This simple brine for turkey of salt, sugar, and fresh herbs is super simple and versatile–you can also use it with pork or chicken. It’s perfectly scaled for a turkey breast or two but can be easily adapted to a whole turkey. Best of all, with this recipe, you won’t be throwing a lot of extra ingredients away because each ingredient serves a real purpose. Read on for lots more brining tips!
Brining a boneless turkey breast before cooking is a technique that can help ensure moist, flavorful meat But should you brine a boneless turkey breast or not? There are some pros and cons to consider This complete guide will cover everything you need to know about brining boneless turkey breast to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your meal.
What is Brining?
Brining refers to soaking meat in a saltwater solution, also called a brine, before cooking. The brine is typically made by dissolving salt and sugar in water along with herbs spices, citrus, garlic, onions or other flavorful ingredients.
The salt in the brine seasons the turkey breast and helps it retain moisture during cooking by dissolving some proteins. The sugar balances out some of the saltiness. The aromatics infuse extra flavor into the meat.
Benefits of Brining Boneless Turkey Breast
There are a few main advantages that brining imparts:
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More moist, juicy meat – The salt and water in the brine helps the turkey breast retain moisture, preventing it from drying out.
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More seasoned flavor – The salt deeply seasons the meat. Aromatics in the brine provide additional flavor.
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More tender texture – Brining can help break down proteins in the meat, resulting in a more tender, less chewy texture.
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Infuses flavor – Herbs, spices, citrus etc. in the brine get absorbed into the turkey as it soaks.
How to Make a Simple Turkey Brine
Making a basic brine for boneless turkey breast is straightforward:
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage
- Spices – peppercorns, cloves, chili flakes
- Citrus – lemon, lime, orange
- Aromatics – garlic, onion, celery
Combine the water, salt, sugar and flavorings in a pot and heat to dissolve. Cool completely before adding turkey. Submerge the turkey and refrigerate 12-24 hours. Adjust amounts based on quantity of turkey.
Should You Brine Frozen Turkey Breast?
It’s best to thaw turkey breast fully before brining. Brining frozen turkey prevents the brine from penetrating deeply to season the meat.
For best results, thaw turkey in the fridge 1-2 days ahead. Once thawed, pat dry before submerging in the brine.
Should You Rinse Turkey After Brining?
After brining, it’s important to rinse the turkey breast under cold water to remove excess surface salt. Pat it dry thoroughly before cooking to help achieve crispy skin.
Some recipes suggest air drying turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight to develop a “pellicle” or dry outer layer that promotes browning.
How Long to Brine a Boneless Turkey Breast
For boneless turkey breast, a brine time of 12 hours is usually sufficient. The lack of bone allows the brine to penetrate quickly.
Make sure the brine is chilled before adding the turkey. Keep it submerged in the fridge during brining.
How to Cook a Brined Boneless Turkey Breast
Brined boneless turkey breast can be roasted, grilled, smoked or cooked as you would an unbrined turkey. The brining helps keep it moist and tender.
Roasting is a very easy method. Pat the breast dry, rub it with oil, season the outside and roast at 400°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute. Enjoy the brined turkey breast on its own or use it in other dishes.
Pros of Brining Boneless Turkey Breast
Here are some of the main benefits of brining a boneless turkey breast:
- Helps prevent drying out during cooking
- Allows seasoning to deeply penetrate the meat
- Results in a more juicy, tender and flavorful finished product
- Infuses moisture and salt throughout the meat, not just the surface
- Very simple process with big impact on taste
- Great for holiday meals or anytime you want flavorful turkey
Cons of Brining Boneless Turkey Breast
There are a few potential negatives to consider as well:
- Requires advance planning since brining takes 12-24 hours
- Uses a lot of salt, not ideal for low sodium diets
- Can make the texture almost too soft if brined too long
- Meat with salt added doesn’t keep as long in the fridge
- An extra step compared to just seasoning and cooking
- Needs a large container to brine turkey
Should You Brine a Boneless Turkey Breast?
So should you brine your boneless turkey breast or not? Here are some things to think about:
- If moist, well-seasoned meat is your priority, brining is highly recommended
- If you don’t mind some extra effort and planning, brining can be worthwhile
- If you find turkey breast often dries out when cooking, brining helps prevent that
- If you need to cook turkey on short notice, skipping the brine may be better
- If watching sodium intake, brining does significantly increase the salt content
For most home cooks, the benefits of brining a boneless turkey breast outweigh the downsides. It takes some advance preparation but delivers delicious, foolproof results. Consider your schedule, goals for the finished dish and dietary needs to decide if brining is right for your next boneless turkey breast meal.
Turkey Brining Tips
Here are some extra pointers for successfully brining boneless turkey breast:
- Use a container large enough to fully submerge the turkey
- Chill the brine before adding the turkey
- Rinse turkey after brining and pat very dry
- Don’t re-use raw turkey brine to avoid bacteria
- Add any extra flavorings to the brine you want imparted
- Plan ahead and allow 12-24 hours for brining time
With a little advance planning, brining boneless turkey breast helps ensure tender, incredibly moist and flavorful meat every time. Next holiday or anytime you want perfect turkey, give brining a try!
More turkey brining tips and tricks:
- Plastic containers with a cover that you can find in the home storage area of most home improvement or department stores such as Target or Walmart are great for brining whole turkeys. They may even fit in your dishwasher to clean and sanitize them when you’re done brining the turkey.
- Avoid using a cooler to brine a whole turkey unless you are SURE you can keep the temperature at a safe temperature BELOW 41 degrees. The danger zone for bacterial growth is between 41 and 135 degrees.
Because turkey is so lean, it needs help to keep it from drying out. Brining a turkey is a simple process that helps it stay juicy and moist. Scientifically, a low-concentration salt solution increases protein solubility, triggering its ability to become altered. The brine helps dissolve some of the muscle fibers, which helps reduce the meat’s toughness. During brining, the moisture is slowly drawn into the protein. After brining, the turkey starts with more liquid than when it started, so the result is more juicy and moist. Because the turkey absorbs some of the salt, brining also works to season it deeply. IMPORTANT! Ensure the turkey you’re using has not been injected with brine or other flavoring solution.
Brining is meant for moisture, while a marinade is meant for flavor. Marinades generally contain an acid, while salt does all the work in a brine.
Sugar does not do a lot to flavor the meat but promotes better skin browning.
The general rule of thumb for how long to brine a turkey depends on the weight, but it’s generally one hour per pound. Therefore, a 12-pound turkey would need 12 hours. An 18-pound turkey would need 18 hours, etc.
Yes. You can use dried herbs, but if using dried, you’ll need to apply some heat to get their flavoring ability started. Place them in a cup of water in a small saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil. Alternatively, place in some water and heat in the microwave.
Generally, you want four tablespoons of salt (1/4 cup) for each quart (4 cups) of water.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Hot Tap Water: If you can get your tap water hot enough, there’s no need to boil your brine. When I’m at the home of one of my personal chef clients, I don’t have a lot of time, so boiling water and then cooling it with ice cubes they may not have, or I would have to purchase, is out of the question. >>You should never pour hot brine over a raw turkey because it promotes bacteria growth, and you can start to “cook” the turkey.
- Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar because it’s inexpensive, but you could also use light brown sugar, turbinado or coconut sugar in this simple brine for turkey.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is ideal in brines because it’s generally very pure and has no additives–nutritional or otherwise. Regular table salt often has iodine, and sea salt is more expensive. The added iodine is not a big deal, but keep in mind table salt has smaller granules/crystals, so it’s a good idea to use 1/3 less.
- Black Peppercorns and Fresh Herbs: According to the Serious Eats argument that aromatics do little to impact the flavor of the meat, they do help flavor the skin. Therefore, if you still have them in your herb garden or don’t mind purchasing them, a few aromatics do serve a purpose.
- Start with hot tap water. Run your faucet until the water gets as hot as it will get, then measure 8 cups into a large bowl. Eight cups is also two quarts, four pints, or 1/2 gallon.
- Add the salt and sugar. (The water will be very cloudy.)
- Then start whisking!
- Keep whisking until the water clears and the salt and sugar have dissolved.
- Before adding the herbs and black peppercorns, grab your rolling pin and vigorously crush them to release their flavor. They should become very aromatic.
- Toss the herbs and peppercorns into the turkey brine solution.
- Slip the turkey breast into the brine and refrigerate covered or uncovered for up to 4 hours. An average boneless turkey breast half will be between two and three pounds. The general rule of thumb for how long to brine a turkey depends on the weight, but it’s generally one hour per pound. I usually go a little longer on a breast because white meat can be so dry.
- That’s it! Blot the turkey breast dry before cooking it or storing it.
- If you want crispy skin, let the turkey breast sit in the refrigerator uncovered overnight.
How to Brine and Smoke a Turkey Breast
FAQ
Do you have to brine a boneless turkey breast?
Since turkey breast meat can sometimes be dry, I highly recommend taking the extra step to brine it first.
Is it worth brining a turkey breast?
Is brining a turkey worth it? Yes! Brined turkeys are so much more flavorful and juicy than non-brined birds. Brining a turkey isn’t difficult, but it does take a little time, so plan ahead and you’ll be set.
How do you brine a deboned turkey?
Mix water, salt, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper together in a food-grade bucket or container large enough to hold your turkey. Carefully submerge turkey in brine. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Soak for two days before smoking or roasting.
Should I brine my boneless skinless chicken breast?
Brining the chicken breast helps the meat retain moisture during cooking. Drying the breast well before grilling leads to quicker browning.
Should you brine a boneless turkey breast before cooking?
For best results, you should brine turkey breast for 12 to 24 hours before cooking it. When you brine a boneless turkey breast, it helps the meat come out juicy and tender. The salt in the brine helps the liquid soak into the meat, which tenderizes it and adds moisture. If you add other spices to your brine, the meat comes out even more flavorful.
How long should you brine a turkey breast?
The recommended brining time for a turkey breast is: It’s important not to brine for longer than 24 hours total, as the meat can become too salty. 12 hours is ideal for getting perfectly seasoned, juicy meat. This easy brine recipe works great for a 5-7 pound bone-in turkey breast: Brine Ingredients: Instructions:
Why do you brine a turkey breast?
More moist, juicy meat – Brining helps turkey breast retain moisture, preventing it from drying out as it cooks. The salt helps denature proteins so they can hold onto more water. More seasoned flavor – The salt deeply seasons the meat, while aromatics provide extra flavor. Spices and herbs in the brine get pulled into the turkey as it soaks.
How much salt do you need to brine a turkey breast?
Use 1/2 cup kosher salt per gallon of water. Table salt is too fine and will make the brine overly salty. Can you brine a turkey breast overnight? Yes, brining a turkey breast for 12-24 hours is recommended for best results.
Should you rinse a turkey breast After brining?
Rinse and pat dry: After brining, it’s important to rinse your turkey breast under cold water to remove any excess salt. You’ll also want to pat it dry before cooking, this helps to achieve that perfect, crispy skin once it’s cooked. Keep it cool: Always make sure your brine is cooled down before adding your turkey.
Can You brine a frozen turkey breast without thawing?
You can brine a frozen turkey breast without thawing first. But for the most even brining, thaw it before submerging in the brine. The brine will penetrate much better when the meat isn’t frozen solid.