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There are a lot of opinions out in the world about how best to prep a turkey for Thanksgiving. Should you make a dry-brine turkey? Wet-brine? Skip brining altogether? We’ll just cut right to the chase: The official Epi opinion is that dry-brining is the only brine method you should consider when prepping a holiday bird. The process is literally just coating the raw turkey in salt (and maybe a few other flavorings) and letting it hang out in the fridge for a couple of days. It’s exponentially easier to pull off than a wet brine and it imbues the meat with so much flavor, your guests will never complain about dry, tasteless meat again. But let’s back up:
Dry brining also known as salt brining is a popular technique used by many cooks to help ensure a juicy and flavorful turkey. It involves rubbing the turkey all over with salt, sometimes along with herbs and spices, then letting it rest in the fridge uncovered or covered. But which method leads to better results – keeping the turkey uncovered or covering it while dry brining?
Below we will explore the pros and cons of dry brining turkey covered vs uncovered to help you decide the best approach for your bird
What is Dry Brining?
Dry brining simply refers to rubbing a turkey all over with salt, then letting it rest in the fridge for 12-48 hours before roasting. The salt helps seasoning penetrate deep into the meat, acts to break down muscle proteins, and aids in moisture retention. Herbs, spices, sugar, citrus zest or dried chiles can also be added to the salt rub.
A dry brine is different than a wet brine which submerges the turkey in a saltwater solution. The dry brining method is simpler and causes less moisture dilution in the meat.
Why Dry Brine a Turkey?
There are several benefits to dry brining over not brining at all:
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Improves flavor – Salt penetrates deep into meat and enhances natural flavors
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Retains moisture – Salt helps turkey retain juices instead of drying out
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Crisps skin – Salt dries out the skin so it crisps up better
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Easy to do – A simple salt rub is all you need
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Tenderizes meat – Salt breaks down muscle proteins
So while an optional step, dry brining turkey can take your holiday centerpiece to the next level.
Should You Cover or Uncover?
The question of whether to tightly cover or leave uncovered comes down to what your end goal is for the turkey’s skin.
Uncovered Turkey
Leaving the salted turkey uncovered in the fridge helps thoroughly dehydrate the skin. This leads to:
- Very crispy, crunchy skin when roasted
- Beautiful browned exterior
- Caramelized flavor
If your priority is ultra-crisp skin, uncovered is best. The dry air of the fridge will work to dry out the skin.
Covered Turkey
Covering the turkey with plastic wrap or foil while brining helps keep the skin moist and hydrated. Benefits include:
- More tender, less leathery skin
- Skin that doesn’t over-crisp or burn
- Lower risk of overdried white meat
For the most moist, tender results, keep the turkey covered during dry brining.
Best Practices for Uncovered Dry Brining
If crispy skin is your goal, here are some tips for uncovered dry brining success:
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Pat turkey fully dry before salting – remove any moisture
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Don’t rub under skin – Only salt the exterior skin
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Use baking racks and pans – Elevate turkey off bottom of pan
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Rotate turkey and change racks – Airflow all around
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Refrigerate 24 hours – Longer dehydrates better
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Pat dry again before roasting – Remove any beads of moisture
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Roast at high heat – 450°F to accelerate browning
Follow these steps and your uncovered turkey will deliver crunchy browned skin everyone will rave about.
Best Practices for Covered Brining
For the most moist, tender results, here are some tips if opting to keep the turkey covered:
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Loosen any trussed areas – Allow airflow to interior
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Tent foil over pan – Don’t wrap tightly
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Check for condensation – Blot with paper towels
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Brine 24-48 hours – Longer equals more tender
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Set oven temp lower – 425°F to avoid burning skin
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Baste with broth – Keep skin from drying out
With these covered brining tips, your turkey will have succulent results from skin to meat.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
To summarize the key differences in the covered vs. uncovered approach:
| Covered Turkey | Uncovered Turkey |
|---|---|
| Moist, tender skin | Crispy, crunchy skin |
| Lower oven temp | High oven temp |
| Less basting needed | More basting needed |
| Slower browning | Faster browning |
| Lower risk of dry meat | Higher risk of dry meat |
Neither method is necessarily better or worse. Just decide whether your priority is crispy skin or moist meat and pick the brining style that aligns.
Adding Flavor During Dry Brining
One benefit of dry brining is you can add other seasoning beyond just salt:
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Herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano
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Spices – pepper, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg
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Citrus – lemon, lime, orange zest
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Sugar – brown sugar, maple syrup, honey
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Savory – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
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Chili – cayenne, red pepper flakes, ancho chile
Get creative mixing and matching to create your own signature turkey brine!
Storing and Serving Leftovers
Once roasted, let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving. Refrigerate all leftovers within 2 hours. Store carved turkey meat in shallow airtight containers. Use leftovers within 3-4 days.
Enjoy turkey in sandwiches, salads, soups, casseroles and more! A dry brined turkey will have you looking forward to leftovers.
Make This Year’s Turkey Your Best Ever
While an optional step, dry brining turkey makes the meat remarkably flavorful, moist and tender. Decide if you want ultra-crisp skin or the most juicy meat and pick your covering method accordingly.
Add flavor with herbs, citrus, spices and more during the salting process. Follow proper food safety guidelines as well.
With the simple dry brining technique, this year’s holiday turkey will be a guaranteed hit and talk of the dinner table!
Dry brining vs. wet brining:
There are two ways to brine your Thanksgiving turkey: a wet brine or a dry brine. Dry brining simply involves rubbing a turkey in a salt-and-herb mixture and letting it sit in the refrigerator for many hours (usually about one hour per pound). Wet brining is slightly more involved: it requires soaking a turkey in a salt-water solution (herbs, spices, and aromatics can be incorporated, and sometimes other liquids like beer or molasses are added to the water) for several hours or overnight.
Why dry-brining results in the best turkey:
The wet-brining method involves some complex maneuvers. For one, you’ll need to source a giant bucket or a big bag to let the turkey bathe in. It’s a process prone to nightmarish outcomes (#throwback to when former Epi food editor Rhoda Boone ended up with a fridge flooded with turkey water). You’re far less likely to encounter such problems when making a dry-brined turkey. Sure, you’ll have to make a little room in the fridge, but that’s the nature of Thanksgiving turkey, no matter which route you take.
Dry-brining has more going for it than mere user-friendliness. It also renders the turkey skin extra crispy: As the turkey rests uncovered in the fridge, the skin dries out, allowing it to crisp beautifully in the oven. Additionally, dry-brining ensures the turkey meat is penetrated with seasoning throughout.
When you dry-brine a bird, the salt draws out moisture from the turkey, causing the salt to dissolve. Once dissolved, the salt combines with those turkey juices and gets reabsorbed into the meat. Along the way, the process breaks down muscle proteins, giving way to the most tender, moist, well-seasoned turkey you’ll ever taste, no basting or buckets required.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey | Holiday Tips and Recipe Ideas | Whole Foods Market
FAQ
Should you dry brine covered or uncovered?
Place the salted meat on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. This allows air circulation all around. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.
Should I cover my brined turkey?
Dry-brining for more than 24 hours will produce even juicier and better-seasoned meat. To brine longer than 24 hours, loosely cover turkey with plastic wrap or cheesecloth before refrigerating, to prevent excess moisture loss through evaporation.
How long to air dry turkey after brining?
A 16-to-20-pound turkey should be submerged in the brine for 12 to 24 hours, a 12-to-14-pound turkey for 12 hours, and smaller turkeys for 6 to 8 hours. An additional 12 to 24 hours should be added to allow the turkey to dry in the refrigerator after wet brining and before roasting for a crispier skin.
Should I leave turkey uncovered overnight?
It is important to keep the turkey uncovered to allow the skin to dry. This will ensure that it crisps well during roasting. Don’t worry: It won’t make your refrigerator smell like turkey, nor your turkey like your refrigerator.