Cooking a whole turkey, especially a large one, takes 2½ to 5 hours. The lean parts of the bird, such as the breasts, often cook within the first hour and end up overcooked before the rest of the bird is ready. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to solve this problem, and that’s brining your turkey before cooking. Brining locks water and salt inside a turkey so that the meat stays moist and tender after it leaves 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 wet or dry brine your bird, but before discussing how to brine turkey, let’s look at more reasons why everyone should brine before cooking.
Brining a turkey before roasting is a common technique that many cooks swear by for producing a moist and flavorful bird. However, brining requires time and space in the refrigerator. So it’s understandable if you’re wondering, can I cook a turkey without brining it?
The short answer is absolutely yes! With the right techniques, you can roast a tender, juicy turkey without brining. In this complete guide, I’ll explain why brining became popular, alternatives to brining, tips for ensuring a delicious brine-free turkey, and include a sample roast turkey timeline without brining.
Why Did Brining Turkey Become Popular?
Brining involves soaking the raw turkey in a saltwater solution for hours or days before cooking. This draws moisture into the meat through osmosis, ensuring the turkey stays juicy as it roasts.
Brining gained popularity because it reliably prevents dried-out turkey, which is a common complaint about roast turkey. The salt solution seasons the bird and helps it retain moisture.
While effective, brining has some downsides. It takes a lot of counter space in the fridge. The turkey absorbs a lot of saltwater, increasing its weight and diluting its natural turkey flavor And dealing with a 10+ pound raw brined turkey can get messy.
So over the years, many cooks have developed great techniques for roasting flavorful and moist turkey without brining. I haven’t brined a turkey in years thanks to these alternative methods.
How To Cook Moist Turkey Without Brining
Here are 6 tips for cooking the most delicious roast turkey without brining:
1. Start with a high-quality turkey
The quality of your raw turkey makes a big difference Pasture-raised and organic turkey have more fat and flavor The higher fat content keeps the meat moist and prevents drying out. A broad-breasted turkey from a local farm will be far superior to a conventional supermarket turkey.
2. Dry brine instead of wet brining
Dry brining, or salting the turkey and letting it rest uncovered in the fridge, is a great alternative to wet brining that doesn’t require dealing with gallons of liquid. Dry brining improves flavor and moisture just like wet brining but without diluting the turkey’s flavor.
3. Loosen the skin and rub fat underneath
Loosening the skin from the breast meat and rubbing butter or oil underneath is key for basting the meat from inside. As the fat melts during roasting, it bastes the breast meat under the skin to prevent drying out.
4. Roast at high heat to start
Starting the turkey at an initial high temperature of 425°F jumpstarts the browning process for beautifully crispy skin. Then reduce to 350°F for the remainder for gentle, even cooking.
5. Baste frequently
Basting the turkey with pan juices every 30 minutes moisturizes the skin and promotes even browning. Using a turkey baster, suck up juices from the bottom of the pan and distribute them over the top.
6. Let rest before carving
Letting the turkey rest for 30-45 minutes after roasting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat. Carving too soon will cause juice to spill out and the meat to dry.
Sample Roast Turkey Timeline Without Brining
Here is a timeline of how I prepare my roast turkey without brining:
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4 days before: Thaw turkey in fridge
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3 days before: Remove giblets and neck, dry outside with paper towels. Combine salt, pepper, and herb rub. Loosen skin from breast and rub butter underneath skin. Rub herb mix evenly all over outside. Place in a roasting pan in the fridge.
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2 days before: Roast turkey uncovered in the fridge (dry brine).
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1 hour before cooking: Remove turkey from fridge and let sit at room temperature. Preheat oven to 425°F.
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Roasting time: Roast turkey at 425°F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and roast approximately 15 minutes per pound of turkey. Baste every 30 minutes.
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After roasting: Let rest 30-45 minutes before carving.
Follow those simple steps, and you’ll have a tender and delicious roast turkey without dealing with messy brining. While brining does make it foolproof, with the right techniques you absolutely can cook turkey without brining.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to thaw a turkey?
The safest way is in the refrigerator. Whole turkeys need 24 hours of defrost time per 4-5 lbs. A 12 lb turkey would need 3 days in the fridge.
How high should I set the oven temperature?
Start at 425°F for the first 30 minutes to brown the skin, then reduce to 350°F for the remainder of cooking.
Should I tent foil over the turkey?
Tenting foil helps prevent over-browning. But basting and rotating periodically can also prevent this.
How long should I let the turkey rest before carving?
Let it rest at least 30 minutes, up to 45 minutes. This allows juices to re-distribute so they don’t spill out when carved.
What’s the best way to store leftovers?
Store carved turkey meat separately from stuffing and gravy. Refrigerate within 2 hours. Turkey keeps 3-4 days refrigerated.
Enjoy Your Brine-Free Roast Turkey!
While brining does guarantee a moist turkey, it’s absolutely possible to cook delicious turkey without brining. A quality bird, dry brining, butter under the skin, and frequent basting will ensure a tender and juicy feast. Follow these tips for your next holiday meal.
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. For a 14 to 16-pound whole turkey, you will need three tablespoons of kosher salt. Combine the salt with half a teaspoon of thyme, paprika, black pepper, oregano, and rosemary.
- Completely thaw the turkey and pat the surface dry with paper towels. Apply your brine rub all over the turkey’s body and inside its cavity.
- Place the seasoned turkey on a rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the fridge uncovered for 12 to 24 hours.
- After brining, take the turkey out of the fridge, brush off any excess salt, and let the turkey come to room temperature. Once the bird reaches room temperature, cook it any way you desire.
For extra moist dry brined turkey, rub some butter between the turkey skin and meat before brining the bird. 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 prefer the results of wet brining over dry brining, here’s how to brine a turkey in saltwater:
- Other spices or aromatics (optional)
- A large, food-safe container
- Water
- Kosher salt
- Create your saltwater solution by mixing four tablespoons of kosher salt with one quart of warm water. That means if you need four quarts of water to submerge your turkey fully, you will need 12 tablespoons of salt.
- Add aromatics, such as bay leaves, rosemary, or ginger, to boost the brine’s flavor.
- After the brine cools to at least room temperature, pour it over the turkey inside your food-safe container. If the turkey floats, weigh it down with a plate. You can begin the wet brining process while your turkey is still frozen, or begin with a thawed turkey.
- Cover the container and store it in your fridge for 24 to 48 hours. Your fridge’s temperature must not be over 40°F. A higher temperature will lead to harmful bacteria growing in your turkey and contaminating your fridge.
- After brining, take the turkey out of the water, throw away the brine, and pat the turkey dry with a paper towel. Rub your preferred seasoning on the turkey’s body and cavity before cooking.