Brining is a popular technique used by many cooks to help keep turkey moist and flavorful. It involves soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution called a brine for several hours or overnight. This allows the turkey to absorb moisture and seasoning throughout the meat.
But brining alone doesn’t guarantee a juicy and tasty turkey. There are several important steps you need to take after removing the turkey from the brine Follow this complete guide to learn what to do after brining a turkey
Rinse the Turkey Thoroughly
After the turkey is done brining, the first thing you want to do is rinse it very thoroughly. This helps remove excess salt from the surface of the meat.
Place the turkey under cold running water in the sink. Use your hands to rub the skin, allowing water to run into the cavity and over all surfaces Spend at least 5 minutes rinsing. You want to rinse away as much salt as possible from the exterior of the bird
Soak the Turkey
In addition to rinsing, you also want to soak the brined turkey for 15-30 minutes. This further helps draw out extra salt from the meat.
Simply place the rinsed turkey in a clean sink or large container filled with fresh cold water. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes. The longer you soak, the more salt will be purged. But don’t soak longer than 30 minutes.
Pat the Turkey Completely Dry
Once rinsing and soaking is complete, you need to thoroughly pat the turkey dry, inside and out. Use clean paper towels or a clean lint-free kitchen towel. Remove as much moisture as possible.
Getting the surface dry helps ensure crispier skin when roasted. It also aids in evenly browning the exterior of the turkey. Any excess moisture can make the skin soggy.
Let the Turkey Air Dry in the Refrigerator
After patting the turkey dry, place it on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine.
Transfer the turkey on the rack to the refrigerator, leaving it uncovered. Let it air dry for 8-24 hours. This resting time allows the skin to fully dry out. It also helps form a type of “pellicle” or thin skin on the exterior. This pellicle helps the turkey brown better in the oven.
Season the Turkey
Once the turkey has air dried sufficiently, you can rub it with a seasoned butter or oil. Herb butters work great and add lots of flavor. You can also brush it with olive oil and sprinkle on dried herbs.
Season underneath the skin as well. Gently loosen the skin from the breast meat with your fingers. Rub the seasoned butter or oil directly onto the meat.
Go light on adding extra salt. The turkey already absorbed plenty of saltiness from the brining process. Stick to pepper, thyme, rosemary, sage and other herbs for seasoning.
Cook as Desired
After seasoning, the turkey is ready to roast. Place it back on the rack over the baking sheet. Roast at 325°F until the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F and the thighs 175°F on a meat thermometer.
You can also cook the turkey other ways after brining. Smoking, grilling, frying or spatchcocking are all great cooking methods. Just be sure to rinse, soak, dry and season the turkey properly first.
Make Adjustments to the Gravy
One potential downside to brining turkey is it can make the pan drippings used for gravy much saltier. To help control saltiness in the gravy, use low-sodium chicken broth and add extra broth as needed.
You can also prepare unsalted homemade chicken stock in advance to use for the gravy. Cook the turkey giblets in water, then strain and use this broth to thin out the gravy as it simmers.
If the gravy still seems too salty, add a pinch of sugar to balance out the saltiness. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Let the Turkey Rest Before Carving
Don’t immediately carve the turkey once it comes out of the oven. Let it rest for 15-30 minutes first. This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat.
Carving too soon can cause the turkey to dry out quickly as the juices run out. Waiting preserves moisture and makes for juicier sliced meat.
Drape aluminum foil loosely over the turkey as it rests to keep it warm. Then slice and serve.
Key Tips to Remember
To recap, here are the key steps for what to do after brining a turkey:
- Rinse thoroughly under cold water
- Soak for 15-30 minutes
- Pat completely dry, inside and out
- Refrigerate uncovered 8-24 hours to air dry
- Season exterior with herbs, spices, flavored butter
- Cook using desired method
- Make gravy adjustments to reduce saltiness
- Let rest 15-30 minutes before carving
Properly rinsing, soaking and drying are vital to reducing excess salt and ensuring crispy skin. Drying also aids browning. Seasoning adds lots of flavor without much added salt. Adjusting the gravy helps control saltiness. And resting preserves moisture when you finally slice and serve the turkey.
Follow this complete guide for best results with your brined bird. Then enjoy a wonderfully juicy, seasoned and flavorful turkey this holiday season. With the right techniques, brining can take your turkey from dry to delightful.
Prepping the bird and the brine
Q: Can I cook the turkey in the brine bag? A: NO! The brining bag is not oven safe and is recommended for brining only.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than the instructions recommend? A: Do not brine your turkey for longer than the instructions recommended. It will not make it more flavorful just too salty. There is no rescue for over brined meat.
Q: How much can our Gourmet Gobbler brine bag hold? A: Up to a 25-pound turkey plus 2 gallons of brine.
Q: Do I have to rinse my turkey after brining? A: We do recommend rinsing the bird and patting dry after turkey brining.
Q: Do I have to add sugar to my Gourmet Gobbler Brine? A: No – Our brining blend is complete. You just need to add water.
Q: May I brine in other liquid besides water? A: Fruit juice (apple, orange, and cranberry), beer & wine can be used, but do not substitute more than 1/3 of the total water content. General rule of thumb: use 1 part substitution liquid to 2 parts water.
Q: Will turkey brining make my turkey taste salty? A: If you have followed the Gourmet Gobbler brining instructions, then the salt content of the turkey will increase less than 1% after brining. Unless you over brine, the turkey should not taste salty at all. The Gourmet Gobbler Peppercorn Turkey Rub has some salt in it for a perfect, crispy skin.
Q: Can I brine a frozen turkey? A: You must start with a fully thawed turkey.
Q: Is there a best way to position my turkey in the brine bag? A: Yes. Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine bag for best results. This ensures that the largest concentration of meat is submerged as much as possible.
Q: Where should I store my turkey while it is brining? A: Your turkey can be placed inside a roasting pan in your refrigerator or stored directly on ice in a cooler. Make sure the cooler/refrigerator is 35-38F.
Q: I forgot to brine my turkey until today! What happens if I dont brine for the required time? A: As long as you are able to brine for at least 15 minutes per pound of turkey, the turkey will be juicier than if you don’t brine at all. Brining for shorter than the recommended time period might not give the brine time to get to the center of the turkey, but youll still notice a difference in flavor!
Q: Can I brine two small turkeys at the same time in the same bag? What if the turkeys are different sizes? A: Yes. Use the whole box of brine mix but only leave each turkey in the brine for 30 mins/ pound. So if you had a 6 pound turkey and an 8 pound turkey, take the 6 pound turkey out after 3 hours and leave the 8 pound turkey in for 4 hours.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than 24 hours? A: No. Brining works much faster than a marinade so brining a turkey for longer than recommended will oversaturate the bird. An over-brined turkey will taste salty.
Q: How far in advance can I brine my turkey? Can I do it 2 days ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge? A: Yes, you can brine your turkey ahead of time. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry, and place on rimmed baking sheet or inside roasting pan. Store turkey in refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately. If you insist on stuffing your bird, do not add any additional salt to the stuffing. Also, make sure to check the temperature of the stuffing when you finish cooking the turkey. The stuffing temperature also needs to reach 165F before its safe to eat.
Essential tools for the best bird ever!
Q: Can I brine a chicken or turkey breast? A: Yes, follow the instructions on the back of the package and allow the turkey (or breast) to brine for 30 minutes per pound.
Q: What size turkey should I buy? A: Rule of thumb is 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. If your family really loves turkey sandwiches or you want to try some of Urban Accents turkey leftover recipes, then buy 2 lbs. per person.
Q: Can I brine a self-basted or injected turkey (such as Butterball)? A: It is best to start with an all-natural turkey for maximum flavor. Self-basted or injected turkeys are injected with a flavorless brine solution.
How to Brine a Turkey
FAQ
What to do after brining the turkey?
3Before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine) and submerge the turkey in a pot or sink filled with fresh, cold water for 15 minutes.
Are you supposed to rinse your turkey after you brine it?
Do you rinse a turkey after dry brining? Yes, this is one of the only times you should ever wash a turkey. You’ll need to rinse it under cool water to remove excess salt. Afterwards, be sure to pat it very dry with paper towels so the skin has a chance to crisp.
How long should turkey sit out after brining?
After 12 to 18 hours, remove the turkey, dry carefully with paper towels, and roast. For crisper skin, brine a couple days in advance, and let your turkey air-dry at least overnight and up to two nights, uncovered, in the refrigerator on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
Do you have to cook immediately after brining?
No, you don’t have to cook immediately after brining. After brining, you can refrigerate the brined food for a period of time before cooking. This can even enhance the flavor and moisture retention. However, it’s important to cook the food within a safe timeframe to prevent spoilage.
What should I do after removing a Turkey from brine?
To recap, here are the key steps to take after removing your turkey from the brine: Remove turkey from brining bag/container and drain off all liquid. Discard used brine safely down the drain. Never reuse brine. Rinse turkey under cold water for 5-10 minutes or soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess salt.
How do you brine a Turkey before roasting?
Step 2 Place the uncooked turkey in a large brining bag or pot, pour in the brine solution to cover the turkey, and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours. Step 3 Before roasting, remove the turkey from the brine (discard the brine) and submerge the turkey in a pot or sink filled with fresh, cold water for 15 minutes.
How do you clean a brined Turkey?
Remove turkey from brining bag/container and drain off all liquid. Discard used brine safely down the drain. Never reuse brine. Rinse turkey under cold water for 5-10 minutes or soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess salt. Pat turkey completely dry with paper towels, inside and out.
How do you remove salt from a Turkey After brining?
This is an important step after brining. Too much surface salt can give your turkey an overly salty flavor. You have two options to get rid of excess salt: Rinse under running cold water. Place turkey in a colander in the sink and let cold water run over it for 5-10 minutes. Either method works fine.
What happens if you brine a Turkey?
Brining infuses the turkey with seasoned liquid, but it can also cause the salt to accumulate on the surface. Too much exterior salt leads to overly salty flavor and compromised skin crispiness. You have two options for removing excess salt after brining Rinse under cold running water in the sink. This washes away surface salt quickly.
How long does it take to brine a Turkey?
Once your turkey has brined for the recommended time (8-12 hours for a 12-15 lb bird), it’s ready to come out of the solution Carefully remove it from the brining bag, stockpot, or container. Be sure to fully drain off all excess brine so it doesn’t spill everywhere.