I tend to dry brine my meat. If it were me, I'd rub the thawed bird with 1/3 cup course ground salt per 10 pounds of meat (inside too) and then let it sit for an hour per pound of meat.

No, you should not rinse off the brine before cooking. You'll undo most of the benefits of preseasoning the turkey if you do.

I ended up wet brinning about 20 hours ... Salt.. Brown sugar .. a couple jars of pickling spice* .. zest  of lemon and  zest of a couple oranges.... Well drained and flavor injected.. Buttery Cajun  .... once oil was hot took about 80 minutes cook time ...I'll try dry brine next time
PS it's tasty

* McCormick Mixed Pickling Spice

Cinnamon, Allspice, Mustard Seed, Coriander, Bay Leaves, Ginger, Chilies, Cloves, Black Pepper, Mace, Cardamom, And Sulfiting Agents.


Bird was 20+ Lbs. and too large for my pot very little free space tween top of oil and lip of pot .... way dangerous .. a little oil was splashing over and running down the side of the pot .. big fire hazard .. every time I moved the bird to check temps. the gas was shut off .. pot was in the middle of my back yard nowhere near any structures. Still .... I think next time I'll scale down to a 12 - 15 Lb bird that shouldn't take as much oil ...(4 Gallons)  and be much less fire hazard.

I'm a minimalist when it comes to most meat. No herbs and spices, just meat and salt. I find that most good cuts of meat don't need any added flavors. That said, I do inject meats with a wet brine before smoking because of how drying it is to cook low and slow. A dry brined turkey, though; that's allowed to sit uncovered for many hours before frying turns out amazing without needing any other help. And if it's a wild turkey, it turns out even better. I don't think you'll be disappointed with a dry brine, Steven.

My favorite way to use leftover turkey is King Ranch Turkey Casserole. Dice an onion, mix it with a can of rotel tomatoes and green chiles, a can of cream of chicken soup, a can cream of mushroom, and a can cream of celery. Layer corn tortillas, pieces of turkey, soup base, and mild cheddar cheese in a greased baking dish, and bake at 350° F until the cheese is melted and the sides are bubbling.