Plan on about 3 g of salt per pound of meat for roasts and whole birds, roughly 0.6 percent of the meat's weight, and up to about 4.5 g per pound for steaks and chops. Those numbers come from America's Test Kitchen's guidelines, which are written in teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you've ever wondered how much salt to dry brine a roast or a chicken, converting to grams takes the guesswork out of which salt you're using.
| Cut | Diamond Crystal per pound | About grams per pound | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steaks and chops | 1 1/2 tsp | 4.0 to 4.5 g | 45 minutes to 24 hours |
| Beef, pork or lamb roasts | 1 tsp | 2.7 to 3.0 g | 6 to 24 hours |
| Whole chicken | 1 tsp | 2.7 to 3.0 g | 6 to 24 hours |
| Bone in chicken pieces, turkey breast | 3/4 tsp | 2.0 to 2.3 g | 6 to 24 hours |
| Whole turkey | 1 tsp | 2.7 to 3.0 g | 24 to 48 hours |
The gram range reflects two published weights for a teaspoon of Diamond Crystal: about 2.7 g from King Arthur Baking's chart and 3 g from America's Test Kitchen.
How much salt to dry brine, as a percent
If you'd rather work by weight, use a percent of the meat's weight. One teaspoon of Diamond Crystal per pound works out to about 0.6 percent. America's Test Kitchen's heavier hand for steaks, 1 1/2 tsp per pound, is close to 1 percent. So a range of about 0.6 to 1 percent covers their guidelines.
- Weigh the meat in grams.
- Multiply by 0.006 for roasts and whole birds, or up to 0.01 for steaks and chops.
- Weigh out that much salt.
A 4 pound chicken weighs about 1,814 g. At 0.6 percent that's about 10.9 g of salt, which lines up with 4 tsp of Diamond Crystal.
Why spoon amounts change with the salt brand
Kosher salts are not interchangeable by the spoon. America's Test Kitchen says 1 tsp of table salt equals 1 1/2 tsp of Morton kosher salt or 2 tsp of Diamond Crystal. By weight:
- Diamond Crystal kosher: about 2.7 to 3 g per tsp.
- Morton kosher: about 4.8 to 5.3 g per tsp, depending on the source.
- Table salt: about 6 g per tsp.
That's why America's Test Kitchen tells Morton users to cut their listed amounts by a third. Weigh the salt and the brand stops mattering. 10 g is 10 g.
How to dry brine step by step
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels.
- Weigh it and work out the salt in grams.
- Sprinkle evenly on all sides. For skin on poultry, America's Test Kitchen puts the salt under the skin and in the cavity of whole birds.
- Refrigerate for the time in the table. America's Test Kitchen refrigerates salted steaks uncovered so the surface dries.
- Cook as usual, and skip any extra salt in the rub.
Common dry brining mistakes
- Using a recipe's spoons with a different salt. Morton in a Diamond Crystal recipe can make meat much saltier.
- Salting meat that's already salted. Check the label. Meat sold with an added salt solution, and kosher poultry, already contains salt, so cut back or skip the brine.
- Going too short. For roasts and whole birds, America's Test Kitchen calls for at least 6 hours.
- Clumping the salt. Sprinkle from a height so it lands evenly.
For one or two steaks, weighing a few grams of salt is quick with a MeasureMate digital measuring spoon. It scoops and weighs in one step, reads in 0.1 g steps, and the tare button zeroes the reading between pieces, so each cut gets its own amount.
Quick questions
Can I dry brine with table salt?
Yes. Use the same grams. By the spoon, use half the Diamond Crystal amount, since 1 tsp of table salt equals 2 tsp of Diamond Crystal.
How long is too long to dry brine?
America's Test Kitchen gives up to 24 hours for steaks, roasts and chicken, and up to 48 hours for a whole turkey.
Is 1 percent salt too much for dry brining?
For thick steaks and chops it sits at the top of America's Test Kitchen's guideline. For roasts and whole birds, start nearer 0.6 percent.
Weights based on America's Test Kitchen's salting guides, King Arthur Baking's ingredient weight chart and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.