Cooking a whole turkey, especially a large one, takes 2½ to 5 hours. Often, the breasts and other lean parts of the bird cook in the first hour and are done before the rest of the bird is. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to solve this problem, and that’s brining your turkey before cooking. Brining a turkey keeps the water and salt inside so that the meat stays soft and moist after it comes out of the oven. It also infuses the turkey with loads of flavor, leaving you with juicy, tasty meat.
Please be aware that many of our turkey products come brined or ‘basted’. Check the label to see if your turkey has been brined. If so, we don’t recommend further brining as it may cause your turkey to taste overly salty.
You can brine your bird either wet or dry. But before we talk about how to brine a turkey, let’s look at some other good reasons to brine before cooking.
When it comes to cooking the star of your Thanksgiving meal – the turkey – you want to make sure it turns out moist, tender and delicious. The secret? Brining your turkey for a full 48 hours before roasting. While brining may sound intimidating, it’s actually a simple process that infuses your turkey with flavor and keeps it incredibly juicy.
What is Brining and Why Bother?
Brining involves soaking your raw turkey in a saltwater solution before cooking. The salt in the brine seasons the meat while also helping it retain moisture This prevents the turkey from drying out as it roasts The result is a turkey that is seasoned throughout while remaining incredibly juicy and flavorful.
Brining makes a remarkable difference compared to cooking an unbrined turkey. An unbrined turkey often ends up dry and bland, requiring constant basting or drenching in gravy. But a brined turkey turns out perfect every time. The meat is infused with savory flavor, incredibly moist and delicious.
48 Hours Produces Optimal Results
While you can brine a turkey for as little as 4-12 hours, allowing a full 48 hours of brining time really maximizes the flavor and moisture benefits. Over 48 hours, the salt, sugar and aromatics in the brine fully penetrate deep into the turkey meat. This seasons the entire turkey, not just the outer portions.
48 hours also gives the turkey time to absorb more moisture through the brining process. The result is turkey meat that is seasoned through and through while being as moist as can be. You’ll notice a huge difference in juiciness and flavor between a 48 hour brined turkey compared to a quicker brine time.
Step-By-Step Instructions for 48 Hour Brining
Brining your turkey for 48 hours is easy to do with these simple steps:
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Make the brine – Combine water, salt, brown sugar, herbs and spices in a very large container. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Cool brine completely before adding turkey.
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Submerge the turkey – Place thawed, raw turkey in brine. Weight it down if needed to keep fully submerged.
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Refrigerate for 48 hours – Cover and store turkey in brine in the refrigerator for 48 full hours, turning occasionally.
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Rinse turkey – Remove turkey from brine and rinse well under cool water Pat dry with paper towels
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Roast as desired – Roast turkey in the oven until fully cooked and browned. Let rest before carving.
Tips for the Best 48 Hour Brined Turkey
Follow these tips for a flawless 48 hour brined turkey:
- Chill brine before adding turkey so it doesn’t warm up
- Use a large cooler if turkey doesn’t fit in refrigerator
- Keep turkey completely submerged in brine
- Turn turkey occasionally while brining
- Rinse turkey well after brining is done
- Pat turkey dry before roasting
- Roast turkey at 400°F until breast is 160°F
Benefits of 48 Hour Brining
Compared to a shorter brine time. brining your turkey for a full 48 hours offers several advantages
- Turkey is seasoned all the way to the bone, not just on the surface
- More time for the turkey to absorb moisture from the brine
- Remarkably juicy, succulent meat with every bite
- Enhanced flavor that is noticeable but not overly salty
- Consistent texture and moisture throughout turkey
- Turkey stays moist even after resting and carving
- Forgiving method – hard to overbrine or dry out turkey
So for the juciest, most flavorful and seasoned holiday turkey, allow 48 hours for brining time. This extended brining period infuses the turkey with incredible moisture and flavor. Your Thanksgiving guests will be begging for seconds when they taste the juicy, delicious payoff.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
If you prefer dry brining, here’s how to do it:
- Kosher salt
- Dried herbs (such as thyme, sage, and rosemary)
- Black pepper
- A large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan
- Create your dry brine rub. That’s how much kosher salt you need for a 14- to 16-pound whole turkey. Half a teaspoon of thyme, paprika, black pepper, oregano, and rosemary should be mixed with the salt.
- Thaw the turkey all the way through and use paper towels to dry it off. Rub the brine all over the turkey’s body and inside its cavity.
- Put the turkey on a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet that has been seasoned. Leave it out in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
- When the turkey is ready, remove it from the fridge, wipe off any extra salt, and let it warm up at room temperature. You can cook the bird in any way you want once it’s at room temperature.
Before you brine the turkey, rub some butter between the skin and the meat to make it extra moist. During cooking, the butter will melt and baste the turkey to make it juicier and more flavorful.
How to Wet Brine a Turkey
If you like wet brining better than dry brining, here’s how to brine a turkey in saltwater:
- Kosher salt
- Water
- A large, food-safe container
- Other spices or aromatics (optional)
- Mix four tablespoons of kosher salt with one quart of warm water to make your saltwater solution. Also, if you need four quarts of water to cover the whole turkey, you will need 12 tablespoons of salt.
- To make the brine taste better, add aromatics like bay leaves, rosemary, or ginger.
- As soon as the brine is cool enough to touch, pour it over the turkey in the food-safe container. If the turkey floats, weigh it down with a plate. You can start the wet brining process with a frozen turkey or one that has already been thawed.
- You can keep it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours with the lid on. Your fridge’s temperature must not be over 40°F. If the temperature is higher, bad bacteria will grow in your turkey and spread to your fridge.
- With a paper towel, pat the turkey dry after brining. Then, take the turkey out of the water and throw away the brine. Before cooking, rub your choice of seasoning on the turkey’s body and insides.
72 Hour Turkey Method
FAQ
Is 48 hours too long to brine a turkey?
Is 48 hours too long to brine?
Is it safe to dry brine a turkey for 3 days?
Can you brine for 36 hours?
How long does it take to brine a Turkey?
Giving your Thanksgiving turkey a bath in salt water isn’t complicated, but there a few things to keep in mind before you start the brining process. Perhaps the most important part of brining is planning ahead. Not only does the process take anywhere from 8 to 18 hours, but making the solution itself can be time-consuming, too.
How do you brine a Turkey a day before roasting?
One day before roasting your turkey, bring 1 quart water, the salt, bay leaves, and spices to a simmer, stirring until salt has dissolved. Let cool for 5 minutes. Line the container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag to minimize cleanup. Line a 5-gallon container with a large brining or oven-roasting bag. Place the turkey in the bag.
How do you brine a Thanksgiving turkey?
But let’s back up: There are two ways to brine your Thanksgiving turkey: a wet brine or a dry brine. Dry brining simply involves rubbing a turkey in a salt-and-herb mixture and letting it sit in the refrigerator for many hours (usually about one hour per pound).
Can You brine a raw turkey?
Then, you need to cool the brine to room temperature before using it, since pouring hot or warm brine over a raw turkey can cause bacteria growth. When you begin the brining process, set a timer or reminder to remove the turkey from the salt solution. Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly-salty and has a spongy texture.
Does brining a turkey make it juicier?
Salt in the brine seasons the turkey and promotes a change in its protein structure, reducing its overall toughness and creating gaps that fill up with water and keep the meat juicy and flavorful. Brining works faster than salting and can also result in juicier lean cuts since it adds, versus merely retains, moisture.
How much does a turkey weigh if soaked in brine?
A raw turkey left to soak in unsalted water will plump some, but when there’s salt present, the proteins absorb more of the brine and retain more of that water as it cooks. For example, a 12-pound turkey soaked overnight in a wet brine will weigh over 13 pounds when it emerges.