Today I will be sharing with you the recipe of Dry Brine Turkey. This will be a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Now the first question that arises in your mind is – What is dry brining a turkey? Dry Brine is also known as salting. It means rubbing the turkey with salt and resting for 1-3 days and then roasting it. This is done to get a juicy turkey. Salt causes the meat to release moisture as the protein structure of the meat changes with salt. After releasing, meat re-absorbs the salty liquid making the meat to be more tender.
Dry Brine Turkey can be made by seasoning the turkey with salt and keep it in the refrigerator for 2 days wrapped in plastic wrap. Remove the wrap a night before cooking and place in the fridge again. Season it with pepper and add onions, celery. Roast it in the oven and flip after half an hour and roast again. Check the temperature using the thermometer. Serve hot.
This is just a brief of the recipe. You will get more details of temperature and quantity of ingredients further. You might feel it to be a complex process, but you will see how easy this recipe is once you try this recipe. Starting with the ingredients, take a look at the requirements.
Ingredients For Dry Brine Turkey
- 1 (15 pound) Whole Turkey (neck and giblets removed)
- 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper (to taste)
- 1 Onion (cut into wedges)
- 4 stalks Celery (halved)
The ingredients you need for this recipe are readily accessible at any supermarket. Just make a list of what you already have and what you want from the supermarket. Also take a look at the time required to make this dish.
How Much Time It Will Take To Prepare Dry Brine Turkey?
| Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Additional Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 2 hours 30 minutes | 3 days | 3 days |
You must be worried by now, looking at the time of preparation. You must know that 2-3 days are just to dry brine the turkey. Otherwise, it takes two and a half hours to cook it. Let’s see how to brine the turkey and then cook it.
Steps To Make Dry Brine Turkey
- Using the paper towels, pat the turkey to dry it. Take kosher salt and season the turkey inside out using it. Take a roasting pan, place the turkey, breast side up and cover it with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate the turkey for 2 days.
- On the second day, flip the turkey with the breast side down. Cover it again and refrigerate for one more day.
- The night before roasting the turkey, place the turkey on the rack lined with a baking sheet. This is done to air-dry the turkey for atleast 8 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1-2 hours prior to cooking to bring it to room temperature. Pat it dry and season the cavities with black pepper, onion and celery.
- Set the oven on preheat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Once done, place the turkey breast side down on the roasting pan and cook it for 30 minutes or until the skin turns golden.
- Remove the turkey from the oven to flip the side. Now cook it with breast side up at a reduced 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cook for two hours until the instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh’s thickest part reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Now, place the cooked turkey on a large plate with aluminum foil domed upon it.
- Rest the turkey for 30 minutes before serving.
- Garnish the turkey with parsley and lemon wedges and serve hot.
This is the best way to dry brine a turkey. Always use kosher salt for his recipe because of the large granules it has. This makes it easy to breakdown on the turkey. Table salt may give a harsh taste to the turkey. You will surely love this recipe even if you are not fond of turkey.
Nutritional Breakdown Of Dry Brine Turkey
Turkey has a lot of health benefits. That is why I’ve added the nutritional breakdown of this recipe below.
| Calories | 684 |
| Protein | 91.9g |
| Carbohydrates | 1g |
| Fat | 31.8g |
| Cholesterol | 267.6mg |
| Sodium | 1382.8mg |
How To Dry Brine A Turkey At Home | Video
Also, watch the video I have uploaded of the recipe to know more details.
In case you have any queries, do not hesitate to ask me in the comment section below. I will try to help you with my best knowledge. You can also suggest me some recipe to share with you. This will be a great idea to help you with what you want. Bon Appetite!