How to Dry Brine Meat
Why Salt Makes Meat Juicier, More Tender, and Packed with Flavor
Dry brine meat the right way, and you’ll get better flavor, better texture, and juicier results—every time.
Most people think salt dries out meat. Used right, it does the opposite.
To dry brine meat is one of the simplest ways to get better ribs, and almost nobody is using it to its full potential.
What Is Dry Brining?
When you dry brine meat, you’re using salt ahead of time to improve moisture and flavor.
That’s it.
Why It Works
Salt does two critical things:
1. It Tenderizes
Salt breaks down muscle proteins (called denaturing), which relaxes the structure of the meat.
Translation: Less toughness. More bite-through tenderness.
2. It Helps Meat Retain Moisture
Once those proteins are altered, they hold onto water better during cooking.
So even though salt initially pulls moisture out… The end result is juicier meat on your plate.
Dry Brine vs. Cure vs. Wet Brine
This is where people get tripped up.
- Curing = High salt (20%+), long time → preservation, moisture loss
- Wet brine = Saltwater solution → adds moisture
- Dry brine = Low salt (~1%) → improves moisture retention
The difference is all about salt concentration.That’s it. No guessing.
How to Do It
- Rinse (optional) and pat the meat dry
- Apply salt evenly
- Ribs: top side only
- Steaks, chicken, roasts: both sides
- Let it rest
- Minimum: 1–2 hours
- Better: overnight in the fridge
- Cook as usual
That’s your entire process. No rinsing. No complicated prep.
You’re not trying to preserve meat, you’re trying to make it better.
Where This Shines
Dry brining is especially effective on:
- Steaks
- Ribs
- Chicken (especially with skin)
- Pork chops
- Larger roasts
It also helps create a better crust when searing or smoking because the surface dries out slightly. Perfect for bark and browning.
From My Pit…
I used to think salt was just seasoning, something you threw on right before the meat hit the smoker. It works that way. But it’s not the best way. Once I started giving salt time to do its job, the difference showed up fast. Better flavor through the meat. More consistent cooks. And ribs that stayed noticeably juicier, especially on the surface where they usually dry out first.
That’s really what changed for me.
Dry brining isn’t complicated, and it doesn’t require anything extra. It just takes a little time and a shift in when you season. Now it’s part of my process. Not every single time, but often enough that I notice when I skip it.
And once you experience it for yourself, it’s hard to go back.
My Test
For my test, I kept it simple:
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat
- ¼ teaspoon per pound if using table salt
If you’re working with bone-in cuts, you can scale that back slightly.
I used the standard ½ teaspoon per pound on a rack of ribs.
Here’s how it played out:
What Happened Next
After about two hours in the cold, the ribs told the story. No visible salt. No surface moisture.
But the meat looked different, slightly plumper.
This is where it clicked.
The salt had already moved in and done its job. And I knew right then this cook was going to turn out better.
So the question becomes, what does this actually look like on the smoker?
Putting It Into Practice
I ran this test on racks of St. Louis ribs using my stick burner, but the process applies no matter what you cook on.
- Trim and pat the ribs dry
- Apply ½ tsp kosher salt per pound (top side only)
- Let rest 2–3 hours in the fridge or a cold space
From there, nothing changes—just cook the ribs the way you normally would.
I ran my smoker at 225°F, seasoned with Jack’s Blend Spicy BBQ Rub, and smoked until the ribs were done.
I’ve cooked ribs a lot of different ways, and this was a noticeable step up…especially in moisture and consistency.
Guests noticed the difference. The results spoke. Dry brining = better ribs.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not dry brining, you’re leaving results on the table.
It’s one of those things that seems too simple to matter, until you actually do it.
More flavor. Better texture. Juicier meat.
Nothing fancy. Just salt, used the right way, with a little time to work.
“From the Backyard”
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I really enjoyed reading this article, and have a question for you if you don’t mind. After dry brining the ribs, did the seasoning you used after the fact contain any salt, itself? Just started learning how to use a smoker, and I appreciate in advance the advice! Thanks!!
Yes, and with a bit of trial and error you can find that sweet spot. The 1/2 tsp of kosher salt is not a lot, but depending on how much seasoning one puts on their meat it could lead to an overly-salty end result. If you find that this process and your desired seasoning level is too salty, follow the process and then rinse the salt off the meat and pat dry, then add your rub. Another option is to do this process and then use a no-salt rub after (I am working on a no-salt rub now, along with a couple of others).
Thanks for your comment and best wishes on your smoking adventure!
Jack
I’ve taken this approach twice now and I think it’s been the missing ingredient for my ribs I’ve been looking for over the past few years. I do believe I have to pull back on the salt in the rub now, as the saltiness level was a bit high this last time around. But overall, a big improvement! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the feedback Darrel, I really appreciate it. Glad that it helped with your process. I’m working on a no-salt rub right now and have a recipe I’m gonna test. It uses citric acid (AKA lemon salt) as the “salty” part of the rub.
Happy smokin’
Jack
Thanks Jack, I appreciate the advice, this is helpful!
I have no tried this a couple of times too and believe the quality of the meat combined with the dry brine are key! To kick back on the salt I’ve been using a rub from ‘Meathead’ at Amazing Ribs he calls it Memphis dry rub and does not include salt. It’s a good base start an you can experiment around with it, but it’s pretty darn good as is… thanks again! I’m doing some ribs this afternoon. ?
Glad it was helpful!
Rib on…
I’m loosely following this guide to brine my jerky. I believe that my current recipe is lacking that deep down rich, salty flavor. My plan is to use the guidelines of 1/2 tsp per pound of meat and then smoke for 2 1/2 hours at 200 degrees. Nothing else but the salt for the first batch just to see what I’m working with in the end. Once I’ve got a solid basic recipe for my jerky, I will add different spices and flavored rubs. Thanks for the explanation of the function that the salt provides during the process. It makes the planning portion of the jerky process much easier knowing exactly what’s happening at the cellular level regarding the use of salt.
So a couple interesting things have happened in the last few weeks that have helped to inform my knowledge base:
∙ First, getting commercially licensed with a bacon variance (I can now sell retail) taught me the following, “The USDA is responsible for monitoring the proper use of nitrite by meat processors. While sodium nitrite cannot exceed 200 ppm going into dry-cured bacon, sodium nitrite cannot exceed 120 ppm for both pumped and immersion-cured bacon.” (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/bacon-and-food-safety). So, my limit is 200 PPM (although I currently choose to be at 120 PPM), which means weighed green weight (raw) pork belly and weighed nitrite (not “a teaspoon” or the like).
∙ Second, I asked my MDARD (Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development) inspector the following: “Question for you, my bacon brining recipe, like everyone else’s, is based on 2 things; proper curing and taste. Being that bacon derives a good part of its satisfaction from saltiness, the length of time a pork belly cures may increase/decrease saltiness. The question I have is on the cure. My recipe is for a 10-day dry cure (proper curing and desired saltiness). If I wanted to adjust the saltiness by adjusting the time of curing what are the recommended short to long cure times? Kind of a “no less than ___ days and no more than ___ days” kind of thing. My understanding of cure is that it typically penetrates meat at about 1/4” per day, so typically bacon would be no less than 4 or 5 days. On how long, I have no idea.” To which I got this response from MDARD, “There isn’t really a standard. This is all I could find.” and then the link above.
∙ I did some research on Amazingribs.com and found a calculator that shows cure time based on meat thickness. Here is what I found, “1.5” thick, 2.8 days of cure time; 2″ thick, 5.0 days of cure time; 2.5″ thick, 7.8 days of cure time; 3″ thick, 11.3 days of cure time.” Now, this is not from my MDARD inspector, but from Meathead (the founder of Amazingribs.com) and I believe is pretty accurate…especially when I compare it to what I have learned, the info from MDARD, and the lack of clear guidance from MDARD.
∙ My recipe is now (legally) guided by a “cure calculator” spreadsheet (from MDARD), which I use each time I smoke bacon. I enter the green weight of the pork belly and the amount of my dry rub with nitrite (by weight) and it gives me an exact PPM. I then know that I need to use all of the dry rub I made to cure all of the pork belly I have.
∙ I will be on vacation for the next couple weeks, but when I return I am going to experiment. I am going to brine about 60-80 lbs. of pork belly. While the majority of it I will age my usual 10 days, I am going to pull some at different days to smoke and test (depending on the thickness of the meat and the above brine times). I want to test the saltiness and flavor at differing lengths of cure time with my recipe. I am also going to brine some at 120 PPM and some at 200 PPM and document the differences in curing time and end result.
∙ I am also going to experiment with the process after the meat is cured and before it is smoked. I typically leave the pork belly wet from brining, leave any of the brine/seasoning on the bacon and then smoke. On at least one piece I am going to rinse the pork belly and then coat it with my recipe, just with no nitrite. I may try another rub or two also.
∙ SORRY for this long response…especially with stuff that is not necessarily relevant to your comment. I’ve been wanting to update this thread and hope this is helpful.
∙ NOW, on to jerky. I am not licensed, nor am I going to be, for jerky. It is another meat variance I would need to obtain, and because of the humidity that remains in the meat there are more restrictions (and testing) on the process. BUT, my wife began making jerky a couple of years ago and does it for our own consumption and for friends and family. She played around with recipes for about a year and has hit on the recipe she now uses all the time. Can I say, she knocked it out of the park!! I have a group of guys I get together with every week and they all love jerky. A couple of guys said her jerky was the best they ever had…and they’ve had a LOT. Then, she tried it with some of my venison (Thanks Nick D.) and it was excellent. I am going to do a blog post or Youtube video on her doing jerky sometime next year, but if you would like her recipe now, shoot me an email (for anyone).
Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback!!
Yes I would love to try your wife’s jerky recipe out. I too have had difficulties on settling down to a good jerky cure, with repeated success.
Tracy’s Beef Jerky (also excellent for venison!)
• 2# beef, sliced into ¼ inch thick strips (eye of round or other very lean cut is best.)
For marinade:
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 TBSP Jack’s Blend Original, Spicy or Smoky BBQ Rub
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp ground cumin for marinade, plus 1-2 Tablespoons for later sprinkling.
• 1 tsp meat tenderizer, unseasoned, such as Adolph’s
• 1 tsp Accent (MSG)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Place sliced beef in a gallon Ziplock bag. Whisk all marinade ingredients until well combined and pour over beef. Seal bag and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours, turning the bag over occasionally. Drain well in a colander and toss with 1-2 tablespoons more of seasoning. Dry in a dehydrator for 4 and 1/4 hours at 160 degrees. (Or use your dehydrating/smoking method of choice.) Remove to a wire rack until cool. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.
Notes:
• If using Jack’s Blend Smoky BBQ Rub (my favorite for jerky!), I like to add an additional 1-2 tsp of liquid smoke. Jack’s Blend Jamaican Jerk is also a fave!
• If making venison jerky, you may want to dehydrate or smoke the meat a little less long, as venison is quite lean. I dehydrate venison 15 minutes less than beef.
• I use a Nesco food dehydrator—love it!
Yes, I would like to check out your wife’s jerkey recipe.
Tracy’s Beef Jerky with Jack’s Blend Seasonings
Also excellent for venison!
• 2# beef, sliced into ¼ inch thick strips. (Eye of round or other very lean cut is best.)
For marinade:
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 3/4th tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. meat tenderizer, unseasoned, such as Adolph’s
• 2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tsp. Accent (msg)
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Jack’s Blend Rub and Seasoning of choice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin for marinade, plus 1-2 Tablespoons for later sprinkling.
Place sliced beef in a gallon Ziplock bag. Whisk all marinade ingredients until well combined and pour over beef. Seal bag and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours, turning the bag over occasionally. Drain well in a colander and toss with 1-2 tablespoons more of seasoning. Dry in a dehydrator for 4 and 1/4 hours at 160 degrees. (Or use your dehydrating/smoking method of choice.) Remove to a wire rack until cool. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.
Notes:
• If using Jack’s Blend Smoky BBQ Rub (my favorite for jerky!), I like to add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of liquid smoke. Jack’s Blend Jamaican Jerk is also a fave!
• If making venison jerky, you may want to dehydrate or smoke the meat a little less long, as venison is quite lean. I dehydrate venison 15 minutes less than beef.
• I use a Nesco food dehydrator—love it!
I would love to try the recipe for jerky if you don’t mind.
Tracy’s Beef Jerky (also excellent for venison!)
• 2# beef, sliced into ¼ inch thick strips (eye of round or other very lean cut is best.)
For marinade:
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 TBSP Jack’s Blend Original, Spicy or Smoky BBQ Rub
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp ground cumin for marinade, plus 1-2 Tablespoons for later sprinkling.
• 1 tsp meat tenderizer, unseasoned, such as Adolph’s
• 1 tsp Accent (MSG)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Place sliced beef in a gallon Ziplock bag. Whisk all marinade ingredients until well combined and pour over beef. Seal bag and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours, turning the bag over occasionally. Drain well in a colander and toss with 1-2 tablespoons more of seasoning. Dry in a dehydrator for 4 and 1/4 hours at 160 degrees. (Or use your dehydrating/smoking method of choice.) Remove to a wire rack until cool. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.
Notes:
• If using Jack’s Blend Smoky BBQ Rub (my favorite for jerky!), I like to add an additional 1-2 tsp of liquid smoke. Jack’s Blend Jamaican Jerk is also a fave!
• If making venison jerky, you may want to dehydrate or smoke the meat a little less long, as venison is quite lean. I dehydrate venison 15 minutes less than beef.
• I use a Nesco food dehydrator—love it!