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Why brine poultry? Injecting your bird with a solution of salt and water will improve texture and cut down on dryness, a common problem when we’re cooking big birds. Brining meat is distinct from curing it—here, we’re adding just enough salt to cause the muscle fibers to swell, absorb the injected water, and weaken. Remember, though, some poultry you buy at the supermarket—such as the iconic Butterball Thanksgiving turkey—gets brined at the factory, meaning you can skip this step. If you’re not sure whether you’ve selected a pretreated bird, ask your butcher or check the packaging.Here, we show you how to brine poultry via the injection method. You can also opt to <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/guides-tools/equilibrium-brining">immerse your bird in a brine</a>; a higher salt-to-water ratio is typically used in that case.