A wet brine works, but it means wrestling a heavy bucket of saltwater and a slippery bird in and out of the fridge. A dry brine gets you the same juicy, well-seasoned result with almost no effort, and it crisps the skin instead of leaving it soggy.
How it works
You salt the meat and let it rest, uncovered, in the fridge. At first the salt pulls moisture to the surface. Then that salty moisture gets reabsorbed, carrying seasoning deep into the meat and changing the proteins so they hold on to water during cooking. The exposed skin dries out, which is exactly what you want for crispness.
The ratio and timing
- Use about three-quarters of a teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of bird.
- Season all over, including under the skin where you can reach.
- Leave it uncovered in the fridge for at least a few hours, ideally overnight.
Then just cook it
When you are ready, pat off any surface moisture and roast as usual. There is nothing to rinse and no soggy skin to deal with. The uncovered fridge rest is the part people skip, but it is what dries the skin enough to crisp. This works on a whole turkey, a chicken, or even bone-in thighs, and it is the single cheapest upgrade you can make to roast poultry.