Dry brine vs wet brine turkey: which is better?

Dry brine vs wet brine turkey: what's the difference?

Both put salt into the meat ahead of time. In a wet brine the bird sits submerged in salt water. In a dry brine you rub salt over the skin and leave it in the fridge, where it draws out some of the turkey's own juice, dissolves in it, and goes back into the meat. The USDA's brining fact sheet describes that two-day process and quotes a Texas A&M food scientist on why it works: salt dissolves some of the protein in the muscle, and the salt and protein together cut the moisture lost during cooking.

The skin and space differences come from Clemson Extension, which finds wet brining infuses flavor faster but needs a bigger vessel, and dry brining gives browner skin. NC State Extension says the same about fridge space and less crackly skin after a wet brine.

Dry brine if you can start by Tuesday for a Thursday dinner. A 20-pound bird in 2 gallons of liquid doesn't fit in most fridges, and lifting it out is the step that splashes raw juice over the kitchen.

How much salt per pound for a dry brine?

The USDA's rate is 1 tablespoon of kosher salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, with herbs, spices, citrus zest or garlic added if you like. That works out to about ⅗ teaspoon per pound.

It doesn't name a brand, and the brand changes how much salt is in the spoon. Morton's own conversion chart puts its kosher salt at about 1¼ times the volume of table salt, and Illinois Extension uses twice the volume of crystal kosher salt (Diamond Crystal's kind) as table salt. So a spoonful of Morton holds about 1.6 times the salt of the same spoon of Diamond Crystal. We treat the USDA tablespoon as Morton and scale Diamond Crystal up to match. The numbers below are rounded, which is fine for something rubbed on by hand.

Clemson's dry brine uses ¼ cup of kosher salt for a whole bird, with sugar, herbs and garlic powder. That's saltier than the USDA rate for any turkey under 20 pounds.

Rub it under the skin of the breast and thighs as well as on top, and a little inside the cavity. For buying the right size in the first place, see how much turkey per person.

How many days ahead should you dry brine a turkey?

One to 2 days. The USDA method runs up to 2 days in the fridge, sealed in a food-grade plastic bag with the air pressed out, and says to massage the salt into the skin every 8 to 12 hours. Clemson gives 24 to 48 hours.

For a turkey roasting Thursday afternoon, salt it on Tuesday.

To dry the skin further, follow Clemson's wet-brine finishing step for the last 12 to 24 hours: take the bird out of the bag, set it in a pan on the bottom shelf, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and leave it. The bottom shelf keeps any drips away from food you won't cook.

Salting day gets lost in a week that also has pie dough and cranberry sauce in it. Hedgehog Chef's meal planner takes reminders you set yourself, such as “Tuesday 7 pm: salt the turkey”, and the Thanksgiving cooking timeline lays out the rest of the week.

How to wet brine a turkey: salt ratio and timing

The USDA's brine is ¾ cup of table salt per gallon of water (3 tablespoons per quart), with sugar, molasses or honey added for flavor and browning if you like. Submerge the bird completely in a covered food-grade plastic, stainless steel or glass container, refrigerate it at least overnight, and take it out within 2 days.

Other recipes trade strength for time. A stronger brine needs fewer hours, and a weaker one can go overnight.

• Morton's brined turkey uses 1 cup of its kosher salt and 1 cup of sugar in 2 gallons of water, refrigerated up to 14 hours, or double the salt and sugar for 4 to 5 hours.
• Illinois Extension dissolves 4 cups of kosher salt (or 2 cups of table salt) in 2 gallons for 6 to 8 hours, and halves the salt for an overnight brine.
• Clemson sizes the brine to the bird: about 1 gallon for a 12- to 14-pound turkey and 2 gallons for 16 to 20 pounds.

To turn a 1-gallon recipe into the 2 gallons a big bird needs, the free recipe scaler multiplies every line at once.

If the brine is heated to dissolve the salt, the USDA says to cool it to room temperature before the turkey goes in, then refrigerate it. Never leave it brining on the counter.

Can you brine a turkey in a cooler?

Yes, if the brine stays at 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time. Illinois Extension allows a cooler with 5 to 6 ice packs in place of the fridge. Ice cubes melt into the brine and weaken it, so packs or sealed bags of ice are the better choice.

Put a probe thermometer in the brine and check it morning and night. A dry-brined bird needs no cooler, which is one more reason to choose it when the fridge is full.

Can you brine a kosher, self-basting or pre-brined turkey?

No. Check the label before you buy the salt.

Words such as “basted”, “self-basted”, “marinated” or “for flavoring” on a raw turkey mean a solution was added at the plant, up to 3% of the weight of a bone-in bird, according to the USDA. NC State Extension says these birds don't need more brining, and Morton's recipe says outright not to brine a turkey that comes with salty basting liquid.

Kosher turkeys are salted as part of koshering: soaked, then covered in salt for at least an hour. A 2019 University of Maryland study of kashered meat measured a significant rise in salt content, and its tasting panel rated salted chicken saltier than non-kosher chicken. Roast a kosher bird without brining it, and go easy with salt in the butter or rub.

Do you rinse a turkey after brining?

After a dry brine, no. The USDA's method ends with taking the bird out of the bag and patting it dry, and Clemson wipes off any salt left on the surface. Water undoes the drying you spent two days on.

After a wet brine it depends on the strength. At the USDA ratio, pat the bird dry with paper towels. Recipes with stronger, shorter brines, like Morton's 4-hour version, tell you to rinse off the surface salt, and some extension services do too. If yours does, the USDA's advice is to clear the dishes, towels and sponges away from the sink, line the counter with paper towels, run the cold water gently so it doesn't splash, then wash the sink and counter with hot soapy water. Never wash the bird before it goes into the brine.

Afterwards, write down which salt you used, how much and for how long. In Hedgehog, “I made this” adds that note to the recipe's cook log, so next November starts from this year's numbers.