Brined Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should turkey breast be brined before roasting? ›

For flavorful, juicy meat and rich, crisp skin, brine the breast, loosen its skin, and roast it on high, then moderately low heat. The challenge: Even for those who love turkey, roasting a whole bird is often more than people want to take on. Roasting a breast is a more manageable undertaking.

Pat It Dry

Use paper towels and get the skin "as dry as possible" before doing anything else. And if you're wondering, no—you don't need to rinse the bird, whether it's been dry-brined or wet-brined, before adding more seasoning and roasting.

After Wet Brining

Safely discard brine. Either rinse your turkey under running water or let it sit in a pot or sink of cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess salt. After rinsing or soaking, thoroughly pat turkey dry with paper towels. Then, cook according to your preferred cooking method.

DO NOT USE your brining bag for baking! Oven bags are a special high-temperature food-grade plastic. Also, DO NOT Brine your Turkey AND use the Oven bag! You must choose one or the other!

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.

But a brined turkey that is not rinsed would be too salty to eat. Brining slows down the growth of bacteria but does not kill it, said Linda Harris, a microbiologist at the University of California, Davis. She and other food scientists have been trying to get Americans to stop rinsing poultry since the late 1990's.

Faster Cook

Brined turkey takes less time to cook. The salt in the brine breaks down a lot of the protein, causing the dark meat to become tender in less time.

Place your bone-in turkey breast into the mixture (depending on its size, you may need to pour out a little so it doesn't overflow!) so that it's fully submerged in the brine solution. Cover and store in the fridge overnight, for 12 to 24 hours.

When you begin the brining process, set a timer or reminder to remove the turkey from the salt solution. Brining for too long can result in meat that tastes overly-salty and has a spongy texture.

Do I season my turkey after brining? ›

Do you season turkey after brining? Brine is very salt-rich, so there's no reason to add salt to a brined turkey. You can add your favorite dry rub, herbs or spices to the turkey after it brines, or you can add flavor to the turkey later by serving it with a compound butter.

Add herb sprigs, if using. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side down. Add more water if the turkey isn't completely submerged in the liquid. Place the bucket in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 12 hours or overnight.

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

After 12 to 18 hours, remove the turkey, dry carefully with paper towels, and roast. For crisper skin, brine a couple days in advance, and let your turkey air-dry at least overnight and up to two nights, uncovered, in the refrigerator on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.

Should I Brine My Turkey? Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.

Yes, brining helps to bring some moisture to the white meat, but a long time in a salt solution won't mean a juicier meat. Therefore, I suggest brining turkey breast for no longer than 4 hours for smaller pieces and up to 7 hours for larger breast pieces. Also, it's easy to overcook your meat.