Three to four days before you are planning to cook your turkey, begin thawing your turkey in the refrigerator, if you are using a frozen turkey--but remember a fresh turkey is best when it comes to using a brine. Two days before roasting your turkey, make your turkey brine.

How far in advance do you brine a turkey?

You'll want to submerge your turkey in brine a solid day before you roast it to allow the bird enough time to become thoroughly saturated. You can make the brine itself two or three days ahead and keep it in the fridge to chill.

Is it necessary to brine a turkey?

The short answer: there's no reason to brine if you have a flavorful turkey. ... To keep your turkey moist, cover the breast with foil so that it doesn't dry out. You can also stuff some stuffing under the skin of the breast to keep the meat from drying out and add even more flavor.