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Dry Brine Turkey

When you dry brine your turkey, you end up with a beautifully browned bird with crispy skin on the outside and juicy, flavorful meat on the inside!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Brine Time1 day
Total Time1 day 3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brined turkey, dry brine turkey recipe, thanksgiving
Servings: 8 people
Author: Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Dry Brine

Ingredients to Stuff the Turkey

  • 1 small onion, quartered
  • 1 carrot cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs

Instructions

Prepare the Turkey/ Dry Brine

  • Plan to thaw the 1 (15-pound) fresh turkey, ahead of time! For every 5 pounds of turkey, refrigerate for 24 hours. My 15-pound turkey took about 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • Prepare the thawed turkey 1-2 days before cooking day! Remove the packaging of the giblets, the neck, and the plastic cage holding the legs together. I also remove the pop-up thermometer because I recommend using your own!
  • Place the turkey on a baking sheet and pat it dry using paper towels.
  • Add 3 tablespoons Morton kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, 2 tablespoons

    dried sage


    , and 2 tablespoons

    dried thyme


     in a small bowl and stir to combine.
  • Sprinkle the dry brine generously on the turkey. Rub the brine onto the meat, under the skin, and inside the cavity.
  • Place the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan. Stuff the inside cavity of the turkey with 1 small onion,1 carrot, 1 lemon, and fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, then tie the legs with kitchen twine.
  • Refrigerate the turkey uncovered for at least 24 hours. If it is refrigerating for more than 1 day, lightly cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap 24 hours before cooking. This helps the dry brine absorb better into the turkey.

Cooking Instructions

  • Remove the refrigerated dry-brined turkey from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
  • When ready to cook the turkey, position the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the turkey for 20 minutes or until the skin starts to brown. Tent the breast with aluminum foil and reduce the heat. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
  • Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast without touching bone reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Check the temperature until the bird is fully cooked.
  • Allow the turkey to rest for 15 minutes before carving, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 967kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 193g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 570mg | Sodium: 3626mg | Potassium: 2065mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1616IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 9mg

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