Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away and are you ready!? Get your stretchy pants on and let's make a dry brine turkey using Williams Sonoma dry brine!
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What is Dry Brining?
Dry brining may be the easiest way to prep your holiday turkey. A dry brine consists of a salt based dry rub on the poultry and letting it sit there for a few days as the flavors and salt absorb into the meat!
For me this gives the ultimate crispy skin experience! My dry brine is a blend from Williams Sonoma that I've used couple years in a row now and have fallen in love with.
It's an Herbs de Provence dry brine and I highly recommend it! However you could make your own using these recipes below! You can also swap in a bone-in-breast turkey for this recipe if you choose not to make a whole turkey.
What You Need To Dry Brine a Turkey
You will need a few simple kitchen tools to make the perfect herbs de Provence dry brine turkey!
Using these few tools will make the process much easier!
Homemade Dry Brine Mix
If you'd like to try your hand at making your own dry brine here are some suggestions!
- Old Bay Dry Brine
- All Purpose Dry Rub - You'll have to add salt to this one!
Or the pre packaged brines from Williams Sonoma have been a knockout every time!
The Turkey Dry Brining Process
So I start this turkey 3 days ahead of time. If you are hosting Thanksgiving on a Thursday you'll want to start this on Monday or Tuesday morning at the latest!
If you need to defrost your turkey, that's a whole extra step! Defrost your turkey in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- First you will take your dry brine and rub it all over the turkey. Be sure to remove the bag of giblets and the neck from the cavity of the turkey. Gross, but necessary.
- Be sure to separate the skin from the breast and put some of your brine mix in there as well!
- Place your turkey on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack for easy transportation.
- Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for 2 full days.
- On the 3rd day or 9 hours before cooking, unwrap the turkey and stick it back in the fridge to let the skin completely dry out.
- On the day you are ready to cook it, remove and let it come to room temperature!
Easy as pie! These multiple steps may seem intimidating but they really are super easy. Give it a go! Scroll down for the full recipe on how to cook this dry brined turkey.
What To Serve with Thanksgiving Turkey
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
- Fancy Veggie Side Dishes
- Air Fried Green Beans
- Low Carb Stuffing
- What Wine To Serve With Thanksgiving
📖 Recipe
Herbs de Provence Dry Brine Turkey
Equipment
- roasting pan
- meat injector
- turkey baster
- food grade silicone brush
Ingredients
- 1 10-15 lb turkey this depends on how many you are serving!
- 1 can Williams Sonoma Herbs De Provence dry brine rub or make your own!
- 8 tablespoon butter melted
- ½ cup Italian Dressing I love Olive Garden Italian Dressing
Instructions
Dry Brining
- 3 days before cooking your turkey, it needs to be completely defrosted. Begin removing the turkey neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey.
- Set the turkey on a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet
- Rub the entire turkey with the dry brine rub.
- Wrap the whole bird and cookie sheet with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for 3 days.
- 8 hours before cooking remove the plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge to really dry out the skin.
Cooking The Turkey
- 1 hour before cooking remove the turkey and let it come to room temperature.
- Melt your butter in a microwave safe bowl and brush on the turkey.
- Using your meat injector, inject the turkey all over with the italian dressing. I do about 6-8 injections in the breast and 3 in each thigh.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and roast the turkey for 30 minutes.
- Remove the turkey and baste with more butter. Tent it with aluminum foil (Lightly place a sheet of foil on top)
- Turn the oven to 325 and return the turkey to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes per lb. However, don't just go by this timing.
- After 1 hour check the temperature with a meat thermometer and keep checking until the turkey reaches 165 degrees fahrenheit internal temperature.
- Each time you remove the bird to check temperature, baste with more butter. (up to 3 times) The last 15 minutes remove the foil to continue crisping the skin.
- After the turkey is cooked to temperature remove and cover with foil completely and let rest 30 minutes. Carve and enjoy!
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