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A close up of a citrus dry brined turkey on a platter.
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5 from 7 votes

Citrus Dry Brined Turkey

This Citrus Dry Brined Turkey will be the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you'll ever taste! It's easy to make and will have everyone asking for seconds!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Brine Time2 days
Total Time2 days 3 hours 15 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish
Cuisine: Amercian
Servings: 12
Calories: 347kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

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
US Customary - Metric

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.

Notes

Tips:
-The turkey can be dry brined for as little as 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
-The foil over the breast will prevent it from over-browning and drying out. 
-Dry brining frozen turkey: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 3385mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg