Brining a turkey can help to ensure tender, juicy meat that is full of flavor. We put three types of turkey next to each other to see which was better: not brined, dry brined, and salt water brined. Read on for the results.
For years, I used a salt water brine to prepare my turkey for roasting. However, chefs and recipe developers are increasingly suggesting a dry brine in which the meat is rubbed with salt and left to rest so that the salt can flavor the meat. A lot of big food websites, like Serious Eats and the New York Times Cooking Section, say that dry brining is the best way to cook meat.
I set out to test three methods of roasting a turkey in my home kitchen. I bought three 14-pound organic turkeys and roasted them my Simple Roasted Turkey way, 1) without a brine, 2) with a dry brine, and 3) with a salt water brine. My recipes for dry brine and salt water brine can be found at the bottom of the post.
I rounded up some taste testers and did side-by-side comparison of the three turkeys. Results below!
Can You Brine a Store-Bought Turkey? What You Need to Know Before Taking the Plunge
As Thanksgiving approaches, thoughts turn to the centerpiece of the big meal – the turkey. For many home cooks, brining is an essential step to ensuring a moist, flavorful bird. But what if your turkey is already store-bought – can you still brine it?
This is a common question, and there are a few factors to consider before taking the brining plunge with a store-bought turkey In this article, we’ll break down what you need to know
What is Brining and Why Do It?
First, let’s start with a quick overview of brining. This process involves soaking meat in a saltwater solution, often enhanced with spices, herbs, and other flavorings. As the turkey soaks, the salt penetrates deep into the meat, dissolving some proteins. This allows the turkey to retain more moisture during roasting, so it turns out incredibly juicy. The salt and other flavorings also season the turkey throughout.
The result of brining is a remarkably moist, tender turkey with seasoned flavor all the way to the bone. If you’ve never had a brined turkey before, it’s a game-changer – you’ll never go back to an unbrined bird!
Should You Brine a Store-Bought Turkey?
Whether or not brining is a good idea for a store-bought turkey depends on a few key factors:
- Make Sure it’s Not Pre-Brined
It’s not unheard-of for store bought turkeys to be injected with brine solution right from the supplier This imparts moisture and flavor Check the label and ingredients – if you see things like turkey broth, salt, or sodium in the ingredients list, your turkey is pre-brined. Brining it again would make it unpalatably salty.
- Type of Turkey
Fresh – An uninjected, fresh turkey is a prime candidate for brining yourself. This allows full control over the flavor.
Kosher – Kosher turkeys are heavily salted as part of the koshering process. Avoid brining these.
Self-Basted – These turkeys are injected with a salt solution and broth. Don’t brine them.
Enhanced or Flavored – Turkeys labeled enhanced or flavored are pre-brined. No need to do it yourself.
- Amount of Injection
Some turkeys may only contain a small percentage of enhancement solution, like less than 3% of the total weight. You could potentially still lightly brine these, but carefully read labels and reduce the salt in your brine.
- Personal Preference
An experienced briner may still choose to brine a store-bought bird, if following proper precautions. But for beginners, it’s often best to avoid brining store-bought turkeys altogether.
Tips for Safely Brining a Store-Bought Turkey
If you do want to brine a store-bought turkey, keep these tips in mind:
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Carefully read the label and ingredients to check for pre-brining. Calculate the percentage of solution.
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Greatly reduce the salt in your brine recipe to prevent over-salting, erring on the under-salted side.
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Shorten your typical brining time significantly, sometimes even by half.
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Rinse the turkey very thoroughly after brining and pat it completely dry.
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Closely monitor doneness and test for over-salted meat as it cooks.
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Avoid using the pan drippings for gravy or stuffing, as they may be too salty.
Brining Time Guidelines
In general, you’ll want to reduce typical brining times for a store-bought turkey. Here are rough guidelines:
8 to 12 lbs – brine 6 to 10 hours
12 to 16 lbs – brine 8 to 12 hours
16 to 20 lbs – brine 12 to 16 hours
20 to 24 lbs – brine 16 to 20 hours
If your turkey contains over 3% solution, cut these times in half or even less. Rinse thoroughly after removing from the brine.
Should You Avoid Brining Altogether?
If you’re unsure whether your turkey is pre-brined, or worried about over-salting, it may be best to skip brining altogether. Luckily there are other great ways to guarantee a flavorful, juicy bird:
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Rub a salt-free spice mix under and on the skin
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Layer flavored butter pats under the skin
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Fill cavity with aromatics like onions, apples, fresh herbs
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Roast the turkey on a bed of vegetables
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Baste frequently with oil or melted butter
While brining does impart exceptional moisture and seasoned flavor, you can achieve similar results through other methods if dealing with a store-bought turkey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you brine a frozen turkey?
A: Only if fully thawed first. Otherwise brine can’t fully penetrate.
Q: What about kosher turkeys?
A: Avoid brining kosher turkeys, as they’re pre-salted.
Q: Is it possible to over-brine poultry?
A: Yes, soaking too long can make the meat unpleasantly salty.
Q: What happens if you brine a pre-brined turkey?
A: It risks being too salty and inedible. Avoid this.
Q: Can you brine just a turkey breast?
A: Yes, adjust brine strength and times based on breast size.
The Takeaway
Brining is a fantastic way to guarantee a tender, juicy turkey with tons of flavor. But special care and precautions must be taken if brining a store-bought bird. Your best bet is starting with an uninjected fresh turkey, but with some adjustments brining a store-bought turkey can still be successful. Follow these tips to avoid a sodium overload ruining your holiday centerpiece!
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How long to defrost a turkey
For even cooking, be sure that the turkey is fully defrosted before roasting. Defrosting in the refrigerator ensures that the turkey remains at a safe temperature. Estimate 1 day per 4 lbs of turkey to fully defrost in the refrigerator. For example, for a 16-pound turkey, allow 4 days.
You can skip this step if using a fresh (not frozen) turkey.
How Long to Roast a Turkey at 425°F
At 425°F / 218°C, estimate 8 to 12 minutes per pound of turkey. Keep in mind that this will vary based on the initial temperature of the turkey when it goes into the oven (try to bring it to room temperature before you start) and the variations in size / shape of the turkey. Use an instant read thermometer to start checking for doneness at the low end of the estimated time.
Should you brine a store bought frozen turkey?
FAQ
Can I brine a butterball turkey?
Can you brine a turkey already injected with solution?
What happens if I brine a pre-brined turkey?
Should you only brine a fresh turkey?
Should you brine a Turkey?
Second, brining robs your bird of flavor. Think about it: Your turkey is absorbing water, and holding on to it. That means that that extra 30 to 40% savings in moisture loss doesn’t really come in the form of turkey juices—it’s plain old tap water. Many folks who eat brined birds have that very complaint: It’s juicy, but the juice is watery.
Does brining a Turkey dry out?
It won’t do the same as brining, but it will give you a little added moisture which can help keep your turkey from drying out. Before brining your turkey, check to make sure that it hasn’t already been brined. It’s not unheard-of for store bought turkeys to be injected with brine to impart moisture.
How much kosher salt do you need to brine a Turkey?
For more tips, read our buying guide to the best turkeys. Whether you’re dry brining or wet brining, Youngman says you’ll want to use “about a little over a tablespoon of kosher salt to about four pounds of turkey.” For a traditional 12- to 14-pound bird, she recommends about 3 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
How much water do you need to brine a Turkey?
The water: You’ll typically need 1–2 gallons of water to brine a whole turkey. You can use tap or filtered water for your turkey brine—as long as you’d drink it, it’s suitable for a brine. It’s the temperature of the water that really matters. You never want to pour hot or warm water over a raw turkey, which can lead to bacterial growth.
Do you need a fridge to brine a Turkey?
To wet brine, Youngman says you’ll need “either a cooler or a really big fridge,” since you’ll have to contain the turkey, keep it fully submerged in the brine, and keep it cold and covered. A clean, food-safe five- to eight-gallon bucket should be big enough to contain it, she says—use one with a “smooth plastic interior,” so it’s easy to clean.
Should you soak a Turkey in water or brine?
If it were true, then soaking a turkey in pure, unsalted water should be more effective than soaking it in a brine, and we’ve already seen that that is not the case. Moreover, if you soak a turkey in a ridiculously concentrated brine (I tested turkey in a 35% salt solution), according to the osmosis theory, it should dry out even more.