How Long to Brine: Brining Time Calculator (Wet and Dry)

By Cedrick Reese, BrineCalculators.com

4 lb whole chicken, 5% wet brine: 5 to 7 hours in the fridge, 8 hours is the limit for this cut.

Pick the cut and wet or dry, and get the brining hours, or the start time if you know when you will cook.

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Sources cited

Your cut

Method

Cut

Weight (optional)

Sets the hours for a whole turkey (about 1 h per lb) and the 30 min per lb limit at 6%. 0.25 to 30 lb.

Thickness at the thickest point (optional)

Thin cuts move to the low end of the range, thick ones to the high end. 0.25 to 8 in. Ignored for whole birds.

Brine strength (salt to water)

Stronger brines work faster. At 6% the time is also held to 30 minutes per pound (Rouxbe's rule for strong brines) and to 12 hours (this site's cap).

I want to cook at (optional)

Turns the hours into a start time. The page uses your device's clock; nothing is stored.

4 lb whole chicken, 5% wet brine

5 to 7 hours

Limit: 8 h for this cut, 24 h for any wet brine

Range: 4 to 8 h published for a whole chicken at 5%
Start: Set a cook time to get a start time
Then: Pat dry; cook to 165°F (74°C)

Fridge: keep the meat at or below 40°F (4°C) the whole time (USDA FSIS). For a running countdown, the timer tool keeps time on this device; this page does not send reminders.

4 lb whole chicken, 5% wet brine

5 to 7 hours
limit 8 h for this cut

1 in pork chops, 5% wet brine

1 3/4 to 2 1/2 hours
limit 4 h for this cut

14 lb turkey, 5% wet brine

11 to 14 hours
limit 24 h for this cut
Salt and water for this bird

1 1/2 in steak, dry brine

10 to 15 hours
limit 24 h for this cut

1 lb shrimp, 5% wet brine

15 to 30 minutes
limit 30 min for this cut

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Brining time by cut

Wet times are for a 5% brine (salt to water). Every cut has an id: #turkey, #chicken, #pork open the calculator on that group.

Cut	Wet brine, 5%	Dry brine	Where the range comes from
Whole turkey	12 to 24 h	24 to 48 h	about 1 h per lb, 24 h wet limit; dry 24 to 48 h (72 h outer limit)
Turkey breast (bone-in or boneless)	3 to 6 h	6 to 24 h	ATK brining chart 3 to 6 h; salting chart 6 to 24 h
Whole chicken	4 to 8 h	6 to 24 h	Destination BBQ 4 to 12 h, held to 8 h here; ATK salting chart 6 to 24 h
Chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, legs)	30 min to 2 h	6 to 24 h	ATK 30 min to 1 h, Destination BBQ up to 2 h for breasts; salting chart 6 to 24 h
Cornish hen or small game bird	2 to 4 h	6 to 24 h	treated as a small whole bird, half the whole-chicken range
Pork chops	30 min to 4 h	1 to 24 h	ATK 1 h for 1 1/2 in chops, Destination BBQ 30 min to 4 h; salting chart 1 h, 24 h is this site's outer limit
Pork loin or tenderloin	3 to 8 h	6 to 24 h	ATK pork roast 1 1/2 to 2 h at about 3.8%, Destination BBQ 3 to 8 h; salting chart 6 to 24 h
Pork shoulder or butt	12 to 24 h	6 to 24 h	no published wet figure (Destination BBQ does not wet brine shoulder); this site's row under the 24 h ceiling; salting chart roasts 6 to 24 h
Beef steak	not recommended	1 to 24 h	Morton: beef not recommended for wet brining; salting chart 1 h, 24 h is this site's outer limit
Beef roast or brisket	not recommended	6 to 24 h	Morton: do not wet brine beef; salting chart roasts 6 to 24 h
Lamb chops	not recommended	1 to 24 h	Morton: lamb not recommended for wet brining; salting chart 1 h, 24 h is this site's outer limit
Lamb leg or shoulder	not recommended	6 to 24 h	Morton: lamb not recommended for wet brining; salting chart roasts 6 to 24 h
Venison or other big-game roast	12 to 24 h	6 to 24 h	MeatEater brines small game 8 to 12 h and whole hams 24 to 48 h; a roast sits between, held under the 24 h ceiling; salting chart roasts 6 to 24 h
Rabbit, pheasant, upland birds	8 to 12 h	6 to 24 h	MeatEater 8 to 12 h wet for small game; salting chart 6 to 24 h
Shrimp	15 to 30 min	not recommended	destination-bbq 15 to 30 min; dry salting not recommended
Fish fillets (salmon, cod, trout)	15 to 45 min	30 min to 1 h	destination-bbq 15 to 45 min wet, 30 to 60 min dry

Sources: America's Test Kitchen brining chart and the Cook's Illustrated salting chart (ATK), Morton Salt's brining guide, Destination BBQ's brining chart, and MeatEater for game. Where a cut has no published figure (lamb, Cornish hen), the table says which cut it is treated as.

How this is calculated

This brining time calculator is set by the cut, not by a formula. This page takes the ranges America's Test Kitchen and Morton publish for each cut, lets the weight or thickness move the estimate inside that range, and never lets a wet brine run past 24 hours or a dry brine past 72. Pick the cut, choose wet or dry, and get the hours; tell it when you want to cook and it tells you when to start.

The old version of this page multiplied thickness by a "protein factor" that appeared in no source. This one starts from the published range for the cut and only moves inside it.

range     = [low, high] for the cut, from the table above
position  = 0.5                         5% brine
            + 0.3 at 3.5%, - 0.3 at 6%    stronger is faster
            - 0.2 thin, + 0.2 thick       under or over the typical size
estimate  = low + position x (high - low)
hours     = estimate x 0.8 to x 1.2     never outside the range
                                        (this site's margin; the charts are starting points)
6% wet    = never over 30 min per lb (Rouxbe) or 12 h (site cap)
turkey    = 0.75 to 1 h per lb, at least 4 h, never over 24 h
            (same rule as the turkey page)
limits    = 24 h for any wet brine, 72 h for any dry brine

Results are rounded to 15 minutes under 2 hours, to the half hour up to 24, and to whole hours after that. Weight and thickness are optional except for a whole turkey, where the weight is the rule. Beef and lamb get no wet time: Morton's guide says not to wet brine beef, and the salting chart covers those cuts.

What the strength presets mean

Every percentage on this site is salt divided by water, and the grams come first; the cups are read off the shared salt table (Diamond Crystal 134 g per cup, Morton kosher 230 g, table salt 288 g, all from the makers' labels).

Preset	Salt per gallon	Diamond Crystal	Morton kosher	Table salt	Effect on time
Light, 3.5%	132 g	1 cup	1/2 cup	1/2 cup	high end of every range
Standard (default), 5%	189 g	1 1/2 cups	3/4 cup	3/4 cup	the published ranges
Strong, 6%	227 g	1 3/4 cups	1 cup	3/4 cup	low end, and never over 30 min per lb or 12 h

To work out the salt and water for a specific cut, use the meat brine calculator; for a brine you cannot overshoot, the equilibrium brine calculator.

How brining works, and what changes the time

Brining is seasoning meat with salt ahead of cooking, either in salt water (wet) or rubbed on and left in the fridge (dry).

Salt dissolves some of the muscle proteins near the surface and loosens the structure of the rest, so the meat holds more of its own juice when it is cooked and is seasoned below the surface rather than only on it. In a wet brine the meat also takes on a little water. The salt moves inward slowly and slows as it goes: America's Test Kitchen measured a wet brine reaching about 1/3 inch into a pork loin in 2 hours, 1/2 inch in 4 hours, and 3/4 inch in 24. That is why thickness sets the time and why a thin chop is done in an hour while a whole turkey takes a night. The what is brining guide has the longer version, and wet brine vs dry brine compares the two methods.

Four things move the time: thickness (thicker is longer), the cut (beef and lamb are not wet brined at all on Morton's guide), the strength of the brine (stronger is faster, and 6% is held to 30 minutes per pound), and the method (a dry brine needs the extra hours for the salt to pull juice out and go back in with it).

For the best result

Pat the surface dry after brining; a wet surface steams instead of browning.
Leave a dry-brined bird uncovered in the fridge for the last 12 hours for drier skin.
Cut the salt in any rub or sauce you add after brining.
Brine in glass, food-grade plastic, or stainless steel; not aluminum or cast iron.

What goes wrong

Leaving it in past the top of the range: soft, salty meat.
Brining on the counter: above 40°F the brine grows bacteria as fast as the meat.
A stronger brine than the time allows for.
Brining a bird labeled enhanced or self-basting; it already carries a salt solution.

What you'll need

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Instant-read thermometer for the 165°F poultry and 145°F pork, beef and fish finish, and for checking the fridge sits at or below 40°F.
Brining bag or a food-grade bucket big enough to keep the cut under the surface.
Kitchen scale so the 3.5, 5 or 6% in the strength field is what you actually made.
Fridge thermometer, because the dial on the door is not a measurement.

How this page is checked

Cedrick Reese built this calculator for BrineCalculators.com and maintains the table it runs on. Each row's wet range is checked against America's Test Kitchen's brining chart, Morton Salt's brining guide and Destination BBQ's chart, each dry range against the Cook's Illustrated salting chart, the game rows against MeatEater, and the 40°F and internal-temperature figures against USDA FSIS and foodsafety.gov. The whole-turkey rule is the same code the turkey brine calculator uses, so the two pages cannot disagree.

The table above the calculator and the script below it are generated from one list, which is how the static figures and the live results are kept identical. When a source revises a range, the row changes and the presets are recomputed; if a figure here does not match its named source, that is an error, and the contact page is the place to say so.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I brine a turkey?

About 1 hour per pound in a 5% wet brine, with 24 hours as the limit: a 14 lb bird takes 11 to 14 hours and a 20 lb bird 15 to 20 hours. At 6% (Morton's 1 cup per gallon) keep it under 12 hours. A dry brine goes 24 to 48 hours uncovered in the fridge, with 72 hours as the outer limit; the longer end gives drier skin. The turkey brine calculator works out the salt and water for the same bird.

How long to dry brine?

By cut. The Cook's Illustrated salting chart gives steaks and chops 1 hour (24 hours is this site's outer limit), fish fillets 30 to 60 minutes (Destination BBQ); chicken pieces, turkey breast, whole chickens and roasts 6 to 24 hours; a whole turkey 24 to 48 hours, 72 at the outside. Salt draws moisture out first and pulls it back in with the salt over the next several hours, so under an hour on a thick cut leaves the surface wet and the inside unseasoned. Shrimp are not dry brined.

Can I brine meat for too long?

Yes. Past the top of the range the meat keeps taking up salt and the texture goes soft and ham-like, and past 24 hours in a wet brine the outer layer turns spongy. That is why every wet result on this page stops at 24 hours and every dry result at 72. If a batch went long, soak it in plain cold water for 30 to 60 minutes, changing the water every 15 minutes, then pat dry and cook.

Do I need to rinse meat after brining?

For a wet brine at 5% or under, no; lift it out, pat it dry and cook. USDA FSIS advises against rinsing raw poultry because the splash spreads bacteria around the sink. If you used a 6% brine or went past the time, a quick rinse takes the surface salt off. Dry-brined meat is not rinsed; the salt has already gone in. Either way, dry the surface well or it will not brown.

What's the difference between wet and dry brining?

A wet brine submerges the meat in salt water (3.5 to 6% salt on this site) and adds water as well as seasoning; it is the faster method and suits lean cuts like turkey breast and pork chops. A dry brine rubs salt on the surface; the salt pulls out juice, dissolves in it and is drawn back in, seasoning the meat without adding water, so the skin browns better. Dry takes longer (6 to 48 hours for most cuts against 30 minutes to 24) but needs no container or fridge space for a bucket.

Can I brine frozen meat?

Thaw first. A frozen cut thaws from the outside in, so the outer layer soaks up salt for hours before the center has thawed at all and the seasoning ends up uneven. Thaw in the refrigerator (about 24 hours per 4 to 5 lb) or in cold water changed every 30 minutes, then brine for the time on this page. The turkey thawing calculator does the arithmetic for a bird.

Why is my brined meat too salty?

Three causes, in order: the brine was stronger than the time allowed for (a 6% brine on this page is capped at 30 minutes per pound and 12 hours for that reason), it stayed in past the top of the range, or the salt was measured by volume and the cup held more than the recipe meant. A cup of Diamond Crystal is 134 g and a cup of Morton kosher is 230 g, so swapping one for the other changes the brine by almost double. Weigh the salt and use the salt conversion calculator when a recipe names a brand you do not have.

Can I reuse brine?

No. Once raw meat has sat in it the brine carries the meat's bacteria and some of its proteins, and its salt has moved into the meat, so it is neither safe nor the strength you started with. Make a fresh batch each time.

Does meat need to be fully submerged in brine?

Yes. Any part above the surface gets no salt and no water. Weigh floating pieces down with a plate or a zip bag of water, or brine in a bag with the air pressed out. If a whole bird will not go under in your container, the container size calculator picks one that fits, or use a cooler with sealed bags of ice to keep it cold.

Should I brine meat at room temperature?

Never. USDA FSIS puts the limit at 40°F (4°C); above it bacteria multiply in the brine as fast as on the counter. Brine in the fridge, or in a cooler with sealed ice packs checked with a thermometer. Ice added straight to the brine melts and thins it, so keep it sealed in bags.

How do I know if brining worked?

A wet-brined cut weighs a little more coming out than going in and the flesh feels firmer; a dry-brined cut looks wet at first, then the surface dries back to tacky as the salt goes in. After cooking, the meat is seasoned through rather than only on the surface and stays juicy at the same internal temperature (165°F for poultry, 145°F for pork, beef and fish, per USDA FSIS). Cook a small unbrined piece alongside once and the difference is obvious.

References

Disclaimer

Educational purpose only: this calculator and the information provided on this page are intended for educational and informational purposes only. The brining times, temperatures, and techniques described are general guidelines based on commonly accepted culinary practices and should not be considered as professional food safety advice.

No guarantee of results: actual brining times may vary based on factors including but not limited to: specific cut characteristics, initial meat temperature, refrigerator temperature variations, brine preparation accuracy, container type, and individual preferences. BrineCalculators.com makes no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information for any particular purpose.

Food safety responsibility: users are solely responsible for ensuring food safety in their own kitchens. Always follow current USDA and FDA food safety guidelines. Keep perishable foods refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use a calibrated food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures. When in doubt about food safety, discard the food.

Consult professionals: for commercial food preparation, catering, or any situation where food will be served to vulnerable populations (elderly, young children, pregnant women, or immunocompromised individuals), please consult with a certified food safety professional or your local health department.

Limitation of liability: BrineCalculators.com, its owners, operators, and contributors shall not be held liable for any illness, injury, or damages arising from the use of this calculator or reliance on information provided on this website. Use this tool at your own risk. See the full disclaimer, or ask a question through the contact page.