Description
This Dry Brine Turkey recipe ensures juicy, flavorful meat with perfectly crisp skin, ideal for your Thanksgiving feast. The turkey is seasoned with a blend of brown sugar, kosher salt, thyme, sage, and black pepper, then allowed to dry brine in the refrigerator. Roasting the turkey on a rack above aromatics creates a deeply golden, succulent bird with a classic savory flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Dry Brine
- 1 (12 to 14-pound) turkey, patted dry
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Morton kosher salt (or ¼ cup Diamond kosher salt)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves or ground sage
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Finishing and Aromatics
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheet and turkey: Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a rack on top. Remove the truss from the turkey legs, trim excess fat, remove giblets and neck, then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Mix and apply the dry brine: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, kosher salt, thyme, sage, and black pepper. Rub this mixture all over the turkey, including inside the cavity. Place the turkey on the rack and refrigerate uncovered for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours, to allow the skin to dry and the flavors to penetrate.
- Preheat oven and prepare for roasting: Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the lower third. Use damp paper towels to brush the dry brine off the turkey’s exterior, keeping the cavity brine intact.
- Arrange aromatics and butter the turkey: Scatter onion wedges, carrot pieces, and celery stalks in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place a roasting rack inside this pan and set the turkey on it. Tuck the wings underneath and smear softened butter evenly over the entire turkey.
- Roast the turkey: Roast for 1¾ to 2½ hours until the skin is deep golden. Monitor with a thermometer until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F and the thigh reaches 175°F. If browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil after about 1½ hours.
- Rest and carve the turkey: Carefully tilt the turkey over the pan to pour cavity juices into the roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a platter, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 20–30 minutes. Discard or save the roasted vegetables. Reserve the pan drippings for gravy.
- Make and serve with gravy: Prepare homemade gravy using the reserved drippings. Carve the turkey and serve alongside the gravy.
- Make-ahead option: The cooked turkey can be carved and stored ahead by layering it with gravy in an ovenproof dish, covered tightly and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 20–30 minutes.
Notes
- For best results, choose a turkey that is not self-basting, injected, or kosher to avoid over-salting; reduce salt by half if using these types.
- Use a digital leave-in thermometer with remote monitor to track internal temperatures without opening the oven.
- Maintaining the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator during dry brining helps achieve crispier skin.
- If the skin browns too fast during roasting, tent loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Resting the turkey after roasting allows juices to redistribute for moist meat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/8 of cooked turkey)
- Calories: 1075
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1619 mg
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 32 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 147 g
- Cholesterol: 513 mg
