For a wet brine, dissolve 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water and submerge the thawed turkey for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. For a dry brine, rub 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 lb of bird over the skin and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. Do not brine a kosher or pre-basted turkey; it has been salted already.
Brining is the difference between a turkey people are polite about and one they come back for. Salt does two things over time: it seasons the meat all the way through rather than just the surface, and it changes the proteins so they hold on to more of their own moisture during a long roast. You can do it wet or dry. Dry is easier, takes no bucket, and gives crisper skin, which is why most cooks who try both end up staying there.
| Turkey weight | Dry brine (kosher salt) | Dry brine time | Wet brine time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12 lb | 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp | 24-48 hours | 8-12 hours |
| 12-14 lb | 2 1/2 to 3 tbsp | 24-48 hours | 10-14 hours |
| 14-18 lb | 3 to 3 1/2 tbsp | 36-72 hours | 12-18 hours |
| 18-22 lb | 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tbsp | 48-72 hours | 16-24 hours |
Dry brine: the easier one
Pat the thawed bird completely dry and rub kosher salt over the skin and inside the cavity, using about 1 tablespoon per 5 lb of turkey. Set it on a rack over a tray and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. The salt draws moisture out at first, then that salty liquid is reabsorbed, seasoning the meat throughout. Leaving it uncovered dries the skin, and dry skin is what browns and crisps.
Wet brine: more gear, very forgiving
Dissolve 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water, add half a cup of sugar and whatever aromatics you like, and cool it completely before the turkey goes anywhere near it. Submerge the bird for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator or a cooler held below 40°F (4°C). Rinse it, then dry it thoroughly and let it air-dry in the refrigerator for a few hours if you can, because a wet-brined bird has damp skin and damp skin does not crisp.
Salt is not salt: measure by weight if you can
A cup of Morton kosher salt weighs nearly twice what a cup of Diamond Crystal does, and table salt is denser still. If you use table salt in a recipe written for kosher, you will roughly double the salt and ruin the bird. Where a recipe says kosher salt and you only have table salt, use half the volume, or better, weigh it: 1 cup of Diamond Crystal is about 140 g.
When not to brine
Skip it entirely if the label says kosher, self-basting, enhanced, or contains up to a percentage of solution. Those birds have already been salted at the plant, and brining them again produces meat that is genuinely inedible. Check the fine print on the wrapper before you buy, not after.
Questions we get asked
How long should you brine a turkey?
For a wet brine, 12 to 24 hours depending on size. A 12 lb bird needs about 12 hours and a 20 lb bird closer to 24. For a dry brine, 24 to 72 hours. Going much past those ranges makes the outer meat unpleasantly salty and the texture spongy.
How much salt do you need to brine a turkey?
A wet brine uses 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water, and you need enough water to cover the bird. A dry brine uses about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 lb of turkey. Use half as much if you only have table salt, because it is far denser.
Should you rinse a turkey after brining?
Rinse after a wet brine, then dry it very thoroughly inside and out. Do not rinse after a dry brine, because the salt has already been absorbed and rinsing just wets the skin you spent days drying.
Is dry brining better than wet brining?
For most home cooks, yes. It needs no bucket or refrigerator space, it cannot be over-diluted, and it gives noticeably crisper skin because the surface dries out rather than soaking. Wet brining is more forgiving of overcooking, so it suits a lean bird or a nervous cook.
Can you brine a frozen turkey?
No. Thaw it completely first, which takes about 24 hours per 4 to 5 lb in the refrigerator. Salt cannot penetrate frozen meat, and a partly frozen bird sitting in liquid spends too long in the unsafe temperature range.
Can you brine a kosher or self-basting turkey?
No. Those birds are already salted. Kosher turkeys are salted as part of processing, and self-basting ones are injected with a salt solution. Brining on top of that makes them far too salty to eat.
What temperature is turkey done?
165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone. A brined turkey reaches that point with more moisture left in it, but the safe temperature is exactly the same.