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Dinner Β· Turkey

Dry-Brined Roast Turkey

Salt and herbs rubbed on a day or more ahead. The salt seasons the meat all the way through and dries the skin, so it roasts up crisp. No bucket of brine needed.

⏱ 1 day 4 hr (20 min prep, 3 hr cooking, 1 day waiting) 🍽 Serves 10 · about 1 lb of turkey as bought, with some leftovers make aheadleftoversfreezer friendly gluten freedairy free

Part of our Thanksgiving dinner: menu, timeline and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

None of the nine major allergens are in the usual versions of these ingredients. Check labels anyway; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 10 servings
  • 11 lb Whole turkey, thawed, neck and giblets removed; not basted, self-basting, enhanced or kosher
  • 2Β½ tbsp Kosher salt, coarse kosher salt; use half as much table salt
  • 1 tbsp Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp Dried thyme, or poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp Dried rosemary, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, or melted butter, for roasting

Make it yourself

Out of brown sugar? Make it β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan that fits in the refrigerator, roasting pan with a rack, food thermometer, foil.

  1. Check the label. A turkey sold as basted, self-basting, enhanced or kosher already has salt added, so don’t brine it; roast it as it is.
  2. One to three days before roasting, take out the neck and giblets and pat the thawed turkey dry. Don’t rinse it.
  3. Mix the salt, brown sugar, pepper and herbs. Sprinkle it evenly over the whole bird, a little more on the thick breast and thighs, and some inside the cavity. Loosen the skin over the breast and rub some under it too.
  4. Set the turkey breast side up on a rack or rimmed sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered or loosely covered, for 1 to 3 days. Keep it on the bottom shelf, away from foods that won’t be cooked. The skin will look dry and a little tight; that’s what you want.
  5. Heat the oven to 325Β°F. Don’t rinse the bird; the salt has soaked in. Brush the skin with the oil and set it on the rack in the roasting pan.
  6. Roast 2ΒΎ to 3 hours for an 8- to 12-lb turkey (USDA’s time at 325Β°F, unstuffed; see the classic roast turkey for bigger birds). Dry-brined skin browns fast: tent the breast with foil once it’s golden.
  7. Check the temperature with a food thermometer in three places, not touching bone: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. Every spot must read at least 165Β°F (USDA).
  8. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving, so the juices settle (USDA). Tent it loosely with foil; it stays hot for 40 minutes or more. Taste the pan juices before salting the gravy; they will be salty.

🌑 Safe temperaturesTurkey 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadThe salting is the make-ahead step: do it 1 to 3 days before you roast.
❄️ FreezerFreeze carved leftover turkey 2 to 6 months for best quality (USDA).
β†Ί LeftoversCarve the meat off the bones and refrigerate it within 2 hours; use it within 3 to 4 days or freeze it (USDA). Reheat to 165Β°F. Make stock from the carcass.
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can measure and mix the salt and herbs.
Citrus swapAdd the grated zest of an orange or lemon to the salt mix.
Unsalted gravy swapMake the gravy with unsalted stock, since the drippings carry salt.

Goes well with

πŸ₯£ Turkey Gravy from the Drippings🌽 Southern Cornbread DressingπŸ₯” Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Good to know

Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Fresh vs. dried herbs Cooking Fats Compared Food Safety Basics

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Thanksgiving dinner; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.