Wet Brine Recipe & Timing by Weight
Updated October 2026
A wet brine is the most reliable way to guarantee a juicy, well-seasoned turkey, and it comes down to a simple salt-to-water ratio applied for the right amount of time. Enter your turkey's weight and this calculator gives you the water, salt, and sugar for a classic wet brine, along with how long to soak the bird. The science is straightforward: salt water seasons the meat throughout and changes its protein structure so it holds onto moisture during roasting, which is why a brined turkey stays tender even if slightly overcooked.
The standard ratio this calculator uses is one cup of table salt per gallon of water, with enough water to fully submerge the bird. Sugar is optional but recommended in a smaller amount — about half a cup per gallon — because it balances the saltiness and helps the skin brown. These proportions are the backbone of nearly every wet-brine recipe; everything else (herbs, citrus, peppercorns) is flavoring you can add to taste.
The most important number in brining is the salt concentration, and the one place people go wrong is salt type. This calculator's amounts assume table salt. If you use kosher salt instead, you need more of it by volume — roughly one and a half cups per gallon — because kosher salt's larger, flakier crystals pack less densely, so a cup of it contains less actual salt than a cup of table salt. Using a cup of kosher salt where a cup of table salt was intended produces an under-seasoned brine; using table salt in a kosher-salt recipe produces a dangerously salty one. The weight of salt is what matters, and volume is only a proxy.
The water quantity is driven by submersion. The calculator estimates roughly half a gallon per pound of turkey, with sensible limits, because the bird needs to be fully covered for the brine to work evenly. If your container needs more water to submerge the turkey, keep the ratio intact by adding a proportional cup of salt for each additional gallon. A common practical approach is to mix a concentrated brine and then top off with cold water or ice once the turkey is in the container.
Brining time scales with size: roughly one hour per pound, which this calculator caps at 24 hours and floors at about 8 hours so smaller birds still pick up flavor. A 14-pound turkey brines for around 14 hours, conveniently overnight. The risk at the long end is over-brining — leave a turkey in salt water far too long and the meat turns spongy and too salty — so resist the urge to brine for days. Keep the brining turkey refrigerated or in a cooler held below 40°F the entire time, since a turkey soaking in room-temperature water is a food-safety hazard regardless of the salt.
Match your salt type to the recipe: these amounts assume table salt. Switch to about 1½ cups per gallon if you only have kosher salt.
Mix a strong concentrated brine, then top off with cold water or ice once the turkey is in the container — it dissolves the salt faster and chills the brine.
Do not over-brine. Past about 24 hours the meat turns spongy and too salty, with no benefit.
Pat the bird thoroughly dry after brining instead of rinsing it — dry skin browns and crisps far better in the oven.