How to Brine a Turkey: Wet vs. Dry Brine Guide

If you want a juicy turkey, brining is the most important step. 

A brine seasons the meat all the way through and helps it hold on to moisture as it cooks, so even the breast meat stays tender. There are two ways to do it: a wet brine, where the turkey soaks in salted water, or a dry brine, where you rub it with salt and let it rest in the fridge. Both work, and neither is as complicated as it sounds.

The easiest place to start is our Brining Spice mix, a ready-made blend of salt, sugar, coriander, garlic, lemon and orange peel, lemon verbena, black pepper, allspice, and bay leaf.

Why brine a turkey?

Turkey is lean, and a big bird spends a long time in the oven, which makes it easy to dry out. Brining fixes that. 

When the turkey sits in salt, the salt travels into the meat and seasons it from the inside, not just on the surface. Meanwhile, the salt loosens some of the proteins in the muscle, so they hold on to more moisture while the turkey cooks. The result is meat that’s juicier, more tender, and flavorful all the way through.

That’s also what makes brining different from a marinade or a rub. A marinade or rub only flavors the outside of the meat, while a brine works its way inside.

Wet Brine vs. Dry Brine: Which is better?

We’ve tested both, and each has its strengths. A wet brine gives you a visibly juicier turkey. A dry brine takes up less room in the fridge and gives you crispier skin.

Choose a wet brine if juicy meat is your top priority and you have room in the fridge or a cooler. 

Choose a dry brine if space is tight, you want crisp, golden skin, or you plan to fry your turkey.

How to Wet Brine a Turkey

Find a container. Use a brining bag, a large stockpot, or another non-reactive container, such as glass or stainless steel, that’s big enough to hold the turkey fully submerged. A brining bag set inside the container keeps everything contained and makes cleanup easy.

Make the brine. Use 1 bag of Brining Spice for every gallon of water: 2 bags for a turkey up to 15 lbs., or 3 bags for a turkey up to 20 lbs. To dissolve it faster, simmer the mix in about 1 gallon of the water, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, then let it cool completely.

Submerge the turkey. Place the thawed turkey in the bag or container, pour in the cooled brine, then add cold water until the turkey is completely covered. For a 12 to 15 lb. turkey, that’s about 1½ to 2 gallons in total. If the turkey floats, weigh it down with a plate.

Refrigerate. Brine for about 1 hour per pound. More isn’t better here, since going much longer can make the meat too salty. For a 15 lb. turkey you plan to start cooking at 10 a.m., get it into the brine by 7 p.m. the night before. Short on fridge space? Use a clean cooler with plenty of ice, and check that the temperature stays below 40°F.

Dry it off. Remove the turkey, discard the brine and the bag, and pat the turkey thoroughly dry with paper towels. For crispier skin, set it on a roasting pan and let it air-dry in the fridge, uncovered, for at least an hour before cooking.

Want to add even more flavor? Replace up to a quarter of the water with apple cider, citrus juice, beer, or broth. Swapping out more than that can change the flavor and texture of the finished bird.

Want to Make Your Own Turkey Brine?

If you’d rather build your own brine, start by figuring out how much liquid you need. Place the turkey in your container and add water until it’s covered, then measure that water. Plan on about 1 pint of liquid per pound of turkey. For every gallon of liquid, use:

• Salt: 1 cup kosher salt, or ½ cup table salt. Kosher salt has larger crystals, so you need about twice as much by volume.
• Sugar (optional): ½ cup, to balance the salt. If you’re flavoring the brine with a sweet blend like Park Hill Maple & Spice, cut back on the sugar or skip it.
• Seasoning: about ¼ cup of whole spices, herbs, or your favorite spice blend.

Spices need heat to release their flavor, so make a boiled brine. Dissolve the salt and sugar in about 1½ cups of the liquid, add your spices, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Let it cool completely, then stir it into the rest of the cold liquid. Adding ice speeds up the cooling.

How to Dry Brine a Turkey

Measure. Use about 1 teaspoon of Brining Spice per pound of turkey, or about ⅓ cup for a 15 lb. turkey.

Rub it in. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs, then rub the brine mix under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey.

Let it rest. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days for a 15 lb. turkey. Leave it uncovered for the last 12 to 24 hours so the skin dries out and crisps up in the oven.

Pat dry and cook. The salt has already been absorbed, so just pat away any surface moisture.

For a homemade dry brine: mix Kosher Salt with a salt-free herb blend like Poultry Seasoning, or with Rubbed Sage and Premium French Thyme for classic holiday flavor.

How long do you brine a turkey?

The basic rule for a wet brine is 1 hour per pound, but a dry brine needs more time for the salt to work its way into the meat.

Brining turkey pieces? Base the time on the weight of the average piece, not the total. For example, three 1 lb. thighs brine for about 1 hour, not 3.

Turkey Brining Tips

• Start with a thawed turkey. Thawing in the refrigerator takes about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so plan ahead.
• Check the label. Kosher, self-basting, and pre-seasoned turkeys already have salt added. Skip the brine for these, or your turkey will be too salty.
• Brine for any cooking method. Brining works whether you roast, smoke, or grill. If you’re frying, use a dry brine. A wet-brined bird adds extra moisture to hot oil, which can be dangerous.
• Keep it cold. With either method, the turkey needs to stay below 40°F the whole time it’s brining.

How do you season a brined turkey?

Brining seasons the meat from the inside, but the skin still needs flavor.

Brush the turkey with melted butter or olive oil, then rub about 1 teaspoon of seasoning per pound over and under the skin. That’s probably less than you’re used to, but the turkey has already absorbed salt from the brine, so go easy. 

Salt-free blends like Park Hill Maple & Spice, which gives a sweet, herby glaze, and Bohemian Forestwork especially well. Our Roast Turkey Rub is a classic choice. It contains salt, so use a lighter hand.

Ready to roast your brined turkey?

Once your turkey is brined, our recipe for a Classic Roast Turkey with Brine walks you through roasting it step by step.

Prefer to cook your bird outside? Try our Spatchcock Turkey for a faster cook, or Smoked Turkey for deep, smoky flavor. 

For stuffing, sides, and pies to round out the meal, browse all of our Thanksgiving recipes, and see How to Make the Perfect Roast Turkey for more on roasting and carving.

Turkey Brining FAQ

Do I need to rinse a turkey after brining?
No. Just pat it dry with paper towels. Rinsing raw poultry can spread bacteria around your kitchen, and a dry surface helps the skin brown.

Can I brine a frozen turkey?
No. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator first, so the brine can reach the meat and the turkey stays at a safe temperature.

Will brining make my turkey too salty?
Not if you stick to about 1 hour per pound for a wet brine and skip brining kosher, self-basting, or pre-seasoned turkeys. Season the skin afterward with salt-free blends.

Can I use the drippings from a brined turkey for gravy?
Yes, but taste them first. Drippings from a brined turkey are saltier than usual, so make the gravy with low-sodium stock and hold off on adding any salt until the very end.

Is brining the same as marinating?
No. A marinade flavors the surface of the meat, while a brine seasons it all the way through and keeps it juicy. You can do both: brining first means you can cut your marinating time way down.