Dry Brine Turkey
Learn how to dry brine a turkey with salt and an optional seasoning mix! Dry brining a turkey for roasting or smoking is an easy way to get extra crispy skin and juicy meat that's full of flavor.
Servings: 15 people
Ingredients
- Kosher Salt: 1/2 teaspoon for every pound of meat. or 1/4 teaspoon per pound if using table salt.
Optional Additional Turkey Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon Rosemary
- ¾ teaspoons Oregano
- ¾ teaspoons Thyme
- ¾ teaspoons Sage
- 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/8 teaspoons Nutmeg
Instructions
2-3 days prior to roasting the turkey:
- Remove the neck and the giblets and pat completely dry.
- Run your fingers along the neck and loosen up the skin. Create an opening and rub some of the salt directly on the meat underneath the skin. Rub more of the salt right onto the skin, under the wings and legs, and a little inside the cavity. Meatier sections of the meat like the breast and the thighs will need more salt than other areas.
- If desired, rub the seasoning mix evenly over the turkey as well.
- Place it in a roasting pan breast-side-down and let it sit in the fridge uncovered for up to 72 hours. The longer, the better, especially for larger turkeys.
- Proceed with roasting, frying, or grilling. No need to pat it dry.
Notes
I recommend using Diamond Kosher Salt. 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal salt equals about 1 teaspoon of Morton, making Morton more “salty.” To avoid oversalting the turkey, go with Diamond.