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Many people have different ideas about the best way to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving. To cut right to the chase, the official Epi position is that dry-brining is the only brine method you should think about when preparing a holiday bird. Should you make a dry-brine turkey? Wet-brine? Skip brining entirely? It simply involves sprinkling salt (and possibly a few other seasonings) over the raw turkey and letting it sit in the refrigerator for a few days. It’s far simpler to execute than a wet brine, and the meat is so flavorful that your guests won’t ever complain about dry, tasteless meat again. But let’s back up:
Hey there, fellow turkey enthusiasts! Ever wondered if leaving your raw turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight is a good idea? Well according to the EGGheads on the Big Green Egg Forum, it can actually help you achieve crispy skin.
The Question:
One EGGhead, QDude asks if leaving a dry-brined turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight is beneficial. He’s looking for advice from fellow EGGheads who have experience with this technique.
The Answers:
- JustineCaseyFeldown: Leaving the turkey uncovered dries the skin, which is ideal for achieving crispy skin.
- Photo Egg: They left their dry-brined turkey uncovered for over two days and it turned out great. They even mention that the turkey looked “sickly, dry, and pale” before cooking, but it cooked up perfectly.
- SkinnyV: A simple “Yep” with a picture of a beautifully cooked turkey with crispy skin.
- ThrillSeeker: They’re currently trying the uncovered method with a butter and seasoning rub, but they don’t think it will make a difference due to the butter.
- JustineCaseyFeldown: Butter can prevent the skin from drying, so it’s best to apply it on the day of cooking.
- tarheelmatt: Their dry-brined turkey is currently drying uncovered in the fridge with no issues.
- Botch: Their turkey breast is also naked and drying in the fridge, but they’re a bit spooked by the banging sound it’s making.
- Sea2Ski: Their dry-brined and spatchcocked turkey is also drying uncovered in the fridge.
- tikigriller: They’re also trying the uncovered method with a spatchcocked turkey.
The Takeaway:
Leaving a raw turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight is a popular technique among EGGheads for achieving crispy skin. However, it’s important to note that this can dry out the turkey, so be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly. If you’re concerned about the turkey drying out too much, you can always cover it loosely with cheesecloth or parchment paper.
Additional Tips:
- Dry-brining your turkey before cooking can help to ensure juicy and flavorful meat.
- Spatchcocking your turkey helps it cook more evenly and quickly.
- Be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
So, should you leave your turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight? If you’re aiming for crispy skin, it’s definitely worth a try. Just be sure to keep an eye on it and adjust your cooking time as needed.
Why dry-brining results in the best turkey:
The wet-brining method involves some complex maneuvers. To start, you’ll need to find a large bucket or bag that the turkey can soak in. It’s a process prone to nightmarish outcomes (#throwback to when former Epi food editor Rhoda Boone ended up with a fridge flooded with turkey water). You’re far less likely to encounter such problems when making a dry-brined turkey. Either way, you’ll need to clear some space in the refrigerator because that’s just how Thanksgiving turkeys are.
Dry-brining has more going for it than mere user-friendliness. It also makes the skin of the turkey extra crispy. The skin dries out while the turkey is left uncovered in the refrigerator, which makes it crisp beautifully in the oven. Additionally, dry-brining ensures the turkey meat is penetrated with seasoning throughout.
When you dry-brine a bird, the salt draws out moisture from the turkey, causing the salt to dissolve. Once dissolved, the salt combines with those turkey juices and gets reabsorbed into the meat. Muscle proteins are broken down during the process, resulting in the most delicious, juicy, and well-seasoned turkey you’ve ever tasted—no bashing or buckets needed.
Dry brining vs. wet brining:
There are two ways to brine your Thanksgiving turkey: a wet brine or a dry brine. To dry brine a turkey, all you have to do is coat it with a mixture of herbs and salt and refrigerate it for several hours (about an hour for each pound). A little more complicated is wet brining, which calls for soaking a turkey for several hours or overnight in a salt-water solution that may also contain herbs, spices, and aromatics. Ale or molasses are occasionally added to the water.
How long can you keep a thawed turkey in the refrigerator before cooking?
FAQ
Can I leave my turkey uncovered in the refrigerator?
Should turkey be covered in fridge?
Is it okay to leave meat uncovered in the fridge?
Can you put a turkey breast in the fridge uncovered?