When to brine a turkey? (2023)

Asked by: Prof. Geo Ebert

Score: 4.6/5 (53 votes)

Steps to Brining a Turkey

  1. Three to Four days before you are planning to cook your turkey, begin thawing your turkey in the refrigerator, if you are using a frozen turkey--but remember a fresh turkey is best!
  2. Two days before roasting your turkey, make your turkey brine.

How long should you brine a turkey before cooking?

Pop the turkey into the fridge and let it brine for at least 8 hours (and up to 18 hours). Just don't leave the turkey in the brine for longer than recommended—over-brining can render the bird too salty and turn the texture spongy.

Is brining a turkey worth it?

During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. Since the turkey absorbs salt too, it also gets nicely seasoned. ... A bird that has been wet-brined for just 12 hours will stay juicy even if you overshoot the cooking time a little. It's one less thing to worry about.

Can you leave a turkey in brine too long?

Brining too long can result in meat that tastes overly salty and has a spongy texture. If you're not ready to roast the bird after 18 hours, remove it from the brine, rinse it, pat it dry and refrigerate for up to two days.

Is it OK to brine a turkey for 3 days?

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.

15 related questions found

Does the turkey need to be thawed before brining?

Turkeys should always be completely thawed before brining or cooking. According to Butterball.com, there are two acceptable ways to thaw your turkey: Refrigerator thawing: ... A thawed turkey can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days before cooking, so it's better to get that bird thawing sooner than later.

Should I brine Butterball turkey?

Should I brine or pre-salt the turkey? "If you want to you can, but you don't have to," says Miller. ... Butterball turkeys have a solution in them that really helps to keep them moist and juicy and tender. If you're going to brine it, we do suggest that you cut down on the salt.”

What should I brine my turkey in?

DRY BRINE: Combine 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Rub the mixture all over a 14 to 16-pound turkey — over the skin, under the skin, and inside the cavity — and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 and up to 16 hours.

Do brined turkeys cook faster?

NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Do you rinse a turkey after brining?

Leaving the turkey uncovered for the last 4 to 6 hours will help dry—and thus crisp up—the skin. Resist any temptation to rinse the turkey after brining. There will be no trace of salt on the surface and rinsing would only make the skin less prone to browning.

How much salt do I need to brine a 12 pound turkey?

Our general turkey-brining rule of thumb for how much brine for a 12-pound turkey (adjust up or down based on the size of your bird) is 5 quarts hot water + 1½ cups kosher salt or ¾ cup table salt. Mix to combine and add this to the pot or bag.

Is it better to wet brine or dry brine a turkey?

The turkey only picks up salt and water from the wet brine, which means any flavor impact from aromatics is minimal. A dry brine, however, imparts far more flavor directly into the meat because of the close contact between the spice mixture and turkey meat. The flavor is much richer and more intense.

How long do I boil my brine?

When dissolved, add the spices and/or flavorings and bring to a full boil for 1 to 2 minutes. 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.

How do you prepare a pre brined turkey?

The night before you plan on cooking the turkey, remove the innards and rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Boil 1 gallon of water and brining blend for 2 - 3 minutes, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. To speed things up you can add some ice to it.

Should I salt my turkey the night before?

It's simple, really. Salt the turkey, cover it, then stick it in the fridge. Overnight the salt draws moisture from the interior of the bird to the surface, where it combines with the salt and other seasonings. Eventually, that flavorful salted liquid is reabsorbed by the meat, seasoning it throughout.

How long should you brine a frozen turkey?

Cover the pot and place it in the refrigerator. Brine for 12 to 24 hours. Rinse the turkey in cool water and pat dry.

Should you brine turkey before baking?

Brining involves soaking a turkey in a salt and liquid solution for at least a day prior to roasting, grilling, or frying. Brining adds flavor and moisture and helps the turkey retain flavor during cooking. ... Brining takes a little planning ahead but really very little hands-on time, and the result is so worth it!

What happens if you brine a Butterball turkey?

Brining is similar to marinating, but is primarily focused on moistening the meat as opposed to adding flavor. Brining your turkey prior to cooking will help ensure you end up with a deliciously moist and flavor-packed turkey for your next gathering.

Can you dry brine a turkey in 24 hours?

Want the most perfectly moist, flavorful, and juicy Thanksgiving turkey? Try dry-brining! All you do is rub the turkey with salt and let it hang out in the fridge for 24 to 72 hours. No muss, no fuss.

Are Butterball turkeys really better?

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. ... We pre-brine directly in the breast meat ensuring you can take the turkey from the packaging to your pan without a lot of additional preparation before cooking and enjoy the most tender and juicy turkey possible.

How long is too long to brine a turkey?

The recommended time depends on the type and cuts of meat. For instance, you should never brine a whole turkey for more than 24 hours. Turkey pieces shouldn't be brined for more than 18 hours. When left for too long, turkey meat can develop a mushy sponge-like texture, which can ruin a perfect thanksgiving.

Is it OK to brine a partially frozen turkey?

If you're planning to brine your turkey, either in a brine solution or with a dry-brine, you can start this while it's still partially frozen. Also, it's fine to keep a completely thawed turkey in the fridge for up to two days, so you have a little wiggle room if you want to start thawing your turkey early.

What happens if you brine a frozen turkey?

The Best Cuts to Brine Frozen

They need to be partially thawed in cold water before they can finish thawing in brine. Sitting in brine for too long will change the texture of the meat and is not recommended.

Can I brine a store bought turkey?

Can I brine any turkey? No - brining works best on birds that have had no liquid or salt added yet, or they will turn out too salty or mushy. Most grocery store turkeys have been injected with seasonings, sodium solutions or water - check the label.

FAQs

When to brine a turkey? ›

You'll want to submerge your turkey in brine a solid day before you roast it to allow the bird enough time to become thoroughly saturated. You can make the brine itself two or three days ahead and keep it in the fridge to chill. At its most basic, a brine consists purely of salt and water.

What is the rule of thumb for brining turkey? ›

As a general rule of thumb, you should brine the meat about one hour for every pound, but no longer than 24 hours to prevent the meat from turning mushy. This means your Thanksgiving turkey may need to brine for 8 to 18 hours!

What is the max time to brine a turkey? ›

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.

Is brining a turkey for 12 hours enough? ›

Brine your turkey for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the better, but honestly, even a quick brine does wonders for the turkey. If you only have a few hours before it needs to go in the oven, then it's still worth doing. Be sure to keep your turkey covered and refrigerated while brining.

Should a turkey be fully submerged in brine? ›

Be sure that the brine is cold before adding the thawed turkey. Place the turkey and brine in a brining bag or non-corrosive food-safe container, making sure the turkey is fully submerged in the liquid.

How long do you brine a 20 pound turkey? ›

For a turkey 15 pounds or under, brine for just 24 to 36 hours. For a turkey larger than 15 pounds, brine for up to 3 days. Dry – Before you roast the turkey, take it out of the brine water and place it on a rack to dry. Use paper towels to pat the turkey dry if needed.

Can you use too much salt when brining a turkey? ›

The key to making the best turkey brine is the salt-to-liquid ratio. Too little salt won't produce an effective brine, and too much will make the turkey salty. If you'd like to add beer or juice for even more flavor, substitute it for some of the ice.

What is the minimum brine time? ›

A general rule of thumb is to leave your meat in its brine for roughly one hour per pound—never brine your meat more than the prescribed amount, lest the proteins break down too far, turning it into unappetizing mush.

Do you have to cook turkey immediately after brining? ›

If you brined too far in advance, don't fret: You don't have to cook your turkey immediately after it brines. In fact, it's sometimes best to let a wet-brined turkey sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, for an additional 24 hours to let the skin dry out.

What happens if you brine a turkey too long? ›

Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly salty and has a spongy texture. If you're not ready to roast the bird after 18 hours, remove it from the brine, rinse it, pat it dry, and refrigerate for up to two days.

Are Butterball turkeys pre brined? ›

We pre-brine directly in the breast meat ensuring you can take the turkey from the packaging to your pan without a lot of additional preparation before cooking and enjoy the most tender and juicy turkey possible.

What is the maximum brine time? ›

You can leave your chicken in the wet brine for up to two days (a larger turkey can handle more without becoming overly salty), but the liquid will need at least 12 hours to work its magic. Don't want to go through the trouble of making a wet brine? Just don't add water.

What happens if you don't rinse turkey after brining? ›

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.

What is the minimum turkey brine time? ›

Keep the Turkey Cold and Let It Brine for 8 to 18 Hours

Pop the turkey into the fridge and let it brine for at least 8 hours (and up to 18 hours). Just don't leave the turkey in the brine for longer than recommended—over-brining can render the bird too salty and turn the texture spongy.

Should I poke holes in turkey before brining? ›

Poke holes all over the turkey, the legs, wings, breast and butt. If you're using an aluminum roasting pan, be careful not to poke a hole in it. It takes a turkey three and a half to four hours to cook. Depending on how much the turkey weighs.

Do you wash off turkey brine? ›

After brining, rinse the turkey thoroughly under cold water for a few minutes. Take the brined turkey out of the brining bag or pot (or whatever vessel you set it in for brining), then discard the brine and set the turkey in a clean sink.

How much salt is needed to brine a 20 lb turkey? ›

Whole turkey: Apply kosher salt (1 teaspoon per pound) evenly inside cavity and under skin of breasts and legs, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, unless your recipe calls for air-drying at the same time as salting, and let rest in refrigerator 24 to 48 hours.

Can you brine a turkey while it thaws? ›

The best news is that you can brine & thaw your turkey at the same time! You'll need a vessel big enough to hold your turkey in liquid (I used a cooler), and a probe thermometer with an alarm built in, so you can be sure your turkey is always within food safe temperatures.

Is table salt OK for brining? ›

Strong Brine:

For example, 5 liters/quarts of standard brine will require a total of 10 tablespoons of table salt (5 × 2 tablespoons/liter or quart = 10). 10 tablespoons x 15 grams = 150 grams table salt. You can substitute any type of salt for the table salt, but it will need to weigh 150 grams total.

Should I brine a Butterball turkey? ›

Should I brine or pre-salt the turkey? "If you want to you can, but you don't have to," says Miller. "Most turkeys are already brined. Butterball turkeys have a solution in them that really helps to keep them moist and juicy and tender.

Do you wash salt off turkey after dry brine? ›

BRINE AT LEAST 24 HOURS: The salt needs enough time to penetrate the skin and meat and tenderize the turkey. You can dry brine your turkey up to 72 hours in advance. We typically dry brine our turkey for 32 hours. DO NOT RINSE: Do not rinse off the dry brine.

What are the rules for brine? ›

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.

Is 4 hours enough for a brine? ›

Tips for success

The salt solution is higher than your standard overnight brine, so you want to make sure to limit your brining time to 2-3 hours at room temperature or 4-6 hours in the fridge.

What temp does brine stop working? ›

Simply put, it's just too cold for that salty substance to do any good. De-icing chemicals work by lowering the freezing point of water. But when temperatures drop to around 20 degrees, the brine loses its effectiveness.

Do you cover turkey in fridge after brining? ›

DO NOT OVER BRINE! Remove turkey from brine, pat dry, and store in refrigerator (uncovered) until ready to cook. Your turkey can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before cooking.

What turkeys should not be brined? ›

Turkeys labeled as “basted”, “self-basted”, “kosher”, or “enhanced” are typically brined before you buy them and should not be brined at home.

Are store bought turkeys already brined? ›

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.

How long should you brine a Butterball turkey? ›

Brining Rule of Thumb

How long should you brine your turkey? As a rule of thumb, you should brine your turkey 45 to 60 minutes per pound.

Is 24 hours too long to brine? ›

Dry brines can be left on for just a short time if cooking small cuts of meat or you if are in a hurry, but for a dry brine to really work its magic, leave it on for 12 to 24 hours or up to 3 days. Wet brines should be left for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.

Is a longer brine better? ›

Brining longer doesn't necessarily mean juicier meat. Brining meat helps it cook up juicy and well seasoned. When brining larger cuts that require a long soak, such as roasts and whole poultry, we typically suggest a time range.

Is brining for 3 hours enough? ›

Bring the chicken out from the brine some few hours before roasting. It is important the chicken dries completely before roasting or baking. The size of your chicken would determine how long you can brine for. Overnight is best for a whole chicken but a minimum of 3 to 6 hours should be fine too.

How much brine is needed for a 16 pound turkey? ›

The amount of water added is the amount of brining solution needed. A 16-pound turkey requires approximately 2 gallons of solution.

Is 1 hour brine enough? ›

Ideal brining time is about a half an hour, but I've found that even a 15-minute brine makes a difference. The meat cooks up juicier and with more flavor than it does otherwise. You can also brine for longer, but after about two hours, the meat can start to get a bit mushy.

Do you brine a turkey breast up or down? ›

Place the turkey in the brine, breast side down. Add more water if the turkey isn't completely submerged in the liquid. Place the bucket in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 12 hours or overnight. Two hours before you plan to roast it, remove the turkey from brine and discard the brine.

Should you inject the turkey before or after you brine it? ›

Injecting works faster than brining. You can inject the bird immediately before cooking. Fats like melted butter, duck fat, or olive oil can be delivered deep into the breast meat, increasing its succulence.

What is the ratio for brining? ›

What Is the Brine Ratio? The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons. Keep in mind, also, that different kosher salt brands vary in how salty they actually are.

What is the ratio of salt to water for brining a turkey? ›

The basic ratio for a wet turkey brine is to use 2 cups of kosher salt or coarse sea salt for every 2 gallons of water. The benefit of a wet brine is that it can work slightly quicker than a dry brine because it infuses the entire turkey in a salty solution.

How long should you brine a turkey per pound? ›

Brining Rule of Thumb

As a rule of thumb, you should brine your turkey 45 to 60 minutes per pound.

Does brining add too much salt? ›

As a general rule of thumb, brine meat for about one hour per pound. You can go longer, but keep in mind that it's definitely possible to over-brine your meat. Most over-brining simply makes everything a little too salty, and you can soak the meat in cold water to draw out the excess salt.

What is the formula for brine? ›

brine NH4OH | ClH7NNaO2 - PubChem.

What is the minimum hours of brining? ›

Brining meat should happen at least 12 hours in advance of when you want to cook the meat and can be done with water, salt, and sugar or a dry brine using a variety of herbs and spices. Here's why it works, and how to use our brine recipes for everything from a Thanksgiving turkey to everyday cuts of meat.

What is the secret to a moist turkey? ›

Here is a fantastic tip: to protect the turkey breast and keep it juicy: Fold a large square sheet of foil into a triangle. Rub one side of your triangle with olive oil and shape the foil (oil-side-down) over the turkey breast, then remove foil; it will shield your turkey breast and keep it from getting dry.

Can you over brine a turkey? ›

Just don't leave the turkey in the brine for longer than recommended—over-brining can render the bird too salty and turn the texture spongy.

How much salt do I need to brine a 12 pound turkey? ›

You need about 1 gallon for every 10 pounds of turkey. This turkey brine is for a 12 pound bird, but then you also need to take into account the size of the vessel you'll be using to let it sit- a large cooler needs a lot more space than a stock pot. Aim for the whole bird to be covered in the saltwater solution.

Should I add sugar to my turkey brine? ›

Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties. Breaking out the sugar is my favorite way to ensure that my turkey comes out perfectly tender and golden brown every November.

Should I put broth in bottom of turkey pan? ›

Add water to the roasting pan to keep the turkey from drying out. Grandma always added water or chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan, at the start of the cooking. This keeps the bird from drying out.

Should I cook turkey immediately after brining? ›

If you brined too far in advance, don't fret: You don't have to cook your turkey immediately after it brines. In fact, it's sometimes best to let a wet-brined turkey sit in the refrigerator, uncovered, for an additional 24 hours to let the skin dry out.

Can I cook turkey right after brining? ›

Don't roast a cold turkey. Take your bird out of the refrigerator (and out of the brine, if you're brining) an hour before you put it in the oven to ensure even cooking and a moist bird.

Do brined turkeys cook faster? ›

NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.

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