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How long should I brine a turkey?

Wet-brine a turkey 12–24 hours in 1 cup salt per gallon. Dry-brine 24–72 hours, uncovered in fridge. Both methods need ~1 hour per pound. Don't exceed 48 hours for wet brine.

The full answer

Turkey brining is more time-sensitive than chicken because turkeys are bigger — salt needs longer to penetrate, but excess time makes meat mushy or over-salty.

**Wet brine timing (1 cup kosher salt per gallon water):** - 8 lb turkey: 8–12 hours - 12 lb turkey: 12–18 hours (standard) - 16 lb turkey: 18–24 hours - 20 lb turkey: 24–36 hours - Never exceed 48 hours wet brine — texture becomes mushy + over-salty

**Dry brine timing (1 tsp kosher salt per pound, uncovered in fridge):** - 8 lb: 24 hours - 12 lb: 48 hours (standard target) - 16 lb: 48–72 hours - 20 lb: 72 hours - Dry brine is more forgiving — 24–96 hours is the workable range

**Why brine a turkey?** - Salt denatures muscle proteins → up to 15% more moisture retained during roast - Salt diffuses through breast meat → seasoned interior (turkey breast is famously bland without seasoning beneath the skin) - Dry brine air-dries skin → far crispier roast

**Don't brine if:** - Turkey label says "self-basting," "enhanced," "kosher," or "10% solution" (already salted) - Frozen-then-thawed turkey from supermarket (often pre-injected with brine; check package)

**Method choice:** Most modern chefs (Alton Brown, Kenji López-Alt, Bon Appétit) recommend dry brine over wet brine for Thanksgiving turkey. Dry brine = crispier skin + better seasoning + no soaking-bucket logistics + better fridge real estate.

The Thomas Keller "salt-brine method" applied to turkey at 1.5 tsp/lb for 48 hours is widely cited as the home-cook gold standard.

Time ranges by condition

What changes the time

• Turkey weight. Heavier birds need more time + more salt (per-lb ratio scales linearly)
• Salt brand. Diamond Crystal kosher = standard. Morton kosher = 2x denser; use half. Table salt = avoid (too fine, hard to control)
• Wet vs dry brine. Wet = more moisture but soggy skin; dry = seasoned + crispy skin (most pros prefer dry)
• Pre-injected turkey. Skip brining entirely if turkey is labeled "10% solution" or "enhanced"; brine on top = over-salty

Common questions

Sources

We cite primary research, expert practice, and authoritative reference. Higher-tier sources weighted heavier. See methodology.

1. Alton Brown, "Good Eats Roast Turkey" — Popularized wet-brine + cheesecloth-baste method
2. Thomas Keller, "Bouchon" — Dry brine method: 1.5 tsp/lb, 48h uncovered
3. J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats — Comparative testing: dry vs wet vs buttermilk brine
4. Cook's Illustrated turkey-brining studies — Time/salt-concentration optimization

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