Brine Calculator
Calculate salt-to-water ratio for brining chicken, turkey, and pork from water volume and salt type.
Returns grams and cups for 3%, 5%, and 8% brines.
Brining is the process of soaking meat in a saltwater solution before cooking. Salt draws moisture into the muscle fibers through osmosis, then protein denaturing locks that moisture in during cooking — resulting in juicier, more flavorful meat that is harder to overcook.
Brine strength: 3–8% salt by weight of water
Salt needed = Weight of the water × Target percentage
A gallon of water weighs 3,785 g, so a 5% brine takes 189 g of salt. Everything else on this page follows from that one line.
| Strength | Salt per gallon | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Light, 3% | 114 g | Fish, shrimp, anything soaking under an hour |
| Standard, 5% | 189 g | Chicken pieces, pork chops, whole birds |
| Strong, 8% | 303 g | Short soaks only, where you want speed |
Strength and time trade against each other. An 8% brine does in an hour roughly what a 3% brine needs half a day for, and it punishes you for forgetting about it.
About the “1 cup of salt per gallon” rule. You will see it everywhere, and it is worth knowing what it actually is. A cup of table salt weighs about 288 g, so in a gallon of water that is a 7.6% brine, close to the strong end rather than a middle-of-the-road one. Fine for an hour on pork chops. Leave a turkey in it overnight and you get a salty bird, which is exactly how that rule earns its bad reputation.
Salt is measured by weight, and here is why it matters so much:
| Salt Type | Weight of 1 cup | Cups for a 5% gallon brine |
|---|---|---|
| Table salt | 288 g | 0.66 cups |
| Fine sea salt | 260 g | 0.73 cups |
| Kosher salt (Morton) | 230 g | 0.82 cups |
| Coarse sea salt | 220 g | 0.86 cups |
| Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) | 127 g | 1.49 cups |
Read the last row against the first. Diamond Crystal is so flaky that a cup of it holds less than half the salt of a cup of table salt. Swap one for the other cup-for-cup and the brine is off by more than a factor of two, which is the single most common way a brine goes wrong.
So weigh it. A cheap kitchen scale removes the entire problem. The calculator gives grams first and the cup figure second, converted for the salt you actually picked.
Brining times by protein:
| Protein | Weight | Recommended Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fish fillets | Any | 15–30 minutes |
| Shrimp | Any | 20–30 minutes |
| Chicken pieces | Each piece | 1–2 hours |
| Pork chops | 1" thick | 1–3 hours |
| Whole chicken | 3–4 lbs | 6–12 hours |
| Turkey (whole) | 12–16 lbs | 12–24 hours |
| Pork shoulder | 5–8 lbs | 12–18 hours |
| Whole brisket | 10–14 lbs | 18–36 hours |
Wet brine vs. dry brine:
- Wet brine (this calculator): Submerge in saltwater solution. Adds moisture AND flavor. Ideal for lean proteins like chicken breast and pork chops.
- Dry brine: Rub salt directly on the meat surface without water. Draws out surface moisture, then reabsorbs it. Better crust formation for roasting. Preferred by many modern chefs.
Optional brine additions (per gallon of water):
- Sugar (1/2 cup): Promotes browning (Maillard reaction); balances saltiness; aids carryover cooking
- Aromatics: Bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh thyme, smashed garlic, citrus peels
- Apple cider or juice (1 cup): Adds subtle sweetness and acidity; great with pork
Critical food safety rules:
- Always brine in the refrigerator, never at room temperature
- Use cold or room-temperature brine only, never hot (it will begin cooking the surface)
- Dispose of used brine, never reuse it
- Do NOT brine pre-brined, kosher, or enhanced meats, they already contain added salt
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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