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A top view of sliced dry brine turkey with sauce served on a square white plate placed on a wooden table
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Dry Brine Turkey

Prep Time3 days
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time3 days 4 hours
Course: Entrees
Servings: 4 - 20 Servings
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Beginner Food

Ingredients

  • 1 Turkey of your choice

Dry Brine Mixture

  • 1 tablespoon salt for every 5 pounds of turkey
  • ½ tablespoon white sugar for every 5 pounds of turkey
  • ½ tablespoon brown sugar for every 5 pounds of turkey
  • ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke for every 5 pounds of turkey

Butter Mixture

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon zest (orange or lemon)
  • 1/2 tablespoon rosemary

Aromatics

  • ½ orange or lemon to stuff into middle

Seasoning

  • Salt, pepper, paprika (optional) to taste

Instructions

Prep turkey

  • Thaw turkey according to thawing guide (if needed)
  • Remove neck (check neck area and cavity)
  • Remove innards (check neck area and cavity)

Make the dry brine

  • Mix the salt, sugar, and liquid smoke together in a bowl

Brine the turkey

  • Place roasting rack in baking tray
  • Place turkey on rack
  • Carefully separate the skin on the breast from the meat (do not tear it, do not remove it)
  • Apply 1/3rd the brine to the breast meat directly (under the skin on the meat)
  • Apply the rest of the brine liberally to the rest of the turkey
  • Massage the meat to evenly spread and dissolve the brine mixture (this is critical to not end up with chunks of salt anywhere, it also increases the speed of osmosis as dry salt doesn’t go anywhere)
  • Cover loosely with foil (it should not be airtight)
  • Refrigerate for 2-3 days
  • DO NOT rinse the turkey after brining (it will not be too salty)

Once the turkey has been brined for 2-3 days, make the butter mixture

  • Wash and cut herbs so they are finely chopped
  • Zest your citrus
  • Mix together with butter (you can microwave butter for a few seconds if you need to soften it)

Cook the turkey

  • Preheat oven to 450°F
  • Separate skin from breast and fill with half the butter, spreading evenly
  • Spread the rest of the butter on the rest of the turkey
  • Place half the citrus fruit used into the cavity
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until skin is golden brown
  • Cover breast loosely with a piece of foil to prevent further browning
  • Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking until internal temperature reads 150°F (if you have a 10 pound turkey, this will be approximately 2.5 hours)
  • Rest it for 45 minutes
  • Slice the turkey as desired and serve

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1836mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.1mg