It’s Thanksgiving week and you’ve just pulled your turkey out of the freezer, only to realize it’s still partially frozen. Now you’re wondering – can I still dry brine this turkey, or do I need to wait until it fully thaws?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. I’ll walk through whether or not you can dry brine a partially frozen turkey, tips for doing it properly, and how long it will take.
What is Dry Brining?
Dry brining, sometimes called dry salting, is a popular alternative to wet brining for infusing flavor and moisture into meat. It involves rubbing the turkey all over with salt, then letting it rest uncovered in the fridge for 1-3 days before cooking.
During this time, the salt initially draws moisture out of the turkey. But over time, those salty juices get reabsorbed back into the meat. This results in a turkey that is incredibly juicy, tender and seasoned throughout.
Can You Dry Brine a Frozen Turkey?
While dry brining works best on a fully thawed turkey you can still effectively dry brine one that is partially or even fully frozen. The salt will still penetrate into the meat and do its work – it will just take more time compared to a thawed bird.
For a completely frozen turkey, plan on dry brining in the fridge for at least 4-5 days to let it fully thaw and brine. For a partially frozen turkey, 2-3 days of dry brining should suffice.
Should You Defrost First?
Ideally, yes. You’ll get optimal results from dry brining if you fully thaw the turkey before starting the process. When the meat is no longer frozen solid, the salt will be able to permeate it quickly and evenly.
However, if you’re short on time, go ahead and dry brine a partially frozen turkey. Place it breast side up in a roasting pan, rub salt all over, cover with cheesecloth, and refrigerate. The salt will work to draw out moisture while also kickstarting the defrost.
How Much Salt Do You Use?
The basic dry brining formula doesn’t change for a partially frozen turkey. Simply use 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 pounds of turkey.
It may take a little longer for the salt to dissolve and absorb on any frozen sections initially. But as the turkey defrosts over the next few days in the fridge, the salt will fully penetrate and brine the meat.
Should You Separate the Skin?
Ideally, yes. Separating the skin from the breast meat enables the salt to directly reach and season the meat rather than just the skin. However, this can be difficult or impossible with a still-frozen bird.
If you can’t separate the skin, don’t worry – just rub the salt directly onto the skin and let it work its way down gradually as the turkey defrosts.
How Long Does Dry Brining Take?
- Fully thawed turkey: 1-3 days
- Partially frozen turkey: 3-5 days
- Fully frozen turkey: 5+ days
Check on the turkey daily. Once the meat is no longer icy in the center, the dry brining is complete. For food safety, do not brine longer than 5 days.
Can You Dry Brine Just the Breast?
Yes, you can absolutely dry brine just a frozen turkey breast. Use the same guidelines of about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt per 5 pounds. Allow extra time for the salt to fully penetrate the still-frozen meat – ideally 4-5 days.
Should You Flip the Turkey?
It’s a good idea to flip a dry brining turkey at least once during the process. This allows the salt to fully penetrate and tenderize all sides of the meat evenly.
Take care when flipping a heavy, partially frozen turkey, and use assistance if needed. You don’t want to risk any injury.
Can You Still Make Gravy?
The beauty of dry brining is it leaves just enough seasoning for phenomenal flavor, without making the pan drippings too salty for gravy. You can absolutely still make delicious gravy from a dry brined turkey, even if it started out partially or fully frozen.
How to Cook a Dry Brined Frozen Turkey
- Let the dry brined turkey sit at room temp for 1-2 hours before roasting. This helps the salt evenly penetrate any remaining frozen spots.
- Cook at a low temperature (325°F) to allow the meat time to properly defrost and cook through. Baste periodically.
- Roast until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
- Let rest 30 minutes before carving for juicy results.
How to Dry Brine
Remove giblets and neck from your fresh or partially frozen turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.
Using your hands, loosen the skin under breasts and meaty part of legs. Season the inside cavity with 1 teaspoon of dry brine and rub about 4 teaspoons of brine under the skin of the breast and legs.
Sprinkle the remaining dry brine over your turkey’s breast and legs, making sure to coat the sides and wings as well.
Bend the wings back and tuck under the breast.
Place your bird breast side up in the refrigerator, uncovered, and brine for 2-3 days. Once fully brined, do not rinse your bird but brush with oil and cook to your liking.
Turkey Breasts: Dry brine with 1-2 tablespoon of brine per 5 pounds of turkey
Benefits of Dry Brining
A juicy, flavorful bird starts with brining. It is the most important step in preparing the best turkey possible. There are thousands of articles on brining, but we have broken it down the basics to tell you everything you need to know on how to create the juiciest bird.
First, there are two types of brining: wet brining and dry brining. We are fans of both, but for different reasons. Wet brining is guaranteed to bring moisture and flavor all the way to the bone, even on very large birds. However, when you submerge your bird in a liquid solution the skin absorbs the liquid and in turn, may not brown as well. You can easily overcome this by brining a day or so ahead then refrigerating your brined turkey, uncovered for 12-24 hours. The skin will dry and brown and crisp to perfection when cooked.
While both methods are super easy, with Dry Brining there is no submerging in liquid. You simply rub the dry brine inside the cavity, directly on, and underneath the skin of the bird. The best part? You can even do this while the bird is still thawing. What a time saver! Your bird will brine in its own flavorful juices and because it is not soaked with water, the skin naturally becomes thinner and drier, giving you that crispy, flavorful skin everyone fights for at the Thanksgiving table. Also, if your turkey brines longer than the advised time period, do not fret. Unlike wet brining, dry brining is more forgiving with time and your protein can withstand the extra few minutes.
If you have a rather large bird (20 pounds or more) it might be hard for the dry brine to penetrate all the way to the bone at the thickest part of the turkey’s breast. So, for extra large birds, we find that wet brining is the best route. Both methods are effective and Fire & Flavor offers easy brining solutions for whatever method you choose. There is no doubt, you will be sitting down to the best turkey your family has ever had.
Brining frozen turkey (how to achieve tender and moist turkey)
FAQ
Can you dry brine a partly frozen turkey?
Dry brining works best on a thawed or fresh turkey, but you can also do it on a frozen or partially-defrosted turkey with good results.
Can you brine a turkey while it thaws?
And if you’re brining, you’ll need a completely defrosted turkey 24 hours before cooking – so whatever you choose, don’t wait till the last minute. A brined turkey is a juicy, more flavorful turkey.
What if my turkey is still partially frozen?
It’s perfectly safe to cook a frozen or partially frozen turkey in the oven — you just need to allow some extra cooking time, according to the USDA.Sep 26, 2024
Is it worth brining a frozen turkey?
Our answer. Brining a turkey is always a good option as it adds moisture and flavour to both fresh and frozen turkeys. If using a frozen turkey then you do need to check that it it is not a pre-basted bird or one that has been pre-seasoned, as neither of these are suitable for brining.
Can You brine a frozen turkey?
You can dry brine a frozen turkey if you’d like, but be aware that it won’t be as effective. The salt will do its work better when the flesh is thawed and soft to the touch. Assuming you have room in your fridge to hold the container, brining is a simple process. Remember that you can’t brine turkey at room temperature.
Should you brine a turkey if it is partially defrosted?
This is true of dry brining as well as wet brining. It’s better if the meat is at least partially defrosted when you add it to the salt solution. When you brine a turkey, you’re submerging it in a saltwater solution for a period of 8 to 24 hours. You’ve probably heard of the method, even if you don’t understand the point of the exercise.
Can You brine a thawed Turkey?
DRY BRINE CAN BE APPLIED WITH PARTIALLY THAWED TURKEY. You just need the turkey skin to be thawed enough to rub the salt in. Then brining + thawing will occur at the same time. How long to cook turkey in the oven: These are the cook times for a dry brined turkey (loosely stuffed with herbs and garlic) which cooks faster than un-brined turkey.
Can You Dry Brine a Turkey?
Yes. Simply dry-brine the turkey as described above, and then eliminate any salt from any further seasoning and cook according to your mom’s recipe. If you want a treat, incorporate some of her seasonings into the salt for the dry brining (measure the amount of salt, then grind it with the seasonings).
Should I rinse my Turkey After brining?
We usually avoid rinsing the turkey after brining to prevent bacteria from spreading around the work station. The step is even less necessary when the turkey is dry brined. If you do rinse off the brine, be sure to disinfect the sink and the surrounding area before you do anything else.
What is the difference between wet brining and dry brining a Turkey?
The method of soaking turkey in a giant bucket of salty water is called wet brining. Dry brining has the same effect, but is done by rubbing the turkey with a seasoned salt then left to “marinate” for a couple of days before roasting. Dry brining is easier, more effective and tastier than wet brining!