Brined Roasted Turkey Recipe - National Turkey Federation (2024)

FAQs

Should a brined turkey be rinsed before roasting? ›

According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.

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.

Yes, a turkey that's been brined will cook faster than one that hasn't!

But a brined turkey that is not rinsed would be too salty to eat. Brining slows down the growth of bacteria but does not kill it, said Linda Harris, a microbiologist at the University of California, Davis. She and other food scientists have been trying to get Americans to stop rinsing poultry since the late 1990's.

Other metal containers will react with the brine solution and give the turkey a metallic flavor. One trick is to use a large, food-safe sealable bag. Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food-safe bags that are great for brining.

Getting it under the skin, Youngman says, will help permeate the meat and flavor it, while salting on top of the skin will help dry it out and get it crispy. You could theoretically rub on spices and seasonings at this point, too, but again, your best bet is waiting until after you've brined the turkey.

Moving on to the salted breast, we find that it's still significantly moister than the unsalted breast (though it was a couple of percentage points drier than the brined breast). Tasting it, you'll find it's undoubtedly juicier and better-seasoned, with a stronger chicken flavor.

The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less). Remove turkey from brine after the recommended time.

It's not unheard-of for store bought turkeys to be injected with brine to impart moisture. If you see a label that has ingredients other than turkey, your bird may be pre-brined. If you brine a pre-brined turkey, you will end up with a very salty Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Do you need to baste a turkey that has been brined? ›

Do Not Baste. Basting the skin is not necessary to flavor the meat. You'll flavor the skin, but you'll also let heat out of the oven each time you open it to baste. "That means the bird is going to be in there for a longer time cooking, which means it's going to dry out more," Brown says.

Brine the turkey for 8-12 hours or overnight. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey and the brine solution must be kept below 40°F throughout the entire brining process.

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting.

Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.

Dry-brining for more than 24 hours will produce even juicier and better-seasoned meat. To brine longer than 24 hours, loosely cover turkey with plastic wrap or cheesecloth before refrigerating, to prevent excess moisture loss through evaporation. Let rest for up to three days.

What to Do After the Meat Is Brined. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, remove the meat from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. You won't need to rinse it with fresh water unless you accidentally brined it for too long. From here, cook the meat according to your favorite recipe.

For the crispiest skin, though, you'll want to make sure you uncover it for at least the last 6 hours before cooking. 4. Don't rinse it. After a few days, the salt will have done its job.