Turkey will come across your radar at minimum once a year. We gave this recipe a try this Thanksgiving when we spent four days in Tennessee and told my Mom to stay out of the kitchen. You should have seen her. She didn’t know what to do with herself the entire time we were there. Funny thing was that while we were cooking our turkey in the oven, my Dad was outside cooking 86 turkeys for his Sunday school class’s Thanksgiving fundraiser. Needless to say, we had plenty of bird on the table. While we all love the smoked turkeys, my dad went on record saying this preparation was one of the best turkeys he had ever eaten.
Troll through the Internet and you will find many different ways to brine a turkey. Why do we like this dry brine? Sometimes it’s a real challenge to find a cooler or other insulated vessel to put a turkey and all that brining liquid into. And it would likely drive our dogs crazy. Dry brining is great because it uses the moisture content of the turkey itself. The salt pulls the moisture out of the turkey on the first day of dry brining, then mixes with some of the salt, then is reabsorbed into the turkey, making for a really tender but not mushy meat.
1 10- to 20-pound (5–9 kg) fresh or frozen whole turkey, neck and giblets removed from cavity
2–4 tablespoons (60 ml) kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) black pepper
2 small onions, quartered
2 medium apples, peeled and cored, cut into medium slices
1 bunch fresh thyme
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
½ cup (110 g) butter
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 cup (250 mL) white wine
72 hours before cooking
- Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry. Rub with kosher salt including into cavities where possible.
- Wrap the bird in a large plastic bag and place in the refrigerator, taking time to massage salt into skin on day 2.
24 hours before cooking
- Turn the turkey over in the refrigerator.
A few hours before cooking
- Remove the turkey from the bag and pat dry. Place in a roasting pan and allow to come to room temperature. Sprinkle half the black pepper into chest cavity adding half the onions/apples and all of the thyme/parsley. The remaining onions/apples can go in the neck cavity. Tie the legs up with twine and tuck the neck skin under.
- Rub as much of the bird with butter as possible (under skin and onto thighs). Sprinkle remaining black pepper on exterior of bird and place in 450°F (235°C) oven for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350°F (175°C). Cover breast and wings with one big sheet of foil. Pour water and white wine into roasting pan and return to oven for about 2–3 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast reads 170°F (75°C). Good rule of thumb is to cook 15 minutes per pound of bird.
Variation—Mix in some aromatics with the salt, such as lemon zest, rosemary, or your favorite herbs and spices. This will infuse the turkey with those tasty flavors.
More Recipes You'll Love
Dry-brined big bird is the turkey method that actually delivers juicy meat and shatteringly crisp skin. Instead of a wet brine, the turkey gets a generous kosher salt rub over three days, then roasts over apples, onions, and herbs with a butter finish and a splash of white wine in the pan.
Pro Tips
- Start the dry brine 72 hours out if you can: salt the bird, bag it, and massage the salt into the skin again on day two for deeper seasoning and drier, crisper skin.
- Pat the turkey completely dry after the brine and let it come to room temperature before roasting — both steps are what push the skin toward crackling rather than leathery.
- The opening blast at 450°F (235°C) for 30 minutes colours the bird fast; covering the breast and wings with one sheet of foil afterwards stops them drying out during the long, slower roast.
- The apples and onions in the cavity perfume the meat from the inside and become a rustic side in their own right, so don't skip them.
- Rest the turkey at least 20 minutes before carving, and pour the pan juices through a fat separator for instant paleo gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I start the dry brine?
Give it 72 hours for the best results, with a quick re-massage of the salt on day two. In a pinch, a full 24-hour brine still noticeably improves the flavour and moisture of the meat.
Is a dry brine better than a wet brine for turkey?
For crisp skin, yes — a dry brine seasons the meat without waterlogging the skin, which is the usual enemy of browning. The salt still helps the turkey hold on to moisture as it roasts.
What temperature should the turkey reach?
Pull the bird when an instant-read thermometer in the breast reads about 170°F (75°C), then let it rest — the temperature keeps climbing a little as it sits.
Can I use a frozen turkey?
Yes, just thaw it completely in the fridge first and pat it very dry before salting. A frozen bird needs the same 3-day brine schedule once thawed.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry. Rub with kosher salt including into cavities where possible.
- Wrap the bird in a large plastic bag and place in the refrigerator, taking time to massage salt into skin on day 2.
- Turn the turkey over in the refrigerator.
- Remove the turkey from the bag and pat dry.
- Place in a roasting pan and allow to come to room temperature.
- Sprinkle half the black pepper into chest cavity adding half the onions/apples and all of the thyme/parsley. The remaining onions/apples can go in the neck cavity. Tie the legs up with twine and tuck the neck skin under.
- Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Cover breast and wings with one big sheet of foil.
- Pour water and white wine into roasting pan and return to oven for about 2–3 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast reads 170°F (75°C). Good rule of thumb is to cook 15 minutes per pound of bird.
