This Citrus Dry Brined Turkey is the only recipe I’ve used to roast a whole turkey for the last several years. It’s so incredibly simple to make and yields a crazy delicious, juicy and flavorful turkey.
I love the combination of the citrus and sage notes in this turkey, but it’s so easy to change up the flavor profile based on your taste preferences!
What is dry brining?
Dry brining is pre-salting the protein (in this case turkey) without the addition of water. The salt, sugar and seasonings are rubbed directly onto the meat and placed in the refrigerator (a baking sheet topped with a cooling rack or roasting pan works best for storing in the refrigerator), uncovered for a period of time, before it is gently rubbed off and the protein is roasted.
Why make this citrus dry brined turkey instead of using a wet brine?
Both types of brining are great methods of tenderizing and flavoring turkey, but dry brining is my favorite kind of brine for a turkey. Not only does it break down the protein fibers and implement a ton of great flavor into the turkey, but it also makes the prep much easier. There’s no need to find a giant, sterile bucket to fill with ice water to submerge your turkey into and it takes up much less fridge space.
How to make this citrus dry brined turkey?
Ingredients
Process
- Combine all brine ingredients and mix together.
- Rub brine all over turkey, including in the cavity and place onto a baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack. This will allow any excess liquid to drip onto the baking sheet and allow the skin to dry out, which will result in a moist turkey with deliciously crispy skin.
- Refrigerate turkey for 2 days. You can brine the turkey for as little as 24 hours and for up to 72 hours. We do 48 hours because we think it yields the best results overall.
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Completely rub brine off turkey and pat dry.
- Rub butter evenly over entire turkey.
- Tie turkey legs together with twine, fold wing tips behind turkey and transfer to a roasting pan.
- Cover breast with foil and place turkey in oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Lower heat to 350˚F and continue to roast for an additional 2 to 2 ½ hours (about 12 minutes a pound, for an internal temperature of 160˚F).
- In the last 40 to 50 minutes of roasting, uncover breast to allow browning and skin crisping.
- Remove turkey from oven and rest for 20 to 30 minutes, loosely covered.
- Carve and serve.
FAQs
Yes! While the amount of salt and sugar should remain the same the amounts of zest, ground sage and black pepper can be adjusted. You can also use different herbs and spices depending on your preference! Thyme and rosemary are also great flavors for this turkey.
Since light meat cooks faster than dark meat it’s really beneficial to cover the breast for a duration of the roasting to prevent the breast meat from drying out and getting too dry too quickly.
Yes! Whole our preference is 48 hours, you can brine the turkey for as little as 24 hours and for up to 72 hours for the best flavors.
Yes! While we like to use a fresh or thawed turkey to be able to separate the skin from the meat, you can definitely add the dry brine to a frozen turkey with just a little more effort.
Gently rinse frozen turkey with water and pat dry. Rub dry brine all over turkey and place in a large dish with taller sides (to account for the liquid that will accumulate from defrosting the turkey). You’ll still need about 2-3 days for a 12-14 pound turkey to thaw completely.
What to serve with our Citrus Dry Brined Turkey?
There are so many delicious dishes to serve along with this turkey, but some of our favorites are:
Salads
- Chickpea Kale Apple and Goat Cheese Salad
- Everyday Simple Side Salad
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Watercress Salad with Green Apple Vinaigrette
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Side Dishes
- Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin
- Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin
- Cheesy Potato Casserole with Caramelized Onions
- Butternut Squash Puree with Browned Butter
- Mushroom and Sage Stuffing
- Mini Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes
- Cauliflower, Parsnip and Roasted Garlic Mash
- Roasted Radishes
- Maple Glazed Roasted Acorn Squash
- Fig Herb and Sausage Stuffing
- Apple and Fennel Stuffing
- Citrus Sautéed Beet Stems
Whether you’re new to turkey roasting, have never tried dry brining or just want to switch things up, this recipe is for everyone and anyone! It’s easy and results in the most delicious and juicy turkey! Enjoy!
Citrus Dry Brined Turkey
INGREDIENTS
citrus dry brine
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons light Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest from about 3 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lime zest from about 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon ground sage
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
turkey
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter softened
- 1 (12-14 lb.) turkey thawed and pat dry
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all brine ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together until evenly mixed.
- Rub brine all over turkey, including cavity and place onto a baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack. Refrigerate turkey for 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Completely brush brine off turkey and pat dry. Tie turkey legs together with twine, fold wing tips behind turkey and transfer to a roasting pan.
- Rub butter evenly all over turkey.
- Cover breast with foil and place turkey in oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Lower heat to 350˚F and continue to roast for an additional 2 to 2 ½ hours (about 12 minutes a pound, for an internal temperature of 160˚F).
- In the last 40 to 50 minutes of roasting, uncover breast to brown and crisp skin.
- Remove turkey from oven and rest for 20 to 30 minutes, loosely covered.
- Carve and serve.
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Hi from Argentina! I’m not even american but I made this recipe for thanksgiving and it was amazing. I made the brine 24 hours in advance and it still had the most amazing flavor and the turkey was so juicy. Thank you so much!
Hi Sofia! Thank you for you nice comment! We are so honored to have this recipe on your Thanksgiving table :)
This recipe is very similar to other turkey recipes I’ve seen for Thanksgiving. Most of the steps are the same, except I haven’t seen the instruction to cover the breast with foil while cooking before. Is there any specific reason why you’re supposed to cover it in the beginning of cooking?
I learned this method from Alton Brown…it really helps to keep the breast/light meat moist and helps prevent it from drying out. It also helps the skin to not get too dark before the rest of the turkey
Hi Teri and Jenny! This turkey recipe is to die for! Gonna make this for thanksgiving this year!
This is actually my first time to host thanksgiving. I have been struggling to lose weight for the last couple of years, I have reached a milestone and I’m really proud of it!
This thanksgiving is actually my way of saying thank you to my family and friends who supported me throughout my journey. Thank you so much for sharing this! And I’m so thankful that I found your blog. :)
Do you cover the turkey with plastic wrap while it’s in the refrigerator for two days?
I usually keep mine uncovered (stored on the lowest shelf of my fridge with nothing else (for cross contamination purposes) which helps the skin to dry out and get crispy in the oven, but you can definitely wrap it in plastic too
I left it uncovered in the fridge. Every time the door opened the citrus smell filled my house. It was wonderful! Now it’s smothered with butter and it’s in the oven. It smells amazing! Can’t wait to eat it. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! ????????