Brining a turkey (soaking it in salt water) is a good way to get juicy meat. But many supermarket turkeys have already been treated with a salty solution before you buy them. Brine one of those again and the meat can come out too salty.
The good news: the label tells you. You just have to know where to look.
The words that mean “already seasoned”
“Basted” or “self-basted.” The USDA says a bone-in turkey with this label has been injected or marinated with a solution that can contain butter or fat, broth, stock or water, plus spices and other approved ingredients. The label must list what is in the solution and how much was added.
“Contains up to __% of a solution of water, salt…” This line is often in small print near the weight. If salt is in that solution, the turkey has been pre-brined. This line often appears on frozen turkeys.
“Kosher.” Kosher turkeys are salted during processing as part of how they are made kosher. Most cooks, including the testers at Cook’s Illustrated, say not to brine them.
“Enhanced” or “marinated.” These also mean something was added. Read the ingredient line to see if it includes salt.
Words that do not mean it was salted
“Natural,” “fresh,” “young,” “no hormones added” and “free range” say nothing about salt. A turkey labeled only “natural” with just “turkey” in the ingredients has not been brined. That is the bird that benefits most from brining.
So should you brine?
- Label shows a salt solution, or the turkey is kosher: skip the brine. Season the skin with pepper, herbs and butter, and go light on salt in the rub and the gravy.
- You still want to brine it: cut the salt in your brine about in half, and taste a small piece of cooked skin from a test piece first if you can.
- Plain “natural” turkey with no solution: brine away, or dry-brine it with salt in the fridge.
Safety stays the same either way
Brined or not, keep the turkey in the refrigerator (40°F or colder) while it soaks, and cook it until a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, wing and breast.
Sources
- USDA FSIS, “Poultry: Basting, Brining, and Marinating” and “Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms” (fsis.usda.gov)
- USDA FSIS, “Let’s Talk Turkey”: cook to 165°F
- Cook’s Illustrated advice on kosher turkeys, quoted at https://www.cooksinfo.com/brining-a-turkey
