You’re going to love my dry brine turkey recipe. And my chef tips and tricks are going to make you look like a superstar in the kitchen!
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, thoughts to turn to plum juicy turkeys, roasted to perfection, served with gravy and all the trimmings…..sigh. But how many times have you had sat down to dinner to be disappointed by a dry and flavorless bird? It’s not a very pretty picture.
Of course, you may already be researching how to cook that oversized piece of poultry, and many of you might be feeling a bit intimidated by the thought of cooking a turkey. But fear not my friends, I’m here to share my dry brining and roasting methods to make your holiday turkey the star of the show…..some might say legendary.
There are different thoughts on brining, should I do wet or dry. Brining will help you cook the most succulent turkey you’ve ever had, and the smartest, easiest way to do it is with a dry brine. It doesn’t matter if this is your first Thanksgiving dinner, my dry-brine method will make you look like a seasoned veteran of Thanksgiving and turn out an impeccably juicy, flavorful bird.
What Ingredients do I need to Dry Brine a Turkey?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to dry brine our turkey. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to use specific herbs and spices to dry brine a turkey?
That’s a tricky question because if you want a traditional Thanksgiving turkey, the answer is yes.
But If you like specific flavorings and aren’t into traditional Thanksgiving flavors, then by all means have fun substituting spices that you like.
Recipes should be used as guidelines and in all honesty, the salt is the only ingredient you really need for dry brining, the rest are added for flavor.
What Is Dry-Brining?
When you’re dealing with a large piece of lean meat like a whole turkey, it’s easy to overcook it into a dry, unappealing texture. Also, just seasoning it right before cooking means there’s no time for the salt to penetrate into the meat, especially for thick cuts.
Brining, or soaking a piece of meat in salty seasoned water, is a way to inject both flavor and moisture at the same time.
Rule #1 of Dry Brining – The larger the piece of meat, the more time is needed for the brine to be effective.
A dry brine, also called pre-salting involves rubbing the salt, seasonings, and/or sugar directly onto the meat and skin, and then letting the meat rest in the refrigerator for a period of time before cooking. During the process of dry brining, the salt draws out the juices through osmosis.
As the salt dissolves into the juices, it begins turning into a natural brine without any added liquid. This Natural brine is then reabsorbed into the meat and starts breaking down the tough muscle proteins. That is why this process needs up to 3 days to complete.
Common Questions about Dry Brining a Turkey
- A whole turkey needs two to three days of brining time, the dry-brining can be done days before Thanksgiving giving you extra time on Turkey Day.
- With a dry brine, you just mix the salt and spices, rub it into the meat, cavity and skin and you’re done. Cover it for two days, uncover for one and it’s ready to cook. No muss, no fuss and no water!
- Dry-brining can be done in a roasting pan, a throwaway aluminum pan or a sheet pan. You don’t need to find anything big enough to hold all the wet brine ingredients as well as the turkey. That also means you don’t need to find an extra refrigerator to store it in.
- Because the turkey sits uncovered in the refrigerator during the last day of a dry brine, it drys out the skin, which in turn gives you incredibly crispy, golden-brown skin on the finished turkey.
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird. But most importantly no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. Buy your turkey early enough so that it’s thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey, you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, add an extra day to the process.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 3 Days really is the minimum, 4 is even better especially if you’re working with a 20 pound plus bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Kosher Salt for the best results. Table salt is too fine and will make the turkey too salty. Kosher salt say it out loud, twice.
- The standard is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at 1 tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs. So if you’re turkey is smaller adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
Does it Matter Where I apply the Dry Brine Mixture?
It does make a difference where you apply the dry brine. Separating the skin from the meat so that some of the dry brine can be rubbed directly on top of the meat (below the skin) will give you the best results.
If you apply the brine directly on the skin it will need more time to penetrate the skin and get to the meat. The breast will also get more of the dry brine than the rest of the turkey. The turkey breast has the largest amount of meat on a conventional turkey.
Can I use Dry Herbs in the Dry Brining Method?
Yes, you can, although I prefer fresh herbs. You can find them at most grocery stores in convenient little plastic containers. If fresh herbs are not available by all means use dry herbs. You can also add any other herbs or aromatics that you like.
Should I cook a Heritage Turkey differently?
A heritage turkey is more elongated with drumsticks that are a good 1 to 2 inches longer than a modern bird, extending well beyond the tip of the breast.
Because of its more elongated shape, a heritage turkey cooks a little more quickly than a conventional turkey, so the biggest danger is overcooking. To make sure your Heritage Turkey is not overcooked, follow my recipe changing the cooking times.
Roast an unstuffed turkey at 425° for 20 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 325°F until the internal temperature of the thigh meat reaches 155°F. Cooking 15-20 minutes per pound for the total cooking time. That being said, I would start checking the internal temperature 2 hours after the second phase of the process using an insta-read thermometer in the thigh.
I absolutely love my Thermopro Wireless Digital Meat Thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking meats in the oven, on the grill, or in a smoker.
Also, make sure to allow 1-½ lb. per person compared to about 1 lb. for a conventional turkey. As an example expect a 12-lb. heritage turkey to feed about eight people. Also, keep in mind that you’ll have as much dark meat as light meat. A conventional turkey will have more white meat.
Do I have to start the turkey upside down?
No, you don’t. Safety should always come first and if you don’t think you can flip the turkey safely, skip that step. Still use the instruction for roasting starting at 425 degrees, then lowering to 325 degrees.
**If you do flip the turkey, take the pan out of the oven first. Don’t attempt this while the pan is in the oven.
You might also find heat resistant gloves a good option. They’ll come in handy throughout the year.
- Rappica 14″ BBQ Gloves (my choice)
- Heat Resistant Oven Gloves
Can I still Dry-Brine a Self-Basting or Kosher Turkey?
No you can’t. That will make the turkey too salty! What you can do, is leave the salt out of the dry-brine ingredients and use the remainder of the seasonings as a dry rub. Feel free to add in your favorite spices.
Apply the dry rub for 24-36 hours and follow the roasting instructions.
Why shouldn’t I stuff my turkey?
I know that the stuffing from inside the turkey is the best you’ll ever have. But it’s not a practice I recommend for two very important reasons.
The stuffing sucks a lot of the moisture (and flavor) out of the turkey. That’s why a stuffed turkey is often dry and overcooked. And the really bad news is, it puts us at risk for foodborne illness.
The longer it takes the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees gives bacteria more time to multiply. And that means that uncle Sal (salmonella) might be paying you and your guests an unexpected holiday visit, which will definitely put a damper on the festivities.
**Stuffed turkeys also take longer to cook.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Potato Bread Stuffing
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Original Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Holiday Pie Recipes
- Turkey Leftover Recipes
If you have leftover turkey, try my Old Fashioned Turkey Croquettes.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
Ingredients
Dry Brine Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coarse kosher salt I use Morton's Kosher Salt (coarse grain sea salt may be used)
- 1 tbsp coarse grind black pepper
- 1 tbsp thyme finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tbsp sage finely chopped fresh or dry
- 1 tbsp clementine peel finely zested any citrus may be used
- 1 tsp smoked paprika optional
Roasting Turkey
- 1-2 carrots rough cut
- 1 onion rough cut
- 3-4 stalks celery rough cut
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 16-20 lb turkey fresh or frozen
- rough cut onion, carrot, sage, thyme and orange skin for inside the turkey (optional)
Instructions
Prep and Dry Brining
- Mix the dry brine ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside
- Remove the turkey from the wrapping and remove the giblets and neck from inside the cavity and save for another use. Remove or discard any plastic or metal cages or pop-up thermometers.
- If you can follow safe procedures, rinse the entire turkey in cold water thoroughly. Then pat the turkey dry using paper towels, inside and out. The FDA Does Not Recommend Rinsing Turkeys. If you do rinse your turkey make sure to clean and sanitize the counters, sink, faucet and any areas possibly exposed.
- Using your hands, gently loosen the skin over the breast and separate it from the meat, making sure to break through the thin membrane between the skin and breast while leaving the skin itself intact.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the cavity of the turkey and rub it into the cavity.
- Rub 4 teaspoons of the salt mixture into the meat of the breasts (under the skin). Then sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over all the skin of both the breasts, legs and wings
- Place the turkey breast-side up in a roasting pan. Cover the turkey securely using plastic wrap, or place it into a small plastic bag and seal it, removing as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for 48 – 60 hours.
- After the time has expired, uncover the turkey and allow it to remain uncovered and refrigerated for 8-12 hours.
The Secret to Roasting
- Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for one hour before roasting.**Do Not Rinse The Brine Off the Turkey
- In the bottom of your roasting pan add roughly cut celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Include the skin from the onion and carrots. Add 1 cup of chicken stock or water to the pan.**You can also place some aromatics inside the cavity of the turkey before cooking. Onions, carrots, herbs of your choice, orange peel and any other spices you like.
- Place the turkey upside down on a rack in a roasting pan. This will self baste the breast as the fat from the underside and dark meat flow into the breast. This will help keep the turkey from being dry.**If you don't feel comfortable turning the hot turkey, cook your turkey right side up for the entire process. The breast meat won't be quite as moist, but it's not a deal-breaker. Safety First!
- Preheat oven to 425º. Brush the turkey with melted butter and roast upside down for 45 minutes. At the end of that time very carefully turn the turkey over with the breast side up to continue cooking. ( I used heat resistant gloves) Brush again with melted butter if you like.Decrease oven temperature to 325º. Cook the turkey until it reaches the temp of 165º for the breast and 175º for the thighs. The meat will rise an additional 10º continuing to cook as it rests.*My 20-pound turkey only took an additional 3 hours to cook using this method. Make sure to check your turkey around the 2 ½ hour mark.
- Allow the turkey to rest 30 – 60 minutes before slicing. This will ensure that the juices stay in the turkey and don't all run out as you slice it.
Notes
Dry Brining Turkey Tips
- Don’t buy a preseasoned or kosher turkey (pre-salted) or self-basting turkeys. I always look for free-roaming or a heritage bird. But most importantly no added salt.
- Make sure your turkey is thawed if you buy a frozen turkey. Buy your turkey early enough so that it’s thawed and ready to brine on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
- It doesn’t have to be a whole turkey, you can dry brine a turkey breast.
- Getting under the skin of the turkey and applying the brine directly to the meat will make a tastier, moister turkey. If you’re only going to brine the skin, add an extra day to the process.
- Don’t rush dry brining. To enjoy the best turkey you’ll ever have, you need to give it enough time to be effective. 3 Days really is the minimum, 4 is even better especially if you’re working with a 20 pound plus bird.
- You can use any herbs that you like, but the salt really does matter. Use Kosher Salt for the best results. Salt that is too fine will make the bird too salty. Kosher salt, say it out loud, twice.
- The standard is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 pounds of turkey, but I like to go a little below that at 1 tablespoon of salt for every 6 lbs. So if you’re turkey is smaller adjust the amount of salt and herbs.
- Add more water to roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.
- If you absolutely don’t have Kosher Salt and have to use Regular Salt decrease the amount of the salt by ⅓.
Directions for a 12 pound Turkey
For a 12 pound turkey cut the seasoning mix by one-third and adjust the cooking time to 30 minutes inverted at 425, and 1.5 – 2 hours at 325.Directions for a 6-7 pound Turkey Breast
For a 6-7 pound Turkey Breast use one-third of the brine ingredients. The roasting time will be, 20 minutes at 425 and about 1 hour at 325. It could be a little less so I would check the internal temp at the 45-minute mark of the 325 stage of roasting.Nutrition
Josie
Hi Chef Dennis,
I am in the process of cooking my 16 pound turkey using your method and was wondering if the temperature and times you have listed are for convection oven or regular oven?
Thanks, Josie
Leigh
Hi Chef Dennis,
I have done this twice now and it was a huge success both times! Prior to this my turkey always turns out dry and wet brine was just not an option for me. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Josie
Hi Chef Dennis,
I’m in the process of trying out your recipe and was wondering the oven temperatures and times you have listed, are they convection oven or regular oven?
Thanks,
Josie
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Josie
all the times and temps are with a convection oven.
Josie
Thanks Chef Dennis!
One last thing…do you cook it on the lowest rack of your oven?
Thanks again,
Josie
Chef Dennis Littley
I cook it as low as needed. If you don’t need the oven for anything else cooking it higher will allow more airflow in the oven
Scott Kevin Griffith
Do you cover the turkey during cooking?
Chef Dennis Littley
no you do not. If it looks like its getting too dark, you can cover it towards the end of the cooking process
Myriam
I too had been using Nigella Lawsons wet brine for years. At my daughters suggestion tried your recipe for dry brining. My bird was ~ 10.5 lbs. I still brined for 2.5 days (2 days covered and 1 day uncovered). I guesstimated length of time and did pretty good. Temp was higher than recommend when I checked it. Let it rest and have to say I will not be going back to wet brine. Could not get over how moist and juicy it was. This was by far the juiciest turkey we have ever had. Absolutely delicious. Next time I will be increasing the pepper and herbs.
Thank you for sharing and Happy New Year!
Chef Dennis Littley
I am thrilled to hear that Myriam! I love Nigella too, but a wet brine is just too much trouble. I hope you find more recipes to try
Happy New Year!
Lori
This was my first turkey recipe! The directions were so helpful and it is by far the best I’ve ever eaten. So flavorful and never dry. My family thought so, too, and now I’m responsible for the turkey every Thanksgiving and Christmas! 😛 Thank you, Chef Dennis!
Gwen Ziprick
This method/recipe is fantastic! I have made my last 4 holiday turkeys this way and everyone is always ecstatic about the bird! Thanks Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
you are very welcome Gwen! Thanks for the great review!
Georgie Anderson
Hi Chef Dennis
I’m messaging you from Australia. I’ve been doing a great dry brined chicken and came across your recipe as I would like to do a dry brined Turkey for our family Christmas. We will have 17 adults and 4 children. Do you have a guide as to how much turkey we would need per person? I was also thinking about doing two smaller birds or would you recommend one big bird?
What is the purpose of the vegetables and stock in the bottom of the tray? Is that for moisture and gravy?
We have a meat thermometer called a ‘Meater’. You leave the probe in the meat as it’s cooking and it’s linked to our phone for monitoring. Do you suggest we leave the probe in the thigh?
Sorry for all the questions. I really want to nail this Turkey! Thanks in advance, Georgie
Chef Dennis Littley
The vegetables are to keep the turkey off the bottom of the pan and to also add flavor to the drippings. I would leave the probe in thigh but it will more than likely need to get to 175 F for the breast to hit 165 F. As for two turkeys instead of one, that’s always a good idea as you can cook one ahead of time, to give it plenty of time to cool and use the second turkey as a backup and cut as needed. When you use smaller turkeys you are giving up meat to bone ratio, the larger the turkey the higher the meat to bone is. So its whatever you feel more comfortable cooking.
Just remember to make the brine depending upon the total weight, my recipe is based on an 18-20 pound turkey, you can use more herbs if you like, but you have to be careful as to adding more salt than required. And its Kosher salt or Coarse sea salt, not fine grain salt.
K. Kawakami
Thank you Chef Dennis for your recipe and all the postings about brining and cooking a turkey. I made my first turkey from your recipe and it was really moist! It came out great! Thank you for responding to all the questions because it was very helpful! Merry Christmas!
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re very welcome and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your turkey!
Jane Coelho
Chef Dennis, Thank you so much for the perfect brining recipe. My first time with the dry brine process and it turned out perfectly. I had so many compliments from my family which really says it all. I wish I had more leftovers. I brined a 22 lb fresh turkey and it served 14 adults for dinner and sandwiches that evening, but not much left on Friday. The drippings were great in my gravy base as well, not too salty. I began the brining process on Sunday.
Thanks again Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re very welcome Jane, I’m always happy to hear from my readers. It sounds like your Thanksgiving was a delicious event!
India
Hi Chef Dennis!
I am really excited to try your recipe this year – usually, I follow Nigella Lawson’s wet brine recipe, but I am keen to try something new and this sounds perfect (and the reviews have convinced me!).
The turkey I am getting is 4.5kg / just under 10lb, so on the smaller side compared to your recipe.Based on this, how long would you recommend leaving it in the dry brine covered vs uncovered please? I have booked to pick my turkey up on 23rd Dec, and so wondering if I need to change that!
Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
cut the brining ingredients in half (remember kosher salt or coarse sea salt) for that size of a turkey. Roast at 220 C for 20 minutes and 160 C for 60 – 90 minutes. As for the brining 30-36 hours covered and leave it uncovered overnight before roasting to let the skin dry out.
let me know how it turns out.
India
Thank you! 🙂
James Novak
Hi Chef Dennis,
Thanksgiving is done! Used your recipe on a stuffed 25+ pound monster, with fresh herbs in the brine, rubbed under and over the skin. Added butter under the skin and (because of the stuffing) did all of the roasting ‘breast side up’, tinted in foil to slow the browning.
My guests raved that it was the best turkey they’ve ever had! So thank you for your annual advice!
I did find something interesting… I used the convection setting for the very first time and even though the bird was tinted, it browned very quickly within the first hour; normally a tinted bird browns at the end when the foil is removed. Do you find that the convection process changes the browning time vs. conventional oven heat?
Thanks!
-James
John Clay
Hi chef,
I’m in England so I hope you some of the terms I’ll use translate to the US.
As you have thanksgiving in the states a little earlier than our ‘Turkey Day” over here I’m hoping I can get the benefit of writers comments & experiences so I get the job done right on the 25th over here.
Whole turkeys are going out of favour a bit here & what we term ‘turkey crowns’ (double breast on the bone) are becoming more popular. We’ll have a 6-7lb crown as you cover in your description.
The dry brine method sounds good & Im going for that for the first time in my 30 years of cooking Christmas turkey but the one thing all our UK recipes seem to demand is copious amounts of butter rubbed under the skin just before the cooking plus we layer streaky bacon over the breasts from the get go (both the butter & bacon have always been preached as essential for maintaining a juicy bird).
The bacon is great & crispy & we love that but seldom is the bird juicy!
I’m following your method this year but would appreciate your comments on the butter under the skin & the streaky bacon. (Streaky bacon here is a fatty bacon cut, & I guess is an attempt at keeping the breast moist? …but it’s been passed down as gospel) …but maybe an old wives tale?? ..interested to get your take on it.
Many thanks,
John C
Chef Dennis Littley
The butter is a nice addition and works well with the brine. I’ve never been one to say no to bacon, so go ahead and add that too. The dry brine and seasonings will help with the flavor and the butter and bacon will help keep it moist.
Happy Turkey Day!
Irene Vastola
Hello Chef Dennis,
I was hoping you might take a moment to respond to my email from Nov 27th so that I might make a few changes for next year.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Margot Bradley
I made your recipe this year and it came out wonderfully well. My 18lb. bird only 4 hours. Instead of using butter to moisten and baste the turkey, I used canola oil which worked well to produce the crispy skin since it does not contain water molecules, like butter. I also used my oven thermometer and took the turkey out when it reached 155 degrees. I then let it rest for over 1 hour so the temperature would rise. Next year I will do the same, although I will change to Blue Diamond Kosher salt since it contains less sodium.
Thank you Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks so much for letting me know Margot, and I’m happy to see you adapted the recipe to what you prefer to use, it sounds like it came out well!
I hope you find more recipes to try on site.
Irene Vastola
Hello again Chef Dennis,
I have been attempting and tweaking your recipe with your direction for the last few years and while it is delicious, I can’t seem to get it perfect! I had a 21 lb Bell and Evans fresh turkey this year. Since it was in a 4% solution, I cut back on the Kosher salt to about 2 3/4 Tbsp and added all of my other fresh herbs. I had it in the fridge 4 days flipping it over every 12 hours. The last day unbagged the turkey and left exposed in fridge. On Thanksgiving, left on counter 2 hours before went into oven, basted with olive oil and put the unstuffed bird into 425 degree oven breast side down for 45 minutesThen turned over and resumed cooking at 325 degrees. The bird browned evenly and beautifully and by 2 1/2 hours later we checked temp on bird. Could not get a consistent temp in breast or thigh with an instant read thermometer to know for sure if turkey was fully cooked. (Last year with a 24 lb bird, we cooked longer and had pink drum sticks) so we returned the bird to the oven for another 25 minutes. ( btw, 2 oven thermometers said the oven temps were accurate). Took the beautiful bird out of oven and let it rest for 60 minutes tented before we carved. The breast was somewhat dry, the drum sticks were juicy and some of the back meat by the wings had red blood spots! Just can’t get it right and don’t know what more we could be doing to get that perfect juicy bird! We also made the gravy ahead of time roasting giant turkey wings so was able to just add the pan drippings and broth from neck and giblets for a more flavorful gravy. Any suggestions on how to adjust to get a juicy breast and along with cooked legs next year? I know it’s a learning process but not sure how to again tweak. You mentioned that you use convection oven. I am old schooled and while I have feature to convection roast, am unfamiliar. What would recipe time be for a 20 lb bird if I choose to go that route next year? If so, is there anything else I will need to change? Thanks so much for your time and help. The brine method is delicious and the bird was beautiful. Just wish I could get the rest right,
Best,
Irene Vastola
Belinda Leonardi
I used this brining recipe this year (2020) and it was amazing! Incredibly flavorful and made the turkey incredibly moist!
Christa
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and the turkey breast turned out so succulent. I couldn’t believe it when I cut into the turkey and the breast was so juicy. I was so relieved and proud. I did cook the turkey breast down for an hour and turn it. I did not use a rack. Everyone was complimenting me like crazy. I even got “I never eat the breast because it’s so dry but I love your turkey breast”. Beast compliment ever.
Chef Dennis Littley
I love hearing that Christa! People are so used to overcooked dry turkey, I’m sure you amazed them with your culinary skills, it’s a nice feeling making people happy with food.
thanks for the great review and comment!
Dennis
Vicki C
Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for this recipe! I followed it exactly, and ended up with a turkey that was incredibly moist and flavorful throughout. Even the center of the breast was tender and delicious. Easily the best turkey I’ve ever eaten, and my guests agreed. My daughter who doesn’t normally like turkey even loved it!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know Vicki, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the turkey! I hope you find more recipes on my blog to try.
Bethany
I over salted the 13 pound bird and neglected to find the giblets in the neck cavity of the bird (the neck was the only thing in the chest cavity). Still, it was the best turkey I’ve ever had, moist and salty. The breast got super hot – 180, and the thigh only 169. So far no one has gotten sick! 🤞🏼
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Bethany
It’s a learning process, but as long as everyone enjoyed the turkey it was a good day. As for the giblets and neck in the cavity, no harm except for the loss of the giblets if you wanted them for your stuffing.
Your temps were good 165 is the magic number, it’s just that to get the thigh there you have to overcook the breast, It’s also one of the reasons to start it upside down and using a rack will also help.
Thanks for the great review!
Dennis
mary pearl
This was my first shot at making a turkey. After hearing so many horror stories and seeing that there were turkey making hotlines, I was nervous. This recipe takes you step by step and I made the BEST, MOIST, turkey!! My 5 guests were in awe! Thank you Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley
you made my day Mary, I’m thrilled to hear you got rave reviews on your turkey! Thank you for the comment and great review.
Christa
Good Morning! I wanted to let you know I made your dry brined turkey and it was the best one all of us have ever had. Thank you. We will make this every year from now on. Two questions if you don’t mind- My turkey was a 20.5 lb. one that I let dry brine for 4 days including the last day uncovered. There were no juices in the pan before baking. Once baked and I cooked it until the thigh was 165*, there were pink shaded juices in the cavity and under the bird. Should it be pink or clear? Once out of the oven the skin was beautifully crisp. After being tented with foil for 1 hour before cutting, the skin was no longer crisp. Is there a way to have it rest but still leave the skin crisp without it getting cold? Thank you so much! Hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous.
Chef Dennis Littley
Hi Christa
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed your turkey. As for your question about having liquid in the pan, I have quite a bit some years and some years none. My 18-pound turkey, this year after 3.5 days of brining, had nothing in the pan but also turned out to be one of the best I’ve ever had, moist and tender. I have to do more research as to why this happens. I got a free-range organic turkey at Whole Foods and I just wonder if it was fresher than usual.
As for your pink liquid, your thigh should have been closer to 175 even 185 to get the breast to 165, and again I had the same issue this year, it was evenly cooked with little variation of temperature. I also had pink juices inside where the leg joins the turkey, but the turkey was fully cooked with no raw or red spots. I know that free-range and heritage dark meat is different from Butterball style turkeys. My wife won’t eat any meat with a trace of pink, and it passed her inspection so it was done, but also a little strange that it had pink juices.
As for the skin, I don’t tent after cooking, the turkey actually keeps cooking from the internal heat so I don’t want to let steam by tenting. The thing to remember about turkey is it doesn’t have to be steaming hot as long as the gravy is. That’s pretty much how we would do it at restaurants because keeping it hot would dry it out. The trick is finding that fine line where you let it rest long enough for the juices to return to the meat, without having it cool to much.
Hope this helps some, I know its not definitive answers.
Dennis
Christa
Thank you for your reply- yes- it helped- I will modify next time!
Rachel
The husband wanted to flip it so he ended up being in charge and overcooked it. Despite that it was the most flavorful and moist turkey we’ve ever had because of your dry brine recipe! Thank you sooooo much for answering our questions and sharing this recipe! Definitely using the dry brine method from now on! And interested in checking out your other recipes!
Kbauer
This was the tastiest Turkey I can remember and picture perfect too! Love the orange zest, and it made outstanding gravy. I did invert the turkey in the beginning, which did seem to make a big difference in the moistness of the meat. This is my new go to recipe! Thanks Chef Dennis.
Chef Dennis Littley
I love hearing that! Thanks for taking the time to let me know and for the great review!
Tim
Hi Chef Dennis.
I have some juices at the bottom of my pan after pulling it leaving it out in my fridge. Should I dump those or leave them into roast.
Thanks,
Tim
Chef Dennis Littley
dump any liquid that’s in the pan before roasting.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Paul
Chef. I roasting 22 lb Turkey as your direction state and I noticed thigh probe is about 20 degrees higher than breast probe.
Chef Dennis Littley
you do want the thigh meat to get closer to 175 so the breast will reach 165… so you’re looking pretty good. The thigh can stand higher temps because of the higher fat content, where as the breast will just dry out the higher it gets.
Leena
Do I need to cover the turkey while it cooks?!
Chef Dennis Littley
there is no reason to cover the turkey during the process. Only cover if it starts to get to do dark, then you can loosely tent it with foil
James Novak
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for your answer below!
Forgot to ask one thing, if you have the time…
I was considering using the convection feature on my oven today, as I recently read that this creates a more even cooking of the turkey and reduces the cooking by up to 30%.
Is there any benefit that a regular heated oven provides vs. convection?
Again, thanks for answering questions year over year!
-James
Chef Dennis Littley
I always use the convection option on my oven, it does cook more evenly.
Annie
Hi Chef! This is my first turkey. I just put it in 425deg for 45. At any point do I need to cover the turkey with foil? Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Annie
You shouldn’t need to, but keep an eye on it. If it starts to look like its getting too dark you can cover it loosely with foil
Annie
Thank you so much!!!!
Eric
Hi Chef,
I have a roasting rack – it lifts the bird about six inches from the bottom of the pan. should I use it or roast directly on the pan? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use the rack it helps get air under the turkey so it cooks more evenly
The mom
Hey Chef-
Used this brine and getting ready to roast-but I’m looking at my bird and he is VERY peppery-was 1tbsp of pepper correct? Should I rinse him?
Thanks!!
Chef Dennis Littley
as long as you used the right amount for the turkey size you are roasting you should be good. Of course you can wipe some of it off if you like
Happy Thanksgiving