Dry Brine Roast Turkey Recipe (2024)

This post has been sponsored by TheDiestel Family Turkey Ranch. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Cooking a turkey couldn’t be easier than this Dry Brine Roast Turkey Recipe! It’s juicy and flavorful, with golden brown, crispy skin for a show stopping holiday dinner. There’s no messy liquid to deal with and it can be dry brined up to 3 days in advance!

Thanksgiving is coming quickly, which I’m sure either excites you or makes you break out in a cold sweat.

I’m definitely excited as it’s my favorite holiday. Over the years I’ve found ways to make it easier by making things ahead of time like pie crust, turkey stock and even turkey gravy.

Unlike most people, the turkey is my favorite part about Thanksgiving. Most years I cook a whole turkey and a roast turkey breast because I want leftovers for sandwiches and turkey wild rice soup.

Typically I make my spatchco*ck turkey recipe because it cooks even more quickly and evenly, but I turn to this Dry Brine Roast Turkey recipe when I want to present it in a beautiful, traditional way.

It’s tender and juicy with the bright, woody flavors of orange and rosemary, and the golden brown, crispy skin makes it a real show stopper.

What really sets this apart is the fact that it’s a Diestel brand turkey. The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch has been my go-to since I discovered it several years ago, and it’s the only turkey that I serve on Thanksgiving.

Diestel turkeys are slow grown with plenty of fresh air and space to roam freely, both indoors and outdoors, and they’re raised almost twice as long, which results in premium texture and flavor..

Since the Diestel Family Turkey Ranch was founded in Sonora, CA in 1949, they’ve been farmers first. They care for their turkeys humanely, and are one of the last turkey producers in the Western United States to mill their own grain.

The turkeys are fed the way nature intended, with a 100% vegetarian diet, and the grain never includesantibiotics, growth enhancers, hormones, gluten, animal by-products, etc.

For this particular recipe, I used Diestel’s Organic Young Turkey. It boasts that it’s tender and juicy with real old fashioned flavor, and it really is.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• This roast turkey is golden brown, crispy with the flavors of orange, rosemary and smoked paprika for a hint of warm spice.
• It’s a show stopping dish that’s perfect for your holiday table.
• It’s dry brined, which results in a moist, juicy turkey without dealing with a messy wet brine.
• The turkey can be dry brined up to 3 days in advance.

Recipe ingredients

• Turkey. A 12-15 lb. turkey is the ideal size for this recipe. Be sure to remove the giblet package from the cavity of the turkey prior to dry brining it.
• Salt. For best results, use kosher salt. If you use regular table salt or sea salt, you will need half the amount of salt, or about 1 tablespoon.
• Oil. The oil promotes nice golden, brown skin.
• Smoked paprika. Adds color to the turkey skin as well as a warm smoky flavor.
• Orange. The orange pairs perfectly with the rosemary flavor. It may be substituted with lemon or eliminated altogether.
• Rosemary. Sub with thyme or your favorite fresh herbs.
• Aromatics. The onion and garlic flavor permeates into the turkey as it roasts.

How to make oven roasted turkey

Cooking a turkey doesn’t get much easier than this dry brine turkey recipe. There’s no messy wet brine to deal with, and it can be prepped up to 3 days before you plan to cook it.

A dry brine consists of salting the turkey generously, then refrigerating it uncovered for 1-3 days. It acts as a wet brine by breakingdown the tough muscle proteins, which results in a juicier, more flavorful turkey.

From there, it takes about 5 minutes of prep and into the oven it goes.

Pro tip: 12-15 lb. turkeys generally take close to 3 hours to cook. All ovens vary, so I suggest checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours of cooking time.

1. Remove the giblet pouch from the turkey cavity and pat it dry. Salt it generously all over, inside the cavity and underneath the skin over the breast meat. Place in the refrigerator uncovered for 1-3 days. The skin will look dry but that’s completely normal!
2. Allow the turkey to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
3. Place the olive oil, chopped rosemary, orange juice, zest, smoked paprika and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Coat the outside of the turkey with the olive oil mixture evenly. Place the onion, orange, garlic cloves, and remaining 2 sprigs of rosemary inside the cavity of the turkey, then truss the turkey legs using the kitchen twine, and tuck the wing tips underneath the turkey.
4. Place the turkey in the oven and cook for around 3 hours (check for doneness after 2 1/2 hours to be sure), or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees. Let the turkey stand for 20-30 minutes covered loosely with foil before carving.

FAQS

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: Turkey cook time will vary, but a 12-15 lb. turkey generally takes around to 3 hours to cook. All ovens vary, so I suggest checking for doneness after 2 1/2 hours of cooking time.
• Total time includes 1 day to dry brine the turkey, but the turkey may be dry brine for a total of 3 days before you plan to cook it.
• The skin will look dried out after dry brining which is normal — that’s what makes the skin so crispy.
• If using a frozen turkey, make sure to thaw completely and pat dry before dry brining.
• Leftover roast turkey will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

See Also

60 Vegetarian Black Bean Recipes

More Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love:

• Cranberry orange sauce
• Slow cooker stuffing
• Green bean casserole
• Pecan pie from Food Network
• Pumpkin pecan pie
• Pumpkin pie bars
• Pumpkin pie from scratch
• Roasted boneless turkey breast
• Sweet potato casserole
• Thanksgiving recipes
• Yukon gold mashed potatoes

Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram