Dry Brine Turkey recipe

All Recipes Best Recipe Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Brine

Ingredients

1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
black pepper to taste
1 onion, cut into wedges
4 stalks celery, halved

Nutrition Info

683.7 calories
carbohydrate: 1 g
cholesterol: 267.6 mg
fat: 31.8 g
fiber: 0.3 g
protein: 91.9 g
saturatedFat: 9.3 g
servingSize: -
sodium: 1382.8 mg
sugar: 0.5 g
transFat: : -
unsaturatedFat: : -

Directions

  1. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Season the inside and outside of turkey with kosher salt, focusing on the breast and thighs. Place turkey, breast-side up, in the roasting pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate turkey for about 2 days.

  2. Flip turkey breast-side down, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 1 more day.

  3. Remove plastic wrap and place turkey on a rack over a baking sheet the night before you plan to roast. Allow turkey to air-dry in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

  4. Bring turkey to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours, pat dry with paper towels. Season turkey with black pepper and place onion and celery in the cavity.

  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place turkey, breast-side down, in a roasting pan.

  6. Roast in the preheated oven until skin is golden, about 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and flip to breast-side up. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 2 hours.

  7. Transfer turkey to a large platter and loosely tent with aluminum foil, allow turkey to rest about 30 minutes before carving.

Recipe Yield

1 15-pound turkey

Recipe Note

Dry brining is the easiest way to get a moist and flavorful turkey on the table for your Thanksgiving dinner. Plan ahead, you'll need a few days to get the most flavor. I found that salt and pepper was enough for me, but feel free to season with other aromatics before roasting.

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