How to Brine a Turkey (2024)

FAQs

How to Brine a Turkey? ›

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.

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.

It's best to brine turkey for 12 to 24 hours. Brining it for longer than 24 hours can result in mushy meat and an overly salty flavor. If you do accidentally over-brine it, you can soak the turkey in cold water to remove some of the excess salt, but it likely won't have the best flavor or texture.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

For all-purpose brine, a good rule of thumb is: ¼ cup of kosher salt and ¼ cup of sugar for every quart of water. You can also add aromatics or other flavorings to intensify the seasoning, like whole peppercorns, garlic cloves, dried herbs, whole spices, citrus or other fruit, mirepoix or fruit juices.

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.

It is the salt that you need to pay particular attention to, as if the concentration of salt in the brine is too high then the turkey could become too salty, particularly if you are soaking it for a long period.

Make the brine solution: This is usually composed of the same ratio of salt to water. Use about 50g coarse salt to 1 litre water. Don't brine for longer than necessary, or you will end up with salty, mushy meat.

One key reason is the taste—whether you wet-brine or dry-brine, using all! that! salt! infuses the bird with flavor, giving it an extra boost before you add any spices or aromatics. It also helps the meat retain its moisture and can help you avoid over-cooking, our associate food editor Kelsey Youngman explains.

Wet-brining involves soaking a turkey in a saltwater solution overnight, resulting in an incredibly flavorful bird, plump with moisture.

How long to brine a 7kg turkey? ›

The brining process, soaking a whole turkey in water saturated with salt, is believed by many to be a favourable way to prepare turkey. The brining process requires a 6-24 hour soaking period, and ideally should be done the day before roasting.

To speed things up you can add some ice to it. Combine cooled brine with 1 gallon of ice water and submerge the turkey in the brine bath so that it is completely covered. I used a brining bag to do this, but a large container or a 5 gallon bucket would even work. Refrigerate overnight.

Overall process: 2 NaCl + 2 H ₂O → Cl ₂ + H ₂ + 2 NaOH.

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.

Tip: There is no need to boil all the brine liquid because you can fully dissolve the salt and sugar and extract the flavor out of any seasonings in 1½ cups of liquid. Step 2: Allow boiled brine to cool completely to room temperature.