How much salt to brine a 15 lb turkey

If you’ve never brined a turkey before roasting now is the time to start. No, no, not next year, now — or at the very least the next time you cook anything remotely turkey related.

Because once you do you’ll never go back, seriously.

Ok, ok, how can I be so sure? Well only a few weeks ago I was you, well not really you, that would be impossible and a little awkward, but the non-brine-er part of you who is questioning my blatant confidence.

You see for years I’d intended to try this whole brining thing but — until recently — it had been ages since I’d roasted turkey. Then RJ suggested we host Thanksgiving, and as Thanksgiving means turkey, there was no excuse to not get brining and see what all the fuss is about.

Brining a turkey does two very important things, it infuses moisture and infuses flavour into the meat. It’s the kind of moisture and flavour that no amount of butter under the skin or salt in the cavity can accomplish, and all it takes is a bit of advanced planning.

So how does one brine a turkey?

1. make brine — a brine is nothing more than a salt/sugar/water mixture, with some spices thrown in for good measure
2. cover turkey in said brine and refrigerate for 18 hours or so
3. rinse turkey, pat dry with paper towel and rub with a bit of oil or butter before roasting

That’s it.

Of course you then have to cook the bird — oven roasting, bbq smoking or even deep frying in the middle of your lawn — but regardless of the final method of heat application, the act of brining will result in the best turkey you’ve ever eaten.

Why, pray-tell does brining create this mythical “best turkey ever”?

Soaking turkey (or any meat really) in a high-salt solution results in an equalisation of moisture and salt (osmosis if you must) between the meat and the liquid.

Ultimately your turkey absorbs moisture — and with it flavour from the brine — so that when it loses moisture during cooking there is more leftover, along with lots of concentrated flavour.

Now when I decided to brine the turkey legs I was smoking for our Aussie Thanksgiving feast I knew what brine was all about but needed to work out how much salt to sugar to water to use in the base mixture.

I consulted the masters — Alton and Martha respectively — but as US turkeys are roughly the size of a small child, running 15 – 20 lbs or so on a slow day, and I was working with only 3.5 lbs of turkey legs as a trial, there was a bit of work to do.

First up, work out the ideal brine recipe per pound of turkey. Second, make it and see if it’s worth doing in the future (in short, YES, yes it is).

Ok, ok, that’s more than enough lead-up so let’s get to it.

The only Turkey Brine recipe you’ll ever need

It is also easier to convert kilos to pounds (kg x 2.2 = lb, ie 3 kg turkey x 2.2 = 6.6 lb) than convert brine for kilos — yes, really. Also, always round up to the closest pound.

INGREDIENTS

Per pound of turkey:

• 2 c cold or iced water
• 1 Tbsp kosher or rock salt
• ½ Tbsp (aka 1 ½ tsp) sugar, I use coconut sugar

Basic Brine spices per pound of turkey:

• ¼ tsp black peppercorns
• ¼ tsp coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp juniper berries
• ½ bay leaf
• ½ clove garlic, bruised

METHOD

Make brine the day or evening before you’ll be roasting your turkey.

Pace turkey in a large stockpot/plastic bag/container. The container needs to fit in your fridge and stay there at least overnight.

Add peppercorns, coriander seeds and juniper berries to a large sauce pan. Dry toast over medium heat for a minute or two until fragrant. Add a bay leaves, garlic, salt, sugar and a quarter of the total water and bring to the boil. Simmer 2 minutes then remove from heat.

Add mixture to remaining cold water to quickly cool brine down before pouring over turkey. Soak meat in brine for 1 – 1.5 hrs per pound of turkey, turning turkey once.

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories

updated Aug 15, 2022

Kitchn's easy recipe for brining a turkey for Thanksgiving.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

While not a required step in cooking a turkey, brining can take your bird from good to extraordinarily good. Why? Turkey is a relatively lean bird, particularly the breast meat, meaning that it doesn’t have a lot of fat to help keep the meat from becoming dry and tough. Learn how to brine a turkey with our simple step-by-step recipe, and you’ll never want to prep it any other way.

What is Brining?

This is where brining comes in. A brine is a basic solution of water and salt. By giving our turkey a luxurious dunk in this solution, we can actually coax a bit more moisture and flavor into our meal before it’s ready to roast.

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How To Brine A Turkey

During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay juicy. Since the turkey absorbs salt too, it also gets nicely seasoned. Even better, the salt breaks down some of the turkey’s proteins, making it more tender.

Think of brining as insurance. A bird that has been wet-brined for just 12 hours will stay juicy even if you overshoot the cooking time a little. It’s one less thing to worry about.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

First Things First: Clear Out Your Fridge

One downside to brining a turkey is that it takes up fridge space. If you can find a pot big enough to keep it fully submerged, and make enough space in the fridge, then we’re in business. One smart place to try, if it’s deep enough: Your fridge’s crisper drawer.

I don’t recommend brining your turkey in a cooler. It’s hard to be totally sure that the turkey stays safely out of the temperature danger zone. If you’re low on space, consider dry-brining your turkey, which also results in a juicy, well-seasoned turkey.

What Type of Turkey is Best for Brining?

Only brine turkeys that have not been pre-salted, which should be clearly stated on the label. Do not use turkeys labeled “kosher,” “enhanced,” or “self-basting.” Brining these would result in an over-salted turkey. If your label doesn’t give any indication that it has been pre-treated, then it’s safe to assume you’re clear to proceed.

It’s fine to brine a partially thawed turkey. The thawing process will continue while the turkey is in the brine.

How to Cook a Brined Turkey

Once it’s out of the brine, pat it dry and rub it with any spices you were planning to use (although you can skip the salt!). You can also baste the turkey with juices or brush it with butter as it roasts.

I’ve found that brined turkeys tend to cook a little more quickly than un-brined turkeys, so I recommend starting to check the internal temperature of your turkey about an hour before the predicted cooking time is over. Once your turkey registers at least 165°F in the breast meat and thighs, then it’s done.

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Find a pot and make fridge space. Find a pot or food-safe bucket large enough that you will be able to entirely submerge the turkey. Next, clear some refrigerator space and make sure your pot will fit. (Image credit: Emma Christensen)

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12 Ratings

How To Brine a Turkey

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Kitchn's easy recipe for brining a turkey for Thanksgiving.

YieldMakes 1 turkey

Show Nutrition

• alcohol-free
• egg-free
• paleo
• dairy-free
• low-carb
• fish-free
• peanut-free
• high-protein
• shellfish-free
• pork-free
• sugar-conscious
• gluten-free
• tree-nut-free
• soy-free
• wheat-free
• red-meat-free
• no-oil-added

Per serving, based on 22 servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 329
• Fat 12.9 g (19.9%)
• Saturated 3.3 g (16.7%)
• Carbs 1.2 g (0.4%)
• Fiber 0.3 g (1.3%)
• Sugars 0.2 g
• Protein 49.3 g (98.6%)
• Sodium 931.7 mg (38.8%)