How to Brine Meat: Steps for Wet and Dry Brine
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To brine meat, weigh it, dissolve salt in cold water at a set percentage, submerge the meat in the refrigerator for the time window for that cut, then remove it and dry it. For 2 lb (0.91 kg) of pork chops about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, the calculator's standard brine is 54 g of salt in 1 quart (0.95 L) of water, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
A dry brine skips the water. You weigh the salt against the meat, rub it on and leave the meat in the refrigerator. Both methods are below, with the steps in the order you do them.
Choose wet or dry
America's Test Kitchen compares the two methods on chicken. A wet brine works faster and adds moisture, which helps lean cuts, but it can keep the surface from browning. A dry brine is slower and more convenient, and because it adds no moisture to the outside the skin can be crisper. The wet versus dry brine guide compares the two methods.
Morton Salt does not recommend brining beef or lamb, because they have more fat and lose less moisture in cooking than poultry or pork. The calculator follows that split: poultry, pork and seafood have wet brines, and the dry brines cover steak, prime rib, duck, chicken, turkey and several pork cuts.
Wet brine, step by step
- Check the label. Do not brine meat labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher. Morton Salt advises against it.
- Weigh the meat. Use the weight before brining, without liquid.
- Pick a strength. Each food has one to three strengths, and each strength has its own time window. Brine percentages explained covers how the percentage becomes grams.
- Measure the water and the salt. The calculator's default is 0.5 quart of water per pound of food, and the salt follows the water. Weigh the salt if you can.
- Stir until the salt dissolves, and chill the brine. Keep it at 40°F (4°C) or below. USDA FSIS says the refrigerator should be at 40°F (4°C) or below. Amazing Ribs says visible unmelted ice means the brine is probably below 40°F (4°C).
- Submerge the meat in a food-grade container. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service lists food-grade plastic, stainless steel and glass for brining poultry. The meat must be fully covered.
- Refrigerate for the time window and set a timer.
- Remove the meat, discard the brine and dry the meat. Pat it dry. Amazing Ribs says patting dry is important because the surface might steam and not brown properly.
- Cook it.
Here are the pork chop amounts at the standard strength. Chops about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick are the size the sources give.
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 27 g (0.95 oz) | 3 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | 1 1/2 Tbsp | 0.5 quarts (0.47 L) | 30 min to 1 hr |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) | 54 g (1.9 oz) | 3/8 cup | 1/4 cup | 3 Tbsp | 1 quart (0.95 L) | 30 min to 1 hr |
| 3 lb (1.36 kg) | 81.1 g (2.9 oz) | 5/8 cup | 3/8 cup | 1/4 cup | 1.5 quarts (1.42 L) | 30 min to 1 hr |
| 4 lb (1.81 kg) | 108 g (3.8 oz) | 3/4 cup | 1/2 cup | 3/8 cup | 2 quarts (1.89 L) | 30 min to 1 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
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 30-Minute Brine page says not to brine enhanced chops injected with a salt solution.
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 1 hr. The Kitchn's 5 Smart Tips for Better Brined Meat page (https://www.thekitchn.com/5-smart-tips-for-better-brined-meat-223759) says that for pork chops, chicken and other small cuts, the meat can start to become mushy after a couple of hours in a brine. Amazing Ribs says internal salt levels of 1.5% to 2% are much too salty to eat.
Notes
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.
Amazing Ribs' brine recipe rinses the meat with cold water to wash excess salt off the surface and then pats it dry. America's Test Kitchen's brined shrimp recipe drains the shrimp and rinses them thoroughly under cold running water. The sources opened do not give a rinse rule for every food.
Warning
Do not brine meat that is labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher. Morton Salt advises against it. Destination BBQ 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. America's Test Kitchen's 30-Minute Brine page says not to brine enhanced chops injected with a salt solution.
Warning
Brine in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Do not brine at room temperature.
Warning
Discard the brine after use. Do not reuse brine that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
Warning
Do not brine longer than 1 hr. The Kitchn's 5 Smart Tips for Better Brined Meat page says that for pork chops, chicken and other small cuts, the meat can start to become mushy after a couple of hours in a brine. Amazing Ribs says internal salt levels of 1.5% to 2% are much too salty to eat.
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.
Note
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.
Measure the salt by weight
Volume is unreliable because crystal sizes differ. America's Test Kitchen's salt comparison gives about 2.8 g per teaspoon for Diamond Crystal, 4.8 g for Morton kosher and about 6 g for table salt. Every table in the calculator gives the salt in grams and ounces first, then in volume for each of the three salts. The kosher salt versus table salt guide explains how the salt types differ.
Dry brine, step by step
- Weigh the meat. The dry brine percentage is of the food's weight, not of any water.
- Weigh the salt. At the standard strength for steak the salt is 0.62% of the weight.
- Apply the salt evenly. For skin-on chicken, America's Test Kitchen loosens the skin, sprinkles the salt on the meat and lays the skin back. The Kitchn's dry-brined turkey recipe also rubs the salt into the meat under the skin.
- Rest the meat in the refrigerator on a rack. For steak, America's Test Kitchen rests it uncovered in the refrigerator and says the cold, dry air helps more moisture evaporate. The Kitchn leaves its steak uncovered on a rack in a baking sheet.
- Keep to the time window. Do not leave it longer than the maximum.
- Cook it. Count any salt you add later.
For a 1 lb (0.45 kg) steak 1 to 1 1/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) thick at the standard strength, the salt is 2.8 g, which is 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal. The time is 12 hours.
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) | 1.4 g (0.05 oz) | 1/2 tsp | 1/4 tsp | 1/4 tsp | 12 hr |
| 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 2.8 g (0.1 oz) | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp | 1/2 tsp | 12 hr |
| 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 4.2 g (0.15 oz) | 1 1/2 tsp | 1 tsp | 3/4 tsp | 12 hr |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) | 5.6 g (0.2 oz) | 2 tsp | 1 1/4 tsp | 1 tsp | 12 hr |
| 3 lb (1.36 kg) | 8.4 g (0.3 oz) | 1 Tbsp | 1 3/4 tsp | 1 1/2 tsp | 12 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warnings
Keep the salted meat in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Do not leave it at room temperature.
Do not brine longer than 12 hr. This is a single tested time from one source. The Kitchn author reported the steak seasoned well inside.
Note
The Kitchn author found a 12 hour dry-brined steak too salty after salting it again just before cooking. Count any later salt.
Sources differ on covering. For chicken, America's Test Kitchen wraps the bird in plastic if it is salted for more than 12 hours, and Milk Street leaves it uncovered in the refrigerator. Steak has three strengths in the calculator, from 1 to 4 hours at the Light strength to 45 minutes to 1 day at the Full strength, and the dry brine steak guide covers dry brining steak.
Warning
Keep the salted meat in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Do not leave it at room temperature.
Warning
Do not brine longer than 12 hr. This is a single tested time from one source. The Kitchn author reported the steak seasoned well inside.
Note
The Kitchn author found a 12 hour dry-brined steak too salty after salting it again just before cooking. Count any later salt.
Check the time and the mistakes
Time depends on thickness more than weight. How long to brine meat gives the window for each food, and brining mistakes lists the errors that change the result. If this is your first brine, brining for beginners uses chicken breast as the worked example.
Curing with nitrite or curing salt (ham, bacon, corned beef, pastrami) is a different process that this site does not cover. Enter your food, weight and salt type in the calculator for the amounts.
Frequently asked questions
How do you brine meat step by step?
Check the label, weigh the meat, dissolve the salt in cold water at the strength you chose, submerge the meat, refrigerate it for the time window, then remove it and dry it. For a dry brine, rub weighed salt on the meat and leave it in the refrigerator.
How much salt do I use per quart of water?
It depends on the strength. At 5.71%, which the calculator uses for pork chops, chicken breast and other cuts, one quart (0.95 L) of water takes 54 g of salt. At 3.8% it takes 36 g.
Do I rinse meat after brining?
Amazing Ribs' brine recipe rinses the meat with cold water to wash excess salt off the surface and then pats it dry. America's Test Kitchen's brined shrimp recipe drains the shrimp and rinses them under cold running water. The sources opened do not give a rinse rule for every food.
Can I brine beef?
Morton Salt does not recommend brining beef or lamb in a wet brine. The calculator offers dry brine for steak and prime rib, with the salt by weight and a time window.
Do I salt again after a dry brine?
Count any later salt. The Kitchn author found a 12 hour dry-brined steak too salty after salting it again just before cooking.
Can I brine frozen meat?
The Kitchn says single-serving cuts such as chicken pieces or pork chops can go from the freezer straight into the brine. The calculator has no setting for a frozen start, so it gives no adjusted time for it.