Turkey Brine Calculator
Enter the turkey weight and pick wet or dry brine to get the salt in grams and teaspoons, the brining time and the date to start for your dinner.
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Starts at 2 gal; use enough to cover the whole bird.
Defaults to the next Thanksgiving.
- Time in the brine
- 6 to 12 hours
- Salt per gallon
- 189 g
- Fully thawed by
- Wednesday, November 25, 2026
- Move frozen bird to fridge by
- Saturday, November 21, 2026
How this was calculated
- 2 gal of water weighs 7,571 g (1 gal = 3,785 g). × 5% salt = 379 g.
- Stir the salt into the water until it dissolves, then chill the brine to 40 °F or below before the turkey goes in.
- Keep everything at 40 °F or below the whole time, with the turkey fully under the brine.
- Rinse the turkey, pat it dry (skin crisps better if it air-dries in the fridge for a few hours) and throw the brine away.
- Dinner on Thursday, November 26, 2026: brine on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, and have the turkey fully thawed by then (frozen bird into the fridge by Saturday, November 21, 2026).
How much salt for a turkey brine?
A wet brine is salt dissolved in cold water, measured as a share of the water's weight. A dry brine is salt rubbed on the bird, measured as a share of the turkey's weight. Going by weight is the only reliable way, because a cup of one brand of kosher salt can hold far more salt than a cup of another brand or of fine table salt. The calculator above gives grams and ounces; fine table salt is also shown in teaspoons (about 6 g per level teaspoon, USDA FoodData Central).
| Method | Strength | Salt | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wet brine | Light (3.5%) | 132 g per US gallon of water | 12 to 24 hours |
| Wet brine | Standard (5%) | 189 g per US gallon of water | 6 to 12 hours |
| Wet brine | Strong (6%) | 227 g per US gallon of water | 4 to 6 hours |
| Dry brine | Light (0.6%) | 2.7 g per pound of turkey | 1 to 3 days |
| Dry brine | Standard (0.8%) | 3.6 g per pound of turkey | 1 to 3 days |
| Dry brine | Strong (1%) | 4.5 g per pound of turkey | 1 to 3 days |
The strengths and times are common cooking practice, not USDA rules: the more salt, the shorter the brine. Never brine longer than 24 hours or the meat turns salty and spongy.
Dry brine salt by turkey size
| Turkey | Light (0.6%) | Standard (0.8%) | Strong (1%) | Thaw first (fridge) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 lb | 27 g | 36 g | 45 g | 2 to 2.5 days |
| 12 lb | 33 g | 44 g | 54 g | 2.4 to 3 days |
| 14 lb | 38 g | 51 g | 64 g | 2.8 to 3.5 days |
| 16 lb | 44 g | 58 g | 73 g | 3.2 to 4 days |
| 20 lb | 54 g | 73 g | 91 g | 4 to 5 days |
| 24 lb | 65 g | 87 g | 109 g | 4.8 to 6 days |
Worked example: a 14 lb turkey
Wet brine. A 14 lb turkey in a bucket usually needs about 2 gallons of water to be covered (the calculator starts from about a gallon per 8 lb, so measure with your own container). 2 gallons of water weigh 7,571 g; at the standard 5% that is 379 g of salt, or about 1¼ cups of fine table salt. Brine it 6 to 12 hours.
Dry brine. 14 lb is 6,350 g of turkey; at the standard 0.8% that is 51 g of salt, about 8½ tsp of fine table salt, rubbed all over and under the skin. Leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days; 2 days is a good middle.
Wet brine or dry brine?
- Wet brine: needs a big food-safe container and fridge space for a bucket of water, but takes only a night. The skin can come out less crisp unless it dries in the fridge for a few hours afterwards.
- Dry brine: only needs a tray and a rack, tastes more of turkey, and the uncovered rest dries the skin for better crisping. It takes 1 to 3 days, so the start date matters more.
When to start: thawing comes first
A frozen turkey must be completely thawed before it is brined. USDA says the refrigerator takes about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 16 lb turkey needs up to 4 days. For Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026, a 12 lb turkey that is going to be dry-brined for 3 days starts the salt rub on Monday, November 23 and must go into the refrigerator to thaw by Friday, November 20. Enter your dinner date above to get your own dates, and see the turkey cooking time calculator for roasting times and the thaw-by date without a brine.
Do not brine these turkeys
- Pre-brined or “enhanced” turkeys. Labels such as “basted”, “self-basting” or “contains up to 8% solution” mean salt water is already added. Brining again makes them too salty.
- Kosher turkeys. They are salted during processing.
Food safety
Keep the turkey at 40 °F or below the whole time it is brining (USDA). In a cooler, use ice and check with a thermometer. Use a food-safe container, keep the turkey under the liquid, never reuse the brine, and wash hands, sink and surfaces that touched the raw bird. Roast as usual and check for 165 °F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
Sources: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey Roasting (thawing, 40 °F, 165 °F); NIST SP 811 (gallon and pound); USDA FoodData Central (table salt). Brine strengths and times are common cooking practice. Food information, not professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much salt do I need to brine a turkey?
For a wet brine, 5% of the water's weight: about 189 g of salt per US gallon of water. For a dry brine, about 0.8% of the turkey's weight: roughly 44 g for a 12 lb turkey. Weigh the salt; a cup of kosher salt varies a lot by brand.
How long should you brine a turkey?
A standard 5% wet brine takes 6 to 12 hours and a light 3.5% brine 12 to 24 hours; never go past 24 hours. A dry brine takes 1 to 3 days uncovered in the refrigerator, with 2 days a good middle.
Can you brine a frozen turkey?
No. Thaw it completely first: in the refrigerator that takes about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds (USDA), so a 16 lb turkey needs up to 4 days before the brine starts. The calculator counts this back from your dinner date.
Should I rinse a turkey after brining?
Rinse a wet-brined turkey and pat it dry; letting it air-dry in the refrigerator for a few hours helps the skin crisp. A dry-brined turkey does not need rinsing, only patting dry.
Can I brine a turkey that says it is basted or self-basting?
No. Labels such as basted, self-basting or contains up to 8% solution mean salt water is already added, and kosher turkeys are salted in processing. Brining them again makes the meat too salty.
At what temperature should the turkey brine?
At 40 °F or below the whole time (USDA). Chill the brine before the turkey goes in and keep the container in the refrigerator or in a cooler with ice and a thermometer. Throw the brine away afterwards.