Want to make the golden, crisp-skinned Thanksgiving turkey of your dreams? Here's how to dry brine turkey - a simple technique and recipe I've been using for over 25 years. The skin turns beautifully browned and crisp, while the meat stays moist, tender, and full of flavor. Just follow my step-by-step tutorial and you can do this with confidence. Plus, don't miss my best turkey tips - from how much turkey to buy, to making a flavorful compound butter.
Once you discover dry brining you'll never look back. No more wet brining and dealing with a heavy bucket of brine and bird or the risk of soggy skin. At first I was skeptical because it was so simple. But thanks to legendary food writer and Editor Russ Parsons, I gave it a try. When I pulled that first glorious golden bird from the oven I was amazed. I think you will be too!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Dry Brining a Turkey
- Ingredients You Need
- Let's Talk Salt
- How to Dry Brine a Turkey
- How to Roast Turkey
- How Much Turkey Per Person
- Fresh vs. Frozen Turkey
- Make a Compound Butter for a Turkey
- Stuff the Cavity
- Roast the Turkey
- Rest the Turkey
- Recipe FAQs
- Turkey Side Dish Recipes
- ⭐️Did You Make This?
- 📖 Recipe
- How to Dry Brine Turkey
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love Dry Brining a Turkey
- It's EASY!
- The results are terrific.
- No juggling buckets of wet brine.
Ingredients You Need
- Turkey: Order a fresh 12-14 pound, no-salt-added raw, turkey, ahead of time to get what you want. See my tips below for how much turkey to buy.
- Salt: Use kosher sea salt to make the dry brine. See salt notes by brand below as weights vary.
- Citrus: Fresh lemon and orange because you're after the zest. The zest is where all of the aromatic oils are in citrus fruit.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary and thyme. Fresh is better than dried for brining because the herbs are not dehydrated for storage.
- Garlic: Instead of chopping fine, use the microplane zester. It works great on peeled fresh garlic cloves. Alternatively use a garlic press and chop it fine.
Please see recipe card for tools and measurements.
Let's Talk Salt
As brining is all about salt, let's talk salt brands. Different brands have different weights, which effects the salinity of the brine and your results, and knowing the weights of the salt allows you to adjust for the size of your turkey. My weights below are for a 14-15 pound bird.
- La Baleine Kosher Sea Salt: 18 g / tablespoon → 3 tablespoon = 54 g, has a fine texture, dissolves well, clean taste. My go-to.
- Morton Coarse Kosher: 18 g / tablespoon → 3 tablespoon = 54 g, has denser grains, they include an anti-caking agent which tastes a bit sharper, but a good reliable brand.
- Diamond Crystal Kosher: 11 g / tablespoon → 5 tablespoon = 55 g (≈ 54 g), very light and flaky, so it requires more.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
The amount of salt is based on the weight of the turkey. Follow the chart above, and the notes are also in the recipe card.
Prepare The Turkey
To dry brine, unwrap the turkey from the original plastic wrap and remove the bag of turkey parts from the larger cavity as well as the tail end. Do this over a rimmed baking sheet or in the sink to catch any raw juices (and remember to sanitize your sink afterwards).
Trim off excess hanging skin at the tail. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
Rub Turkey and Refrigerate
Rub the turkey with the dry brine blend, concentrating on the legs and breast. Rub a little inside the cavity.
Place the turkey in a heavy brining bag, seal and refrigerate it. Let it rest for 2-3 days. It should look well seasoned but not overly salted. Give the turkey a quick massage once a day (through the plastic bag) to work in the seasonings.
Drying to Crisp Skin
On Wednesday afternoon, remove the turkey from the bag and discard the bag. Brush off any excess salt and blot with paper towels. Do not rinse! Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack underneath.
Place the bird on the rack and put it back in the refrigerator uncovered to dry for 12 hours. You might have to adjust your refrigerator shelves. The drying step gives you a crisp skin when roasting.
How to Roast Turkey
On Thanksgiving morning, remove the bird from the refrigerator 1 - 1 ½ hours ahead of time and you're ready for roasting. This gets the chill off and the turkey roasts better. Tuck the wings back under the body.
How Much Turkey Per Person
If you like leftover turkey for soup, tacos, stews or casseroles, order approximately 1 ½ pounds per person. If you don't want leftovers, figure 1 pound per person.
I recommend purchasing no more than a 14-15 pound turkey. That serves 8-10 people at 1 ½ pounds per person with leftovers. They are easier to handle and roast than bigger turkey's over that weight range. For more guests, do a second turkey if you have another oven or even just a turkey breast which is smaller and easier to do than a whole bird or a giant bird that's 20 pounds.
Fresh vs. Frozen Turkey
I usually order fresh turkey (no thawing, more brining time), but buy what's available and works for your schedule.
If you buy frozen:
Plan on 24 hours of refrigerator thawing per 4-5 pounds of turkey. Keep your fridge at 35-40°F (≤40°F is the safety line).
USDA guidance on timing:
The USDA recommends cooking a turkey immediately after it's fully thawed. In practice, if your refrigerator is reliably ≤40°F and you're dry brining, many cooks hold the thawed bird up to 1 day before roasting. When in doubt, follow the USDA's conservative guidance and roast as soon as it's thawed.
If you can, get a fresh bird. It buys you time for a proper dry brine and simplifies the workflow.
If frozen turkey is your preference:
- Thaw turkey in the fridge, then dry brine as much time as you have (even 1 day helps).
- This 2014 article from Russ Parsons says you can brine a frozen turkey, and while I have not tried it, I trust his teaching, so give it a try.
Cold-water or microwave thawing:
The cold water method requires you to cook immediately after thawing (no time to brine), so I don't recommend them if brining is part of your plan. And I do not recommend microwave thawing.
One more label check:
If the bird is "enhanced," "self-basting," or "contains a solution," skip the brine (it's already salted) and season lightly instead.
Make a Compound Butter for a Turkey
Mixing butter, herbs, garlic, citrus, and other flavors is called a compound butter. It gives the turkey flavor, moisture, and a crisp golden skin. Make the compound butter ahead of time, it's easy.
If you'd like the recipe and instructions, please see this post on how to make compound butter for turkey.
After my bird is brined and dry, I rub this over the top and under the skin before roasting.
Stuff the Cavity
For more flavor I stuff the cavity loosely with chopped onion, carrot, celery, whole garlic cloves and more herbs, then loosely tie the legs together with twine (better for roasting).
Roast the Turkey
Roast turkey in a roasting pan on a turkey rack to lift the bird off the bottom of the pan. I put more veggies in the bottom and eventually add enough turkey broth to the pan to keep things moist (not burned) and build good drippings for flavorful gravy.
Last note, I roast turkey at 325°F on the lower rack of the oven and do not turn it. Trying to turn a hot heavy turkey is not safe. Mine always comes out gorgeous without turning.
Roast until a digital thermometer reads 170°F-175°F when placed in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
Rest the Turkey
After roasting, rest the turkey for at least 20 to 30 minutes after roasting, and up to 45 minutes for larger birds. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it moist and flavorful.
Keep it Covered: Loosely tent the turkey with foil to retain heat without trapping steam, which can soften the skin. Carving too soon will cause the juices to run out, leaving the meat dry.
Chef's Tips: For tips on getting organized for a smooth Thanksgiving, read this post on my Thanksgiving Game Plan. Wear disposable kitchen prep gloves to keep hands clean when handling raw turkey. Use a microplane zester for very fine zest and wash it right after using.
Recipe FAQs
About 3 days, but if you only have 2 do it anyway, it still works.
I start mine on Sunday afternoon or Monday.
Do not rinse the turkey. You don't want to add any moisture that will inhibit browning for a golden crisp skin. Resist the temptation to rinse. Brush off any dry brine and pat with a paper towel.
Turkey Side Dish Recipes
Last note, for ideas on what to serve with your beautiful bird, try these delicious side dishes. If you do this, please let me know in the comments! If you need gluten-free or dairy-free recipes ideas for Thanksgiving, check out this Thanksgiving recipe roundup!
⭐️Did You Make This?
If you dry brine your turkey, please comment and let me know, and if you loved it, please give it a ⭐️ rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
How to Dry Brine Turkey
Equipment
- A large heavy closable brining bag
- Wire rack (smaller bird on quarter sheet and larger on half sheet) for drying on Wednesday
- Enough room in your refrigerator
- Rimmed baking sheet quarter or half sized
Ingredients
Dry Brine
- 3-5 tablespoons Kosher sea salt, depending on brand See brand notes below for volume
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped thyme leaves
- 1 large orange, zested
- 1 large lemon, zested
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
Turkey
- 14-15 pound fresh turkey
- ½ stick UNSALTED butter dairy or plant-based, for roasting
Instructions
Make the Dry Brine
- Add the salt, rosemary, thyme, citrus zests and garlic to a mortar. Using the pestle, grind the mixture together to create the rub. See post photo for example if needed. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can use a small clean coffee/spice grinder or mash all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until well mixed and fine, or use a mini food processor.
Dry Brine the Turkey (2-3 days)
- Remove the turkey from the plastic covering over a sink or on a rimmed baking sheet to cartch any raw juices. Rinse the turkey under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a large heavy plastic brining bag. Reach in with your hand and sprinkle the rub over the turkey concentrating on the breast and legs, then sprinkle a little inside the cavity. The turkey should look well seasoned but not overly salted. Seal the bag well. Place on a clean rimmed baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, massaging the rub into the turkey once a day.
Wednesday, Drying the Turkey
- The day before roasting (Wednesday for Thankgiving) remove the turkey from the bag and discard. Brush off the salt rub and pat dry with paper towels. Place the brined turkey on a wire rack positined on a rimmed baking sheet and dry the bird uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. T
Thursday Roasting
- Thursday, the day of roasting, remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1-1 ½ hours before roasting to get the chill off then proceed with roasting.
Notes
- La Baleine Kosher Sea Salt: 18 g / tablespoon → 3 tablespoon = 54 g (fine texture, dissolves well).
- Morton Coarse Kosher: 18 g / tablespoon → 3 tablespoon = 54 g (denser grains, same weight as La Baleine).
- Diamond Crystal Kosher: 11 g / tablespoon → 5 tablespoon = 55 g (≈ 54 g) (very light and flaky, needs more).
Nutrition
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Lisa Power says
This dry brine recipe is the best I've ever tried. the turkey was done perfectly, and the flavor was amazing. There were very few leftovers (from a 17.5-pound turkey for 14 people). I made your gluten-free stuffing and decided to stuff the bird (microwaved the stuffing to 120 degrees and then putting into a stuffing bag) immediately before roasting. Thank you, Sally! I've been making Thanksgiving dinners for more than 50 years, and this turkey was by far the best I've ever made.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for the comment Lisa! Nothing like a gorgeous perfectly done turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!