Aloha from Kailua! If you've ever carved into a dry, bland Thanksgiving turkey, this one's for you. Learning how to dry brine a turkey is the easiest way we know to get juicy, well-seasoned meat and crisp, golden skin, with no buckets of salt water. Just Molokaʻi paʻakai, a few herbs and a little time in the fridge. Here's our Hawaiian-style plan, from Monday to Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26.
Why Dry Brine a Turkey?
A dry brine is salt rubbed onto the bird a day or more before roasting. The salt pulls out a little moisture, dissolves into it and gets drawn back in, seasoning the meat deep down and helping it stay juicy in the oven. Leaving the turkey uncovered in the fridge also dries the skin, so it crisps instead of going rubbery.
Skip the dry brine if your turkey is labeled kosher, self-basting, "enhanced" or pre-brined. Those birds are already salted.
Which Hawaiian Sea Salt to Use
Any of our coarse Hawaiian sea salts will work:
- Mai Ke Kai Sea Salt is our go-to for a clean, classic flavor. It's pure white Molokaʻi sea salt, and you use it just like any coarse salt.
- Kiawe Smoked Salt is our pick for a smoky bird. It's Hawaiian sea salt smoked with kiawe, with a smooth, sweet smoke. Use it on its own for a smokier turkey, or mix it half and half with Mai Ke Kai for a gentler hint of smoke.
- Red Alaea Sea Salt is the traditional Hawaiian sea salt, colored by red volcanic ʻalaea clay, with an earthy flavor.
- Pink Akala Salt is a milder, delicate option.
- Black Hawaiian Sea Salt tastes like pure sea salt and gets its black color from coconut-shell activated charcoal. It isn't smoky. Save it for finishing your sides.
See them all in our Hawaiian Sea Salts collection.
How Much Salt Do You Need to Dry Brine a Turkey?
Use about 3 grams of salt per pound of turkey, which is roughly 0.6 to 0.7 percent of the bird's weight.
| Turkey weight | Hawaiian sea salt |
|---|---|
| 10 lb | about 30 g |
| 12 lb | about 36 g |
| 14 lb | about 42 g (about 1½ oz) |
| 16 lb | about 48 g |
| 20 lb | about 60 g |
Weigh it if you can. Coarse Hawaiian salt measures very differently from table salt or kosher salt by volume, so "tablespoons per pound" recipes written for another salt won't translate. A kitchen scale takes out the guesswork.
Don't double-salt. Our Poultry Seasoning and Roasting Herb Mix have no salt, so mix them right into the brine. Hawaiian Seasoning and Aloha Smoke Spice are made with sea salt, so count them toward your total or save them for another dish.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey: Our Monday-to-Thursday Plan
Ingredients (for a 12 to 16 lb turkey)
- 1 whole turkey, 12 to 16 lb, fully thawed (not kosher, self-basting or pre-brined)
- 36 to 48 g Mai Ke Kai Sea Salt or Kiawe Smoked Salt, or a mix of the two (3 g per pound)
- 1 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning or Roasting Herb Mix
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Optional: 1 tablespoon baking powder (not baking soda) for extra-crisp skin
- For roasting: 4 tablespoons melted butter or oil, 1 onion, a few garlic cloves and a handful of fresh herbs for the cavity
The weekend before: thaw it
If your turkey is frozen, thaw it in the fridge at 40°F or below. The USDA says to allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 12 to 16 lb bird needs 3 to 4 days. Count back and move it to the fridge by Friday, November 20.
Monday: check and prep
Make sure the turkey is fully thawed, clear the bottom shelf of the fridge, and mix the salt, herbs, pepper and baking powder (if using).
Tuesday: salt it
- Take out the neck and giblets (save them for gravy) and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the salt mixture evenly over the whole bird, using a little more on the thick breast and thighs and a pinch inside the cavity. If you can, gently loosen the skin over the breast and rub some salt right onto the meat.
- Set the turkey on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan and put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, uncovered and away from anything ready to eat.
- Wash your hands, the bowl and your counters well.
Wednesday: let it rest
Leave it alone. The skin will look dry and tight, which is what you want. A dry brine works in 1 to 3 days, and 2 is our sweet spot. To salt Monday for a full 3 days, check the turkey's use-by date first and keep the fridge at 40°F or below.
Thursday: roast and rest
- Don't rinse it. The salt has already soaked in, and the USDA advises against washing raw poultry because it splashes bacteria around your sink. Just pat it dry.
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Tuck the wing tips under, fill the cavity with the onion, garlic and herbs, brush the skin with butter or oil, and set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan with ½ cup of water in the bottom.
- Roast until a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing. As a rough guide from the USDA's turkey roasting chart, an unstuffed 12 to 14 lb turkey takes 3 to 3¾ hours and a 14 to 18 lb turkey takes 3¾ to 4¼ hours. If the skin browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
- Bake your stuffing in a separate dish, also to 165°F.
- Rest the turkey for at least 20 minutes before carving so the juices can settle.
Gravy, Sides and Leftovers
Gravy: The drippings from a dry-brined turkey are already seasoned, so taste your gravy before adding any salt. Simmer the neck and giblets with onion, celery and a pinch of Roasting Herb Mix for stock, and finish with cracked pepper. Need salt? Add a pinch of Mai Ke Kai at the end.
Sides: Toss sweet potatoes, carrots or butternut squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and our Veggie Roasting Herbs, then roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes or until tender. Finish with a little Black Hawaiian Sea Salt. For more sides from Feast and Flight, our recipe site, try Roasted Vegetables with Veggie Roasting Herbs, Mashed Potatoes with Thyme Infused Brown Butter and Fall/Winter Stuffing with Sage. For dessert, Pumpkin Pie Spice stars in our Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon. Hosting, or need a host gift? See our post on spice sets and gift boxes.
Leftovers: Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours, eat them within 3 to 4 days, and reheat to 165°F. Two local-style favorites:
- Turkey jook: Simmer the carcass into broth, cook rice in it low and slow, and season with Green Bamboo Salt, which is made for rice and soups.
- Shoyu-style turkey: Warm shredded turkey with a sprinkle of Hawaiian Seasoning, which tastes a lot like shoyu chicken. Add a bit of sugar and soy sauce for a quick teriyaki. Go easy, since the blend has salt and the turkey is already seasoned.
Need salt for the big day? Come see us at 402 Uluniu Street in Kailua, open Monday to Friday 10 to 5 and Saturday and Sunday 10 to 2. Then grab a view of the Mokes before the oven takes over your afternoon. Happy Thanksgiving from our ʻohana to yours!
Dry Brine Turkey FAQ
Should I rinse a dry-brined turkey before roasting?
No. The salt has been absorbed, and rinsing raw poultry spreads bacteria. Just pat it dry.
How long should you dry brine a turkey?
1 to 3 days, uncovered in the fridge. Even 1 day helps; 2 days gives well-seasoned meat and crisp-ready skin.
Can I use a seasoning blend instead of plain salt?
Yes, but check the label. If a blend contains salt, count it toward the 3 grams per pound. Salt-free blends like Poultry Seasoning and Roasting Herb Mix can go right in.