Brine Whole Turkey: Salt Ratio and Time
Published
For a 14 lb (6.35 kg) turkey, dissolve 251.7 g (8.88 oz) of salt in 7 quarts (6.62 L) of water, a 3.8% brine, and refrigerate the bird in it for 6 to 12 hours. Keep the turkey and brine at 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time.
A stronger 7.61% brine uses 504.1 g (17.78 oz) of salt for the same 7 quarts and runs 4 to 6 hours.
Quick answer
For whole turkey, use a 3.8% brine: 36 g (1.3 oz) of salt per quart of water. Brine 14 lb (6.35 kg) for 6 to 12 hr.
- Diamond Crystal kosher, per quart of water
- 1/4 cup
- Morton kosher, per quart of water
- 2 1/2 Tbsp
- Table salt, per quart of water
- 2 Tbsp
- For 14 lb (6.35 kg)
- 252 g (8.9 oz) of salt in 7 quarts (6.62 L) of water
- Time window
- 6 to 12 hr
Warnings
Do not brine meat that is labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher (Morton Salt, It's Time To Brine). Destination BBQ (Brining math explained) says enhanced, self-basting and kosher meat has already been salt-treated and is essentially pre-brined, and that you might dry-brine it very lightly or not brine it at all. America's Test Kitchen's roasted brined turkey recipe says not to brine a kosher or self-basting turkey because it already contains a good amount of sodium.
Keep the turkey and brine at 40°F (4°C) or below and do not leave the turkey out at room temperature while it brines. USDA and the University of Wisconsin Extension say not to brine any longer than two days.
Morton Salt says not to brine a turkey you plan to deep fry.
Brine in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Do not brine at room temperature.
Discard the brine after use. Do not reuse brine that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
Do not brine longer than 12 hr. America's Test Kitchen gives 12 hours in its chart and 14 hours in its recipe at this strength. USDA and the University of Wisconsin Extension say not to brine longer than two days.
Notes
The University of Wisconsin Extension says not to wash the turkey before brining, because washing raw poultry can cause cross-contamination. If you rinse the cavity afterward, use cold water and make sure it runs out the other end.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day. Brined and fermented food contains added salt.
The water shown is a default of 0.5 quarts per pound of food. Use enough water to cover the food completely. The salt follows the water: if you use a different amount of water, enter it and the salt changes with it.
Whole turkey calculator
Enter your own weight, brine strength and water amount, choose your salt type, and get the salt by weight and volume and the time.
Open the whole turkey calculatorBrine strength
The calculator has two strengths for a whole turkey. Both are percentages of the water weight. The brine percentages explainer covers how that basis works.
| Strength | Salt percentage | Salt per quart of water | Salt per gallon of water | Time for 14 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighter, long About 3.8 g of table salt per 100 g of water, from America's Test Kitchen and the University of Illinois Extension. see warning | 3.8% of water | 36 g (1.3 oz) 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher 2 1/2 Tbsp Morton kosher 2 Tbsp Table salt | 144 g (5.1 oz) 1 1/8 cups Diamond Crystal kosher 5/8 cup Morton kosher 1/2 cup Table salt | 6 to 12 hr |
| Stronger, shorter About 7.61 g of table salt per 100 g of water, from America's Test Kitchen, the University of Illinois Extension and Napoleon Grills. see warning | 7.61% of water | 72 g (2.5 oz) 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher 3/8 cup Morton kosher 1/4 cup Table salt | 288 g (10.2 oz) 2 1/8 cups Diamond Crystal kosher 1 1/4 cups Morton kosher 1 cup Table salt | 4 to 6 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warning
Do not brine longer than 6 hr. America's Test Kitchen gives 6 hours as the longest time at this strength. USDA and the University of Wisconsin Extension say not to brine longer than two days. Applies to: Stronger, shorter.
Lighter, long (3.8%) is the default. America's Test Kitchen's brining chart gives a 12 to 17 lb turkey 2 gallons of water and 1 cup of table salt for 6 to 12 hours, and an 18 to 24 lb turkey 3 gallons and 1 1/2 cups. The University of Illinois Extension says to halve the salt for an overnight brine, which converts to the same percentage. Morton Salt gives 1/2 cup of Morton Coarse Kosher per gallon overnight, up to 14 hours, which converts to 3.04%.
Stronger, shorter (7.61%) comes from America's Test Kitchen's roasted brined turkey recipe: 1 cup of table salt per gallon of cold water for 4 to 6 hours, for a 12 to 22 lb turkey. The University of Illinois Extension and Napoleon Grills use the same percentage.
Pick the lighter brine for a 6 to 12 hour or overnight brine, and the stronger one for a 4 to 6 hour brine. The sources differ on time at 7.61%: America's Test Kitchen says 4 to 6 hours, the University of Illinois Extension says 6 to 8 hours and Napoleon says 24 hours for birds up to 10 lb and up to 48 hours for 15 to 20+ lb. The calculator uses the shorter maximum of 6 hours.
Salt and time by weight
Weigh the turkey before brining, without the giblets or the brine. The calculator accepts 12 to 24 lb (5.44 to 10.89 kg).
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 lb (5.44 kg) | 216 g (7.6 oz) | 1 5/8 cups | 7/8 cup | 3/4 cup | 6 quarts (5.68 L) | 6 to 12 hr |
| 16 lb (7.26 kg) | 288 g (10.2 oz) | 2 1/8 cups | 1 1/4 cups | 1 cup | 8 quarts (7.57 L) | 6 to 12 hr |
| 20 lb (9.07 kg) | 360 g (12.7 oz) | 2 5/8 cups | 1 1/2 cups | 1 1/4 cups | 10 quarts (9.46 L) | 6 to 12 hr |
| 24 lb (10.89 kg) | 432 g (15.2 oz) | 3 1/4 cups | 1 7/8 cups | 1 1/2 cups | 12 quarts (11.36 L) | 6 to 12 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
The stronger brine:
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 lb (5.44 kg) | 432 g (15.2 oz) | 3 1/4 cups | 1 7/8 cups | 1 1/2 cups | 6 quarts (5.68 L) | 4 to 6 hr |
| 16 lb (7.26 kg) | 576 g (20.3 oz) | 4 1/4 cups | 2 1/2 cups | 2 cups | 8 quarts (7.57 L) | 4 to 6 hr |
| 20 lb (9.07 kg) | 720 g (25.4 oz) | 5 3/8 cups | 3 1/8 cups | 2 1/2 cups | 10 quarts (9.46 L) | 4 to 6 hr |
| 24 lb (10.89 kg) not recommended | 864 g (30.5 oz) | 6 3/8 cups | 3 3/4 cups | 3 cups | 12 quarts (11.36 L) | 4 to 6 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warnings
This combination is outside what the sources support, so the calculator does not recommend it. See the other messages for the reason. Applies to: 24 lb (10.89 kg).
The source time table for this food ends at 22 lb (9.98 kg). At 24 lb (10.89 kg) the time is not covered, so the result shows the last row and is not recommended. Applies to: 24 lb (10.89 kg).
Warning
This combination is outside what the sources support, so the calculator does not recommend it. At the stronger strength, the source time table for this food ends at 22 lb (9.98 kg). At 24 lb (10.89 kg) the time is not covered, so the result shows the last row and is not recommended.
The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts. At 14 lb and the default strength, 251.7 g of salt is 1 7/8 cups of Diamond Crystal kosher, 1 1/8 cups of Morton kosher or 7/8 cup of table salt. Weighing is the reliable way to measure, and the kosher versus table salt guide explains why.
America's Test Kitchen's roasted brined turkey recipe says the amount of salt in each brine does not change with turkey size, because the salt is measured per gallon of water. Its chart gives 1 cup of table salt in 2 gallons for a 12 to 17 lb turkey and 1 1/2 cups in 3 gallons for an 18 to 24 lb turkey. That is the same salt per gallon, about 3.8% by weight, so the total salt rises with the water.
The calculator's default water is 0.5 quart per pound, which equals ATK's 2 gallons (8 quarts) at 16 lb and 3 gallons (12 quarts) at 24 lb. It is lower than the chart for a bird under 16 lb and for one from 18 to 23 lb, so the 14 lb default of 7 quarts is a little under ATK's 8 quarts. Enter the water your container needs to cover the turkey in the calculator; the salt follows at the same strength.
Note
The water shown is a default of 0.5 quarts per pound of food. Use enough water to cover the food completely. The salt follows the water: if you use a different amount of water, enter it and the salt changes with it.
Handling a whole turkey
Do not wash the turkey before brining; the USDA says rinsing raw poultry can spread bacteria to other foods and surfaces. It suggests a large food-grade plastic, stainless steel or glass container, or a brining bag, that fits in your refrigerator. Keep the bird and brine at 40°F (4°C) or below, and take it out at 6 to 12 hours at the lighter strength or 4 to 6 hours at the stronger one.
After the brine the sources differ on rinsing. The University of Illinois Extension says to rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water and pat it dry, while the University of Wisconsin Extension says to rinse only the cavity if you must. Dry the skin well, and for crisp skin consider the dry brine turkey guide, since Amazing Ribs says wet brines make poultry skin soggy. The USDA says to cook turkey to at least 165°F (74°C). The shared steps are in how to brine meat.
Safety
Warning
Do not brine longer than 12 hr at the lighter strength or 6 hr at the stronger strength. At the lighter strength, America's Test Kitchen gives 12 hours in its chart and 14 hours in its recipe. At the stronger strength, America's Test Kitchen gives 6 hours as the longest time. At both, USDA and the University of Wisconsin Extension say not to brine longer than two days. The guide to over-brining has the salt-uptake test and what to do about meat that stayed in too long.
The refrigeration, brine disposal and pre-salted meat rules in the calculator above apply to every wet brine and are explained in the brine food safety guide. In short: brine at 40°F (4°C) or below, throw the brine out after use, and do not brine poultry sold as basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher. The USDA FSIS says those labels mean a solution was added during processing.
Practical problems
The bird will not fit in the refrigerator. Morton Salt suggests a cooler lined with a roasting bag, as long as the water stays below 40°F (4°C).
The turkey is a bone-in breast, not a whole bird. The turkey breast guide has its own amounts and times.
You want every size in one place. The turkey brine time chart lists the turkey cuts together.
Frequently asked questions
How long should you brine a whole turkey?
At the default 3.8% strength the window is 6 to 12 hours. The stronger 7.61% brine is 4 to 6 hours for birds up to 22 lb (9.98 kg).
How much salt do you need to brine a 14 lb turkey?
At the default strength, 14 lb (6.35 kg) uses 7 quarts (6.62 L) of water and 251.7 g (8.88 oz) of salt, which is 1 7/8 cups Diamond Crystal kosher, 1 1/8 cups Morton kosher or 7/8 cup table salt. Weigh the salt, because the volumes differ by brand.
Do you wash a turkey before brining?
No. The University of Wisconsin Extension and USDA say not to wash the turkey before brining, because washing raw poultry can spread bacteria. If you rinse the cavity afterward, use cold water and make sure it runs out the other end.
Can you brine a turkey you plan to deep fry?
Morton Salt says not to brine a turkey you plan to deep fry.
How long can a turkey stay in brine?
USDA and the University of Wisconsin Extension say not to brine any longer than two days. The calculator's own limits are much shorter: 12 hours at the default strength and 6 hours at the stronger one.
Can you brine a kosher or self-basting turkey?
No. America's Test Kitchen says not to brine kosher or self-basting turkeys, and Morton Salt advises against brining meat labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher.
Sources
- Turkey brining guidance (USDA)
- Brining Safely Will Bring Tender, Flavorful Meat to the Table (University of Wisconsin Extension, Dunn County)
- Brine Method (University of Illinois Extension)
- It's Time To Brine (Morton Salt)
- Brining Meat chart (America's Test Kitchen)
- Roasted Brined Turkey (America's Test Kitchen)