Every year lots of articles come out about "how to brine a turkey" just in time for the holidays. There are people who swear by brining, to be sure, but not everyone brines.
So, should you brine your turkey? Only you can decide. To help, we've provided some pros and cons to this popular turkey preparation.
Watch Now: How to Brine a Turkey
The Pros of Brining
The pros are a well-seasoned and juicy bird. By soaking a turkey in a salt solution (yes, many brines also have sugar and spices, but without the salt you get nothing), the power of osmosis—where cells like to have similar water-salt balances—makes sure that the sodium in the brine gets infused throughout the turkey along with extra water.
The Cons of Brining
The cons are practical and, to some minds, culinary. First, on the practical side, it can be tricky to brine a giant Thanksgiving turkey since it needs to be submerged in the liquid, so you need a food-grade container significantly larger than the turkey. A large cooler works, but a trash bag doesn't.
Secondly, we approach the culinary reasons. As Harold McGee, renowned food scientist and experimenter once claimed, "You'd be angry with your butcher if he did it." Why would you not want your butcher to brine your turkey? Brining, or soaking meat in a salt-water solution, uses the power of osmosis to force the turkey or other meat to draw up water into itself. The theory is that the meat ends up juicier and moister that way. The problem is that it is a fake juiciness. Real juiciness comes from the meat holding on to its own moisture, not holding onto some water (seasoned or not) in which it has been soaked. A butcher would do it to add weight to the bird.
The Best Alternative to Brining
If the hassle ofbrining doesn't strike you as the be-all and end-all of turkey preparation, but you want that tasty, juicy goodness, there is an alternativecalled "dry brining," also known as "pre-salting." That's right, the well-seasoned effects of brining can be obtained with a simple blanket of salt.
And what about the juiciness? For the same reason brining works—osmosis—so, too, does pre-salting. In this case, a well-salted turkey holds onto its own natural juices, leading to a moist, flavorful bird.
How to Dry-Brine or Pre-Salt a Turkey
To get effects similar to brining, the pre-salting needs to be done, much like brining, well in advance. The bird is big and needs tomove the salt from the outside all the way through all of the cells. For the most flavorful turkey, consider salting the bird on Sunday for your Thanksgiving feast on Thursday. That way it gives the bird 4 to 5 days for the salt to work through the cells.
- Cover the turkey—over and under the skin as much as possible—with about 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt per pound of meat. It will seem like a lot. Don't worry: most of it will fall or cook off.
- Use about 1/4 of the salt inside the cavities of the bird, and the rest over the entire turkey, working salt under the skin on the breast and thighs as much as possible.
- Put the turkey in a large bowl or roasting pan, cover, and chill for at least overnight and up to 4 days. At least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before cooking, uncover, pat dry, and leave uncovered to help the skin dry out. This will help ensure a crispy, brown skin when the bird is cooked.
Roast your turkey as you see fit. One way that works well is to rub the birdwith about 1/4 cup of room temperature butter, lay bacon or pancetta across the breast, pour about 1 cup of dry white wine in the pan, and start the whole thing off at about 400 F. After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 F and roast—basting with pan juices and maybe 1/4 cup of portwine at a time every 30 minutes or when it occurs to you—until the legs wobble and everything is fully cooked, browned, and lovely. Then take it out, cover it with foil, and let it sit while you finish the rest of the dishes, usually about 45 minutes or so. Then carve it, serve it, and wait for someone to toast the chef.
Understanding the Different Types of Turkeys
FAQs
The night before you plan on cooking the turkey, remove the innards and rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Boil 1 gallon of water and brining blend for 2 - 3 minutes, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. To speed things up you can add some ice to it.
What happens if you don't brine a turkey? ›
Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.
Is brining a turkey really necessary? ›
I see it more as a safeguard against overcooking. It provides a little buffer in case you accidentally let that bird sit in the oven an extra 15 minutes. As long as you are very careful about monitoring your bird, there's no reason to brine or salt it in advance. That said, it doesn't hurt to take precautions.
Should I brine or season turkey? ›
Why Brine? Brining, whether you're using a traditional water-based brine or a dry brine, improves a turkey's ability to retain moisture. Certain muscle proteins are naturally dissolved by the salt in the brine solution.
Do you wash brine off turkey before roasting? ›
When you're brining the bird, you'll want to rinse off the brine before you roast the turkey. Check out How to Brine Turkey and also How to Dry Brine a Turkey.
Should you brine a turkey to room temperature before roasting? ›
Let It Come to Temperature
Your bird is going to be cold post-brining, and you need to let it come to room temperature before you roast it, Youngman says. Otherwise, the turkey won't cook as quickly or evenly as it could.
Should you dry turkey after brining? ›
You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.
Are butterball turkeys brined? ›
Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. Here's why Butterball is the right choice, especially for the holiday season: Butterball turkeys are always tender and juicy because we take the extra step of individually pre-brining them based on size.
What happens if you don't rinse off the brine? ›
Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.
Does a turkey need to be refrigerated while brining? ›
Then place the turkey in the brine and place in the refrigerator. Don't leave the turkey sitting out at room temperature while brining. Place the bird breast down in a large container made of food-grade plastic, stainless steel or glass, or a brining bag. Be sure the container will fit in your fridge.
This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution. Make sure the turkey is completely submerged. If needed, prepare more brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup salt per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey. Cover and refrigerate.
Why not stuff a brined turkey? ›
Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately.
Do you rub a turkey after brining? ›
After brining, remove from liquid and discard remaining brine. Rinse and pat your bird dry. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and generously seasoning the outside and cavity with salt and pepper. Place compound butter under the skin of the bird and rub the entire outside with the butter.
Is it better to brine or baste a turkey? ›
Brining changes the chemical structure of the meat so it can better retain moisture (and moisture = JUICY). ❌ DON'T Baste. All this does is cool the oven. If you brine, you don't need to baste.
Does brining turkey make it salty? ›
With a dry brine, the salt will initially draw the moisture out of the turkey, then the salty liquid formed will be reabsorbed, taking some salty flavour with it.
Do you remove turkey innards before brining? ›
Brining Steps
Purchase a fresh turkey to eliminate the need to thaw, or completely thaw a frozen turkey. The night before roasting, remove the giblets and turkey neck. Prepare your brine. Be sure to mix ingredients until all of the salt is dissolved.
What is the formula for brine? ›
Brine is all about ratios. 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of salt to 1 quart (4 cups) of cool water. If you have time, heating the brine solution and then letting it cool before pouring it over the meat helps to get more flavor, especially if you are using spices.
What should I soak my turkey in? ›
During the brining process, you soak the turkey in a salt and water mixture (with other aromatics if you want to get jazzy) and the turkey absorbs that extra moisture from the liquid.
