How to brine turkey – and which method is right for you

Some techniques Requires you to get the salt under your skin and then wrap it in plastic wrap, Benwick notes, which makes it difficult for the salt to distribute evenly. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to apply salt under the skin, and simply sprinkling the outside makes things much easier. My method is to sprinkle a teaspoon of fine sea salt all over a 10- to 12-pound bird, place it on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking tray, and refrigerate, uncovered, for up to three days.