is very important! It is coarser and different than regular table salt.
• Cracked Black Pepper: Adds a slight peppery heat to the turkey and enhances the flavors of the other herbs and spices.
• Herbs: Combining Dried Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme perfectly complements the turkey and gives it the classic Thanksgiving flavors.

Ingredients to Stuff the Turkey

• Onion: Gives the turkey a mild, sweet, and savory flavor.
• Carrots: Add sweetness; they add an earthy, fresh flavor while they cook.
• Lemon: Provides a bright citrus flavor that balances the savory notes.
• Fresh Herbs: Adding a few sprigs of fresh Thyme and Rosemary helps infuse the flavor while it cooks. Giving the bird an incredibly aromatic flavor.

How to Dry Brine a Turkey

This dry-brined turkey recipe is actually quite simple yet yields one of the most flavorful, moist turkeys you’ve ever had. Follow my steps below and refer to the tips section so that your turkey turns out perfect this holiday season.

Preparing and Brining

1. Thaw and Prepare the Turkey: Plan to thaw the turkey ahead of time! For every 5 pounds of turkey, refrigerate for 24 hours. My 15-pound turkey took about three days in the refrigerator. Prepare the thawed turkey 1-2 days before cooking day! Remove the packaging of the giblets, the neck, and the plastic cage holding the legs together. I also remove the pop-up thermometer because I recommend using your own!
2. Pat Dry: Place the turkey on a baking sheet and pat it dry using paper towels.
3. Combine: Add the salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and sage in a small bowl and stir to combine.
4. Rub on the Dry Brine: Sprinkle the dry brine mixture generously on the turkey. Rub the brine onto the meat, under the skin, and inside the cavity.
5. Stuff the Turkey/ Tie the Legs: Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan. Stuff the inside cavity of the turkey with onion, carrot, lemon, and herbs, then tie the legs with kitchen twine.
6. Refrigerate the turkey uncovered for at least 24 hours. If refrigerating for more than 1 day, lightly cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap 24 hours before cooking so the turkey has time to brine without the plastic wrap. This helps to dry out the turkey!

Cooking Instructions

7. Sit at Room Temperature: Remove the refrigerated dry-brined turkey from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
8. Cook: When ready to cook the turkey, position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the turkey for 20 minutes or until the skin starts to brown. Tent the breast with aluminum foil and reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for an additional 45 minutes.
9. Check the Temperature: Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast without touching bone reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the temperature until the bird is fully cooked. Allow the turkey to rest for 15 minutes before carving and enjoying it!