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My dry turkey brine is ready in just 10 minutes using simple ingredients! Dry brining turkey elevates the flavor of the meat and allows the skin to crisp to perfection. Try my dry brined turkey recipe for your next turkey dinner, and you'll want to make it this way every time!
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Dry Turkey Brine Ingredients
| Ingredient | Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Kosher Salt | Coarse sea salt or Himalayan sea salt work as well. Make sure to use a coarse salt, and not fine table salt. |
| Black Pepper | Other peppercorns, such as white pepper, work as well. You can also use a little paprika, or exclude the pepper. |
| Dried Minced Garlic | Although dried minced garlic has a fresher flavor and coarser texture, you can use garlic powder as a substitute if you don't have dried minced garlic. |
| For full ingredient measurements, jump to the recipe card below. |
To customize the flavor of your turkey dry brine, try adding:
- Thyme
- Lemon Zest
- Citrus Zest
- Rosemary
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
- Before dry brining a turkey, make sure it's thawed. If you need a guide to thawing turkey, see my turkey thaw time guide.
- Prepare the turkey by patting it dry. Remove any unnecessary parts, such as the neck and giblets, and place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or a roasting pan.
- Spray the turkey all over using nonstick spray. In a bowl, mix together your dried minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine completely.
- Coat the entire turkey with the dry brine seasoning. Make sure to coat every part, including under the skin where possible.
- Wrap the turkey with plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
- Cook turkey according to your favorite method for cooking turkey (listed below for your convenience!). Make sure to use my turkey temperature guide and a meat thermometer. Enjoy!
Tips for Dry Brining a Turkey
- If you have time, let the turkey dry brine for 48 hours. This will give the meat a deeper flavor profile.
- For the fullest flavor, season the cavity of the turkey, too.
- You can also use other seasonings in your dry brine for turkey, such as poultry seasoning. The key ingredient to a dry brine is the salt, so don't take that out!
What to Pair with Dry Brine for Turkey
FAQ
You should not rinse a turkey before OR after dry brining. You should never rinse the turkey, not before or after brining. Rinsing a turkey will not wash away bacteria and can transfer it to other surfaces, so don't rinse your turkey. Source: USDA
You can dry brine turkey anywhere from 24 hours to 72 hours. Dry brine at least 24 hours for the best flavor.
Dry brining a turkey imparts more flavor to the meat than a wet brine. Although a wet brine might seem to make the turkey juicier, that juice won't have the same flavor as dry brining would give the turkey. Basically, dry brining turkey will give you a better-tasting bird.
What to Make with Turkey Dry Brine
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- Cajun Turkey
- Grilled Turkey
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Boneless Turkey Breast
- Sous Vide Turkey
Follow my Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Tips for a stress-free meal.
Dry Brine Turkey
Dry brining a turkey is a great way to bring out the best flavors of the meat and is much easier than a regular brine as it doesn't use any liquid. All you need is salt, pepper, and dried minced garlic!
I love pairing this dry brine for turkey with smoked, roasted, and grilled turkey... you name it! It's easy to make and use - follow my simple steps for how to dry brine turkey, and when it's time to cook, you'll have the perfect holiday dinner.
If you're planning on smoking a turkey this year, you need to try this dry brine recipe. Trust me!
Dry Brined Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Small bowl for mixing seasoning
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Salt
- ¼ Cup Pepper
- ¼ Cup Dried Minced Garlic
- Butter Flavored Nonstick Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Pat turkey dry and prepare it as you usually would, removing any unnecessary parts such as the neck, giblets, etc. For this recipe, I’m spatchcocking a turkey. See my spatchcock turkey recipe for details.
- Spray the turkey all over with nonstick spray. In a bowl, mix dried minced garlic, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.½ Cup Salt,¼ Cup Pepper,¼ Cup Dried Minced Garlic,Butter Flavored Nonstick Cooking Spray
- Coat the turkey all over with the dry brine seasoning. Make sure to coat all parts of the turkey, including under the skin where possible.
- Wrap the turkey with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 24 hours (up to 72 hours).
- To cook the turkey, follow any of my turkey recipes. For a classic roast turkey, see my Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe.
Notes
- If you have the time, let the turkey dry brine for 48 hours for an even deeper flavor profile.
- You can use other seasonings in this dry brine turkey recipe if you like, such as a poultry seasoning. However, you cannot leave out the salt - this is the most essential part of the dry brine.
- Dry brining works for every method of cooking turkey. This makes a great turkey brine for smoking!
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