Get exact grams of salt (and sugar) for a wet brine, equilibrium brine, or dry brine, converted to tablespoons and cups for your salt brand, plus brining times by protein.
Brine method
What are you brining?
Pick a preset or type your own percentage (max 26%).
Salt type
Sugar (optional)
Salt
200
g
≈ 1.45 cups (23.3 tbsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Water
4000
ml
Weighs 4000 g (1 ml of water = 1 g)
Your brine
Dissolve 200 g of Diamond Crystal kosher salt in 4000 ml of water for a 5% brine. Chill it completely before adding the food.
Good to know
5% is a standard poultry brine. Pat the skin very dry after brining, or air-dry it in the fridge, for crisp skin.
Recommended brining times (in the fridge)
Food safety: always brine in the refrigerator at 40 °F (4 °C) or below, cool any heated brine fully before adding raw food, never reuse brine, and cook poultry to 165 °F (74 °C).
A brine is salt dissolved in water (or salt applied directly, in a dry brine) that seasons meat, poultry, and seafood from the inside. Salt loosens muscle proteins so they hold on to more moisture during cooking, which is why brined turkey, chicken, and pork chops come out juicier and more evenly seasoned. The same salt solutions are used for fermented pickles and cured olives.
For a wet brine, salt (g) = water (g) × percentage ÷ 100, and 1 ml of water weighs 1 g. A 5% brine is 50 g of salt per liter, or about 189 g per US gallon. For an equilibrium brine, use the combined weight of food plus water instead; for a dry brine, use the weight of the food only. Always weigh salt when you can, because a tablespoon of table salt weighs about twice as much as a tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
% of water
The classic method: food is submerged in salt water. Salt is measured as a percentage of the water weight, so 5% means 50 g of salt per liter. Strong brines work fast, but the food keeps absorbing salt, so timing matters.
Use enough brine to fully submerge the food, roughly 1 L of water per kg of meat.
% of food + water
You weigh the food and the water together and add only the salt you want in the finished dish. Given time, everything settles at the same concentration, so the food can't end up too salty.
Weigh the food first, then add just enough water to cover it; more water means more salt.
% of food weight
Salt is rubbed directly onto the food, measured as a percentage of its weight. The salt draws out juices, dissolves into them, and is reabsorbed, seasoning the meat deeply without diluting its flavor or softening the skin.
Rest the food uncovered on a rack in the fridge so the skin dries and crisps when cooked.
Salt for common wet brine strengths, by weight and by volume for popular salt brands.
| Use | Salt % | Per 1 L | Per 1 gal | Diamond Crystal kosher per gal | Morton kosher per gal | Table salt per gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp & fish | 3% | 30 g | 114 g | 0.83 cups | 0.47 cups | 0.39 cups |
| Poultry | 5% | 50 g | 189 g | 1.38 cups | 0.79 cups | 0.66 cups |
| Pork | 6% | 60 g | 227 g | 1.65 cups | 0.95 cups | 0.79 cups |
| Fermented pickles | 5% | 50 g | 189 g | 1.38 cups | 0.79 cups | 0.66 cups |
| Olives | 10% | 100 g | 379 g | 2.75 cups | 1.58 cups | 1.31 cups |
Percentages are by weight of water. Volumes are approximate and rounded; a kitchen scale gives the most consistent results.
Crystal size changes how much salt fits in a spoon, so the same volume is not the same amount of salt.
| Salt | 1 tsp | 1 tbsp | 1 cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 6 g | 18 g | 288 g |
| Diamond Crystal kosher | 2.9 g | 8.6 g | 138 g |
| Morton kosher | 5 g | 15 g | 240 g |
| Fine sea salt | 5.9 g | 17.6 g | 282 g |
| Coarse sea salt | 5.9 g | 17.8 g | 285 g |
Based on King Arthur Baking's ingredient chart and published cup weights for Morton (241 g) and Diamond Crystal (137 g). Sea salt brands vary widely, so check the package or weigh it.
Salt in grams by percentage of the food weight.
| Salt % | 1 kg | 1 lb | 12 lb turkey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75% | 7.5 g | 3.4 g | 40.8 g |
| 1% | 10 g | 4.5 g | 54.4 g |
| 1.25% | 12.5 g | 5.7 g | 68 g |
About 1% of the meat weight seasons most cuts well. Use the lower end for fish and the higher end for whole birds and large roasts.
Typical ranges in the refrigerator. Thicker cuts go toward the longer end.
Wet times assume the matching preset: 3% for seafood, 5% for poultry, and 6% for pork. Stronger brines need less time; going far past these times makes meat salty and spongy.
Measure by weight, dissolve the salt completely, keep everything cold, and dry the food well before cooking.
Pick wet, equilibrium, or dry brine and a salt percentage for your food, such as 5% for a wet poultry brine or 1% for dry-brined steak.
Enter the water and/or food weight in the calculator and weigh the salt in grams. If you must use spoons, use the conversion for your exact salt brand.
Stir the salt (and sugar, if using) into the water until fully dissolved. If you warm part of the water to dissolve it faster, cool the brine to fridge temperature before adding raw food.
Submerge or salt the food, keep it at 40 °F (4 °C) or below for the recommended time, then remove it, discard the brine, and pat the surface dry before cooking.
Most wet brines for meat use 5% to 8% salt by weight of water. A 5% brine (50 g of salt per liter of water) is a reliable all-purpose strength for poultry and pork, while 3% suits shrimp and fish.
A 5% brine needs about 189 g of salt per US gallon of water. That is roughly 1⅓ cups of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about ¾ cup of Morton kosher salt, or about ⅔ cup of table salt, because each salt has a different crystal size.
In a 5% wet brine in the fridge, boneless chicken breasts need about 1 to 2 hours, a whole chicken 4 to 8 hours, and a whole turkey 12 to 18 hours. Dry-brined turkey benefits from 1 to 3 days uncovered in the refrigerator.
In an equilibrium brine you add salt as a percentage of the combined weight of the food and the water, usually 1.2% to 1.8%. Once the salt evens out, the food is seasoned to that exact level and cannot become saltier, so timing is far less critical.
About 1% of the meat's weight is a good target: roughly 10 g of salt per kilogram, or 4.5 g per pound. Use about 0.75% for fish and thin cuts and up to 1.25% for whole birds and large roasts.