Want to make the golden, crisp-skinned Thanksgiving turkey of your dreams? Here's how to dry brine a turkey, a simple technique 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, dealing with a heavy bucket of brine and turkey, or worrying about soggy skin. At first, I was skeptical because it seemed 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!
How to Dry Brine a Turkey Recipe Snapshot
- Easy to make - Simply season the turkey with the dry brine and refrigerate.
- Beautiful results - Golden, crispy skin with moist, tender, flavorful meat.
- No messy wet brine - No buckets of liquid, extra refrigerator space, or cumbersome cleanup.
Ingredients You Need
- Turkey - Order a fresh, 12-14-pound turkey with no added salt or brining solution ahead of time to get exactly what you want. See my tips below for how much turkey to buy. If the bird is "enhanced," "self-basting," or "contains a solution," skip the brine (it's already salted) and season lightly instead.
- Salt - Use kosher salt for the dry brine. See my notes below on salt brands, as crystal size and weight vary.
- Citrus - Fresh lemon and orange zest add bright, aromatic flavor. The zest contains the fragrant essential oils of the fruit.
- Herbs - Fresh rosemary and thyme add wonderful flavor and aroma. I prefer fresh herbs over dried for this dry brine.
- Garlic - Use a Microplane zester to finely grate peeled fresh garlic cloves. Alternatively, use a garlic press or mince the garlic finely.
Please see recipe card for tools and measurements.
Chef's tip: How Much Turkey Per Person - If you love leftover turkey for soups, tacos, chili, or casseroles, plan on 1½ pounds per person. If you don't want leftovers, figure 1 pound per person. I recommend buying a turkey no larger than 14-15 pounds, which serves approximately 8-10 people when allowing 1½ pounds per person. Turkeys in the 12-15-pound range are much easier to handle and roast than oversized birds. For a larger crowd, roast a second turkey if you have another oven, or add a turkey breast instead of wrestling with one giant 20-pound bird.
How Much Salt to Dry Brine a Turkey
When dry brining a turkey, the amount of salt matters. Different brands have different crystal sizes and weights, which affect the saltiness of your brine and the final results. Knowing the weight of your salt also makes it easier to adjust the amount for the size of your turkey. The measurements below are for a 14-15-pound turkey.
- La Baleine Kosher Sea Salt: 18 g per tablespoon → 3 tablespoons = 54 g. Fine texture, dissolves well, with a clean taste.
- Morton Coarse Kosher Salt: 18 g per tablespoon → 3 tablespoons = 54 g. Denser grains and an anti-caking agent, but a reliable, widely available brand.
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: 11 g per tablespoon → 5 tablespoons = 55 g. Light, flaky crystals and a clean taste. You'll need more tablespoons to achieve the same weight.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
The amount of salt you need depends on the weight of your turkey. Refer to the salt measurements above, which are also included in the recipe card below.
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.
Before Roasting Your Dry-Brined 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.
Fresh Turkey vs. Frozen Turkey
I usually buy or order a fresh turkey because there's no thawing involved, giving me more time for dry brining. But buy what's available and works best for your schedule.
- Refrigerator thawing: Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey. Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below. Once thawed, the turkey can remain refrigerated for another 1-2 days before cooking.
- Cold-water or microwave thawing: The turkey must be cooked immediately after thawing, leaving no time for dry brining. I don't recommend microwave thawing.
If you're buying a frozen turkey, plan ahead. Thaw it in the refrigerator and allow time for dry brining within the recommended 1-2-day refrigerated holding period.
What to Do After Dry Brining Your Turkey
Once your turkey is dry brined, it's ready for a few finishing touches before roasting.
Add compound butter. I rub my homemade compound butter over and under the turkey skin before roasting. Made with butter, herbs, garlic, and citrus, it adds wonderful flavor and helps create beautiful golden skin. You can make it ahead of time, too. Here's my recipe for compound butter for turkey.
Add aromatics to the cavity. Loosely fill the cavity with chopped onion, carrot, celery, whole garlic cloves, and fresh herbs. Then loosely tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
Roast the turkey. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. I add more vegetables to the bottom of the pan, then turkey broth as needed to prevent burning and create flavorful drippings for gravy.
I roast at 325°F on the lower oven rack without turning the bird. Turning a large, hot turkey is awkward and potentially dangerous, and I've never found it necessary.
Use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. The turkey should reach at least 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh, and the innermost wing, without touching bone. I prefer the thigh cooked to 170°F-175°F for tenderness.
Rest before carving. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes. Loosely tent with foil to retain heat without trapping too much steam, which can soften the crispy skin. Resting helps retain juices when carving.
Turkey Side Dish Recipes
Looking for delicious side dishes to serve with your beautiful Thanksgiving turkey? Here are some of my favorites. For more ideas, including gluten-free and dairy-free options, browse my Thanksgiving recipe roundup.
If You Dry Brine Your Turkey
Please leave me a comment and let me know how it came out. I love hearing from you and your comments help others readers as well. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
How to Dry Brine a 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
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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).
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!