I’ve transitioned into doing dry brines for the keto diet. This is primarily because wet brines rely on a solution using salt and sugar to infuse the turkey with moisture. Dry brining uses a different process by which the salt and seasonings are applied directly on to the meat and skin for a period of time prior to cooking. During this process, the salt draws out the juices through osmosis. Sugar is not needed for this process to occur, making it better for the keto diet. As the salt dissolves into the juices, it turns into a natural brine without any added liquid. This brine is then re-absorbed into the meat which starts breaking down the muscle proteins.

The big disadvantage to dry brining over wet brining is that it needs up to 3 days to do it. There are some advantages though. You can do the brining in a roasting pan without need of a large, food safe bag, not to mention enough fridge space to contain both the turkey in the bag of brine. You also don’t have to worry about the brine leaking out of said bag. There is no pre-cooking of the brine. And best of all, because the turkey sits uncovered in the fridge on the last day of the brining process, it dries out the skin, giving crispy golden-brown skin on the finished turkey.

Keto Dry-Brined Turkey with Gravy Recipe

Brine Ingredients:

Ingredients for Roasting Pan

  • 1 onion rough cut
  • 3-4 stalks celery rough cut
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 12-15lb turkey (defrosted, kosher, unseasoned)

Ingredients for Gravy

Directions for Dry Brine:

1) Combine dry brine ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Remove turkey from wrapper and take giblets and neck from out of the cavity (*I usually thrown them into a large freezer bag of bones that I use for making bone broth.)

3) Thoroughly rinse the turkey in cold water then pat it down dry with paper towels, inside and out.

4) Using your hands, gently loosen the skin on the breast, separating it from the meat, making sure you break through the membrane between skin and breast while leaving the skin intact.

5) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the dry brine mixture into the cavity of the turkey and rub it in.

6) Rub 4 teaspoons of the dry brine mixture into the meat of the breasts under the skin then sprinkle the remaining salt all over the skin of the breasts, legs and wings.

7) Place the breast-side down in a roasting pan. Cover it securely using plastic wrap or put it in a bag and seal it, taking care to remove as much as possible. Refrigerate for 48-60 hours. Halfway through the brining time, flip the turkey so that it’s breast side up.

8) Uncover the turkey and keep it uncovered in the fridge for 8-12 hours before cooking.

Directions for Roasting Turkey:

1) Remove turkey from fridge 1 hour before cooking. Add onion, celery and garlic to roasting pan with 1.5 cups of water.

2) Preheat oven to 325F. Combine 3 tablespoons of butter with 2 cloves of minced garlic. Rub this batter under the skin of the breasts.

3) Place turkey breast side down. Check this turkey cook time chart to find the right time for your size turkey. When you're half way through your expected cooking time, take the turkey out and check the temperature with an instant read thermometer to get an idea of how much longer it'll need to cook. Give it a quick baste and put it back in the oven. When you get to the last hour of cooking, flip the turkey so that it is breast side up, baste and out it back in the oven.

4) For the last hour, check the temperature every 20 minutes for doneness, especially if you have a smaller turkey. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F, and when the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. If you have stuffed your turkey (though you wouldn't have if you used my keto cauliflower, sausage walnut stuffing recipe), it is important to check the temperature of the dressing as well. The stuffing should be 165 degrees F.

5) When the turkey is done, remove from the oven, and place on cutting board with foil on top with a moist kitchen towel on the foil. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, then carve and serve.

*TIP: Be sure to keep the bones if you plan to make a soup later, using them to make your own bone broth. If you might not get to it right away, just throw them in a freezer bag and freeze them for later use.

Directions for Gravy:

1) Pour the broth from the roasting pan into a medium sauce pan, add poultry seasoning, and bring to a simmer medium-low heat. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of arrowroot flower with ¼ cup of water.

2) As it simmers add the arrowroot flour mixture a little at a time to get the right consistency (you may not have to use all of it). After you get the proper thickness you want, then add a pinch of baking soda to the gravy to add a little flavour and disolve the grease on top. Add salt and pepper to taste (but you probably won't need more salt because of the dry brine).

3) Pour into a gravy boat and serve with turkey dinner.

Try pairing this keto dry-brined turkey with my keto chia-cranberry sauce recipe and my keto cauliflower sausage walnut stuffing recipe for your next Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.