This Dry Brined Turkey Is a Thanksgiving Game-Changer

Thanksgiving is upon us, so you’re likely gearing up to carefully roast the star of the show — your turkey. And if you typically use a recipe that’s as messy as it is headache-inducing, we recommend trying out a dry brine. By rubbing the meat with seasonings and herbs before refrigerating, you’re guaranteed to enjoy succulent results with minimal effort.

This juicy bird comes courtesy of Yumna Jawad, otherwise known as Feel Good Foodie. Her dry-brined turkey recipe was initially inspired by a relatable kitchen calamity: “The first time I cooked a Thanksgiving turkey, I ‘wet’ brined it. It was a bit of a mess! It called for gallons of water and a bucket. I had to remove almost everything from my fridge to fit the whole thing.”

Exhausted, she turned to a fragrant mix of salt, light brown sugar, black pepper, dried thyme, rosemary, and sage leaves. To make the dish, you’ll simply rub those seasonings onto the bird before letting it rest for a day or two. When you’re ready to cook, massage softened butter onto the turkey and pop it into the oven; you’ll want to roast for about 15 minutes per pound. And while it’s cooking, you can use your very valuable time to whip up some stress-free sides. You’ll end up with a resplendent holiday table that includes a beautifully bronzed bird with meat so juicy, it practically carves itself.

Dry-Brined Turkey Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (12-14 pounds) whole turkey, thawed if frozen
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
• 4 tablespoons softened butter, for roasting

Instructions

1. Remove turkey from its packaging and place on a wire rack set over a large rimmed sheet pan. Remove giblets and neck to use for gravy or discard. Pat inside cavity and outside of the turkey dry with paper towels. Working from the neck end, gently loosen the breast skin.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and dried herbs.
3. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the mixture inside the cavity, then rub the remaining seasoning all over the turkey, including under the lifted breast skin.
4. Refrigerate the turkey uncovered on the sheet pan for 24 to 48 hours.
5. Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before ready to cook and allow to sit at room temperature.
6. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Tuck wings and neck skin under and tie legs together with kitchen twine and then transfer turkey breast-side up to a roasting pan. Rub the softened butter all over the skin.
7. Roast until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 3 to 3½ hours for a 12–14 pound turkey, or 15 minutes per pound.
8. Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Notes: Pat the turkey dry before starting. For the best dry-brined turkey, you want to remove as much moisture as possible as the first step! That way, the salt rub sticks to the turkey.

If you don’t own a roasting pan, use a sheet pan and a wire rack. I like a roasting pan because its handles make it easy to move into and out of the oven, but you’ll get the same results with a sheet pan and a wire rack!

Storage: Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, any leftover turkey will last 3 days. You can reheat the turkey in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.

Recipe courtesy of Feel Good Foodie.