Dry-Brined Turkey
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Discover the secret to a perfectly juicy and flavor-packed bird with this easy dry-brined turkey recipe—it’s a holiday game-changer!
This fantastic dry-brined turkey, adapted from a Jeff Mauro recipe featured in Rachel Ray Magazine, was passed on to me by the talented food stylist Rebecca Jurkevich, who styled my second cookbook. What I particularly love about this recipe is its simplicity. You start by rubbing a mixture of salt and seasonings—the dry brine—onto the turkey’s skin, then let it rest in the fridge overnight. The salt not only thoroughly seasons the meat but also draws out the bird’s natural juices, creating a self-brine that the meat reabsorbs, guaranteeing a turkey that’s flavorful and juicy from the inside out. Plus, the rest in the fridge dries out the exterior of the bird, so when you cook it, you end up with the most beautifully crispy, golden-brown skin. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a turkey first-timer, this dry-brined turkey recipe is a must-try for its ease and dependable results.
“My husband just declared this is the best turkey we’ve made in 40 years!!!! I concur!!”
What You’ll Need To Make A Dry-Brined Turkey
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, thyme, sage, and pepper for the dry brine.
Place the turkey on the rack of a baking sheet. Rub and pat the dry brine all over the turkey, including inside the cavity. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
Using damp paper towels, brush the dry brine off the turkey.
Scatter the onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place a roasting rack inside the pan and place the turkey on the rack. Tuck the wings underneath the bird.
Using your hands, smear the butter all over the turkey.
Roast the turkey until the skin is deep golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the thigh, 1-3/4 to 2-1/2 hours. Check the turkey after 1-1/2 hours. If it’s getting too dark, cover it loosely with foil.
Note: The cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey. For best results, I recommend using a digital thermometer with a leave-in probe and remote monitor, like the one shown below. That way, you can monitor the temperature of the turkey without ever opening your oven.
Using clean oven mitts (that you don’t mind getting dirty), carefully tilt the turkey so any juices from the cavity pour into the roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a platter or cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and discard (or if they aren’t too soft/brown, save them and arrange on the serving platter with the turkey). Reserve the drippings in the pan for the gravy. While the turkey rests, make the turkey gravy.
Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Dry brining involves rubbing salt, herbs, and spices onto the turkey skin and letting it sit in the fridge overnight (or longer). Wet brining, in contrast, requires soaking the turkey in a seasoned saltwater solution, often necessitating a large cooler or bag and can be quite cumbersome. While both methods enhance flavor and juiciness, dry brining is much simpler and produces crisper skin.
A: The recommended time for dry brining is at least 1 day and up to 3 days. The longer you allow the turkey to brine, the more flavorful and moist it will be. However, even just 24 hours of brining can make a significant difference. You can adjust the salt quantity based on the brining duration to avoid over-salting.
A: If your turkey has been pre-injected with a solution (as is common with many store-bought turkeys), you can still use this dry-brined recipe effectively. These types of turkeys still benefit from additional seasoning for enhanced flavor. However, since they already contain some salt, you should reduce the amount of salt used in the dry brine by half to prevent the turkey from becoming overly salty.
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Dry-Brined Turkey
Discover the secret to a perfectly juicy and flavor-packed bird with this easy dry-brined turkey recipe—it’s a holiday game-changer!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 to 14-pound) turkey, patted dry (see note)
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Morton kosher salt (or ¼ cup Diamond kosher salt)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves or ground sage
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up, and set an oven rack on top.
- Remove and discard the truss that holds turkey legs together (if the legs are held together with turkey skin, cut the skin to release them). Trim off and discard any excess fat in the neck or body cavity. Remove giblets and neck; discard or save for stock. Rinse the turkey inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix the sugar, salt, thyme, sage, and pepper for the dry brine. Place the turkey on the rack of the prepared baking sheet. Rub and pat the dry brine all over the turkey, including inside the cavity. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours. (For food safety, ensure the turkey remains in the refrigerator at 40°F or lower during the entire brining period. If brining for longer than 24 hours, you can cover the turkey loosely with plastic wrap for the first part of the brining process and then uncover it for the final 24 hours to allow the skin to dry.)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Using damp paper towels, brush the dry brine off the turkey.
- Scatter the onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place a roasting rack inside the pan and place the turkey on the rack. Tuck the wings underneath the bird. Using your hands, smear the butter all over the turkey.
- Roast the turkey until the skin is deep golden and a leave-in or instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast and the thigh, 1¾ to 2½ hours (see note). Check the turkey after 1½ hours. If the skin is getting too browned, cover it loosely with foil.
- Using clean oven mitts (that you don't mind getting dirty), carefully tilt the turkey so any juices from the cavity pour into the roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a platter or cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and discard (or if they aren't too soft/brown, save them and arrange on the serving platter with the turkey). Reserve the drippings in the pan for the gravy.
- While the turkey rests, make the gravy.
- Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy on the side.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: If you don't mind losing the crispy skin, the turkey can be roasted and carved ahead of time. Pour a thin layer of the gravy into an ovenproof serving dish. Arrange the carved turkey nicely on top of the gravy; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. Refrigerate the remaining gravy in a separate container. To reheat: remove the plastic wrap and cover the platter with aluminum foil. Place in a 325°F-oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the turkey is hot. Reheat the gravy in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Note on Selecting Your Turkey: For the best results with this dry-brining method, look for a turkey that is not kosher, injected, or labeled as "self-basting." These types of turkeys have already been treated with salt or a brining solution. However, if you can only find a kosher, injected, or self-basting turkey, you can still use this recipe, as these birds do still benefit from additional seasoning. Just halve the amount of salt in the dry brine to avoid over-salting.
- Note: I've given a range for the cooking time, which will depend on the size of your turkey. For best results, I recommend using a digital thermometer with a leave-in probe and remote monitor (like this one). That way, you can monitor the temperature of the turkey without ever opening your oven.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 1,075
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 147 g
- Sodium: 1,619 mg
- Cholesterol: 513 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Hi Jenn!
I have a 18.5 lb turkey this year, would you recommend keeping the temperature at 375 or lowering it to 350? Thank you! I’ve had nothing but success with your turkey recipes every Thanksgiving.
Glad you’ve had good luck with your Thanksgiving turkeys! Yes, with that size turkey, I think reducing the temp to 350 is a good idea.
do you recommend a fresh or frozen turkey?
i’ve always purchased a fresh turkey… but my job is gifting frozen turkeys… just wondering if i could use it?
Hi Nidhi, either fresh or frozen (thawed) is fine. 🙂
Hi Jenn , I an cooking two 5 pound turkey breasts along with 4 turkey legs. Can you tell me how long to do a dry brine and the measurements or are they they same. Their is so much conflicting info on the internet depending on a full turkey or in pieces as I have done.
Thanks
Hi Sharon, I would keep the amount and the timing the same.
I have made your turkey roll for the last several years, but with more people and requests for dark meat as well, I am going to do a whole 12 lb turkey this year. This recipe looks great. What do you think of using a spatchcocked turkey? What modifications would I make to the recipe?
PS I have learned so much from you which has allowed me to gain so many cooking insights and skills. Ongoing thanks!
Hi Michael, so glad you’ve found the blog to be a good resource! This recipe should work really well with a spatchcocked turkey. The cooking time would definitely be less; I’m guessing 6 to 8 minutes per pound (but always check with a thermometer). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Best tasting turkey I ever made. Very juicy. And it was easy. Thank you, Jenn!
This works great for chicken as well. I made a quarter of the brine for a 4 lb chicken, didn’t remove the brine before roasting, and added fennel and parsnips to the carrots and onions. Both the chicken and the veggies were beautifully caramelized. The chicken was moist and the skin was delicious. The small amount of brown sugar didn’t add any sweetness, but it may have helped to brown the skin beautifully without basting.
Hi again Jen
Thank you for your quick reply. I realise that I have one more question. I always make a stuffing that I fill the cavity with and is very popular. I’m guessing the cooking time will be a little longer than if there is no stuffing?I also usually sew up the cavity.
Thank you once again for all your great recipes.
Happy holidays!
Yes, the turkey is likely to take a bit longer to cook if it’s stuffed. 🙂
Hi Jen – we made our turkey last year with the dry brine method. It was great. Doing it again but I can’t remember what temperature in the oven should be. It doesn’t say on the recipe. We have about an 11 lb turkey. Temp in metric please and how long do you think it will take?Thank you.
Hi Andrea, the turkey should be roasted at 190°C. Based on the size of your turkey, I’d guesstimate that it will take between 1.5 and 1.75 hours. For best results, I recommend using a digital thermometer with a leave-in probe and remote monitor (like this one). That way, you can monitor the temperature of the turkey without ever opening your oven. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much!
I have made a lot of turkeys and this is the very best! So moist and delicious. Don’t skip the brining. My 20 lb bird cooked very quickly though — like in 3 hours– and I was worried my thermometer was not working and gave it another half hour. Meat close to the bone was not totally cooked, but I didn’t want the white to dry out. Thank you Jen! This will be my go to from now on.
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone complimented it. I also made the stuffing that was in the email link. We’ll be doing this one again!