Brined Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you brine a turkey breast before roasting? ›

Salt can be used to preserve meat, but in this case, we're infusing the meat with flavor from the inside out. Brining is particularly helpful for Thanksgiving because it can make the turkey more moist, tender, and flavorful after roasting. You can completely customize the brine and can mix up flavors however you want.

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.

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.

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.

The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less). Remove turkey from brine after the recommended time.

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.

After brining, remove from liquid and discard remaining brine. Rinse and pat your bird dry. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and generously seasoning the outside and cavity with salt and pepper.

Don't Rinse It Off

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.

Do Not Baste. Basting the skin is not necessary to flavor the meat. You'll flavor the skin, but you'll also let heat out of the oven each time you open it to baste. "That means the bird is going to be in there for a longer time cooking, which means it's going to dry out more," Brown says.

Do brined turkeys cook faster? ›

Yes, a turkey that's been brined will cook faster than one that hasn't!

Butterball Fresh Whole Turkey is all natural*, never frozen, gluten free, and raised without hormones on American farms. Every fresh turkey is pre-brined before packaging for meat that's always tender and juicy. *All natural means minimally processed and no artificial ingredients.

If the turkey floats up, you can place a small heavy plate over it to keep it submerged. Cover the container or seal the bag, and place in the refrigerator. Brine the turkey breast for 12 to 24 hours, but no longer than 24 hours or the brine will make the meat start to turn mushy when cooked.

Brining turkey breast before cooking ensures the meat stays moist and doesn't dry out while roasting. Brining imparts some taste, but for maximum flavor, marinate your turkey instead of (or in addition to) brining.

After 24-48 hours the turkey will be brined. Water will have accumulated from the bottom of the turkey. Make sure to let the turkey rest for 1 hour at room temperature prior to cooking. Preheat the oven to 450f and set the oven rack to the middle level.

We pre-brine directly in the breast meat ensuring you can take the turkey from the packaging to your pan without a lot of additional preparation before cooking and enjoy the most tender and juicy turkey possible.

It provides a little buffer in case you accidentally let that bird sit in the oven an extra 15 minutes. As long as you are very careful about monitoring your bird, there's no reason to brine or salt it in advance.

Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels, then set on a rimmed sheet pan. Generously season the turkey with the salt mixture. You may not need to use all of the dry brine, but you want to cover the entire turkey breast surface with an even layer of salt. Let sit uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.