As Thanksgiving approaches, many home cooks are starting to think about how to prepare the perfect turkey. One technique that has become popular in recent years is brining – soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution before cooking. But what if you buy a pre basted turkey – one that has already been injected with a broth solution? Can you still brine a turkey that is pre basted?
The short answer is yes, you can brine a pre basted turkey. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
What is a Pre Basted Turkey?
Pre basted turkeys have been injected with a solution, usually containing salt, sugars, and broth or flavorings. This is done by the manufacturer to help keep the turkey moist and add extra flavor. The solution usually makes up around 8-15% of the total weight.
Pre basting gives the turkey a head start on becoming moist and delicious But many cooks still like to brine pre basted birds to further enhance juiciness and impart their own flavors
Adjust the Brine Strength
When brining a turkey that is already pre basted, it is important not to overdo the salt. Too much sodium can make the meat unpleasantly salty.
Most brine recipes call for 1 cup of kosher salt per gallon of water. For a pre basted bird, cut this back to 1/2 cup of salt per gallon. You can also reduce or eliminate any additional salt in the brine flavorings.
The saltiness of the brine must be lowered to account for the salt already present in the pre basting solution
Shorten the Brining Time
In addition to reducing the salt concentration, you should also brine a pre basted turkey for a shorter time. The standard brining time is about 1 hour per pound. For a pre basted bird, cut this back to 30-45 minutes per pound.
The shorter brining time will still allow the turkey to absorb some of the flavors from your brine, without getting oversalty.
Rinse Afterwards
Once the brining time is complete, be sure to rinse the turkey thoroughly under cool running water. This will wash away any excess salt or seasonings clinging to the surface. Pat it dry thoroughly before proceeding with cooking.
Proper rinsing helps prevent the turkey skin from becoming overly salty. Don’t skip this step after brining a pre basted bird.
Use a More Dilute Brine
In addition to less time, you can also use a more dilute brine solution. Cut back the salt to as little as 1/4 cup per gallon of water. The lower concentration helps prevent too much absorption of salt into the already seasoned meat.
Focus on Flavor
While a pre basted turkey doesn’t need as much help with moisture, brining can still impart great flavor. Use ingredients like:
- Herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage
- Spices – peppercorns, cloves, allspice
- Citrus – lemon, lime, orange
- Sugars – brown sugar, honey
- Vegetables – onions, garlic, celery
Aromatics like these can really permeate the meat to provide delicious and complex taste. Just go easy on any extra salt.
Dry Brining
An alternative technique is dry brining. This involves rubbing the turkey with a salt and sugar blend and letting it rest in the fridge uncovered. The salt draws moisture out of the turkey, which mixes with the rub ingredients. That moisture gets reabsorbed, seasoning the meat.
Use a lower salt ratio for a pre basted turkey – 1 teaspoon salt per 1 pound of meat rather than 2 teaspoons. Let it dry brine for 8-12 hours before roasting.
Cook Properly
However you prepare your pre basted turkey, it still needs to be cooked carefully to prevent drying out. Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the thickest part of the breast and thighs reach 165°F. Letting it rest before carving also helps retain moisture.
Proper roasting technique helps the turkey stay juicy and tender, no matter if it was brined or not.
Brining Isn’t Mandatory
While brining definitely adds flavor and moisture, you can also cook a pre basted turkey with no brining at all. The pre basting solution is designed to help keep it juicy. So don’t worry if you simply don’t have time to brine.
Enjoy Your Turkey!
Brining a pre basted turkey is a bit different than brining an untreated bird. But with some simple tweaks, such as less salt and time in the brine, you can still achieve delicious results. This Thanksgiving, your guests will be delighted with your moist, flavorful, juicy turkey, no matter how you prepared it.
Essential tools for the best bird ever!
Q: Can I brine a chicken or turkey breast? A: Yes, follow the instructions on the back of the package and allow the turkey (or breast) to brine for 30 minutes per pound.
Q: What size turkey should I buy? A: Rule of thumb is 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. If your family really loves turkey sandwiches or you want to try some of Urban Accents turkey leftover recipes, then buy 2 lbs. per person.
Q: Can I brine a self-basted or injected turkey (such as Butterball)? A: It is best to start with an all-natural turkey for maximum flavor. Self-basted or injected turkeys are injected with a flavorless brine solution.
Prepping the bird and the brine
Q: Can I cook the turkey in the brine bag? A: NO! The brining bag is not oven safe and is recommended for brining only.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than the instructions recommend? A: Do not brine your turkey for longer than the instructions recommended. It will not make it more flavorful just too salty. There is no rescue for over brined meat.
Q: How much can our Gourmet Gobbler brine bag hold? A: Up to a 25-pound turkey plus 2 gallons of brine.
Q: Do I have to rinse my turkey after brining? A: We do recommend rinsing the bird and patting dry after turkey brining.
Q: Do I have to add sugar to my Gourmet Gobbler Brine? A: No – Our brining blend is complete. You just need to add water.
Q: May I brine in other liquid besides water? A: Fruit juice (apple, orange, and cranberry), beer & wine can be used, but do not substitute more than 1/3 of the total water content. General rule of thumb: use 1 part substitution liquid to 2 parts water.
Q: Will turkey brining make my turkey taste salty? A: If you have followed the Gourmet Gobbler brining instructions, then the salt content of the turkey will increase less than 1% after brining. Unless you over brine, the turkey should not taste salty at all. The Gourmet Gobbler Peppercorn Turkey Rub has some salt in it for a perfect, crispy skin.
Q: Can I brine a frozen turkey? A: You must start with a fully thawed turkey.
Q: Is there a best way to position my turkey in the brine bag? A: Yes. Place the turkey breast-side down in the brine bag for best results. This ensures that the largest concentration of meat is submerged as much as possible.
Q: Where should I store my turkey while it is brining? A: Your turkey can be placed inside a roasting pan in your refrigerator or stored directly on ice in a cooler. Make sure the cooler/refrigerator is 35-38F.
Q: I forgot to brine my turkey until today! What happens if I dont brine for the required time? A: As long as you are able to brine for at least 15 minutes per pound of turkey, the turkey will be juicier than if you don’t brine at all. Brining for shorter than the recommended time period might not give the brine time to get to the center of the turkey, but youll still notice a difference in flavor!
Q: Can I brine two small turkeys at the same time in the same bag? What if the turkeys are different sizes? A: Yes. Use the whole box of brine mix but only leave each turkey in the brine for 30 mins/ pound. So if you had a 6 pound turkey and an 8 pound turkey, take the 6 pound turkey out after 3 hours and leave the 8 pound turkey in for 4 hours.
Q: Can I brine my turkey for longer than 24 hours? A: No. Brining works much faster than a marinade so brining a turkey for longer than recommended will oversaturate the bird. An over-brined turkey will taste salty.
Q: How far in advance can I brine my turkey? Can I do it 2 days ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge? A: Yes, you can brine your turkey ahead of time. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry, and place on rimmed baking sheet or inside roasting pan. Store turkey in refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Q: Can I stuff a brined turkey? A: We do not recommend stuffing a brined bird because the drippings from the turkey can add too much salt to the stuffing. We prefer to cook our stuffing separately. If you insist on stuffing your bird, do not add any additional salt to the stuffing. Also, make sure to check the temperature of the stuffing when you finish cooking the turkey. The stuffing temperature also needs to reach 165F before its safe to eat.
How to Brine a Turkey
FAQ
Should I brine an already basted turkey?
There’s no need to remove the salt added from a pre-basted turkey. You can still brine it and it won’t get saltier. The salt in the turkey and brine will level out due to the osmotic action. The salt and moisture will only travel from the higher concentration to the lower concentration, not visa versa.
Can you still brine a turkey already injected with solution?
My recommendation is that you do NOT brine a turkey that has already been injected with a salt solution, as that is essentially the purpose of brining a turkey in the first place. You also run the risk of having an overly salted turkey.
When not to brine a 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.
Can I brine a pre-brined turkey on Reddit?
They are specific saline solutions so soaking a pre-brined turkey in homemade brine won’t actually do anything. Either the salt percentage is higher in your homemade brine which will kick that turkey up to that salinity level whether it’s previously brined or not.
Can You brine a pre basted Turkey?
If you brine it too then you wont really hurt anything as the turkey can only take on so much salt, but at this point you are pretty much wasting time, money and resources to brine a pre basted or self basting turkey. If you do accidentally brine a turkey that was purchase already brined without noticing it, it will be just fine.
Should a Turkey be brined?
The short answer is yes, but there really isn’t a point in doing this. Turkey’s can only hold so much salt. So if the turkey is already pre basted then it most likely doesn’t need to be brined.
Should you brine a Turkey over night?
Many also prefer brining a turkey over night with less salt while other use more salt but only brine it for four hours. When brining overnight, it is recommended to use about a cup of table salt per two gallons of water.
How do you brine a Turkey?
When brining a turkey you are trying to get a certain amount of moisture trapped within the turkey by the salt. This is done by soaking or giving the turkey a bath in a solution which the salt is trapping the moisture in the turkey. Quite a few people prefer this method because the turkey is submerged which allows it to work better.
Can You brine a self-basting Turkey?
I was planning to brine my turkey but I realise that I bought a self-basting turkey. According to most websites, brining a self-basting turkey is a big “no”. But has anyone brine a self-basting turkey before? What were your results? Did you decrease the salt in the brine to accommodate the existing salt in the turkey?
How does brining a turkey work?
In brining you’re looking to get a certain amount of moisture “trapped” by the salt in the turkey, which they have, in essence, done for you already with the brining solution. However, that brining solution is usually injected rather than soaked in, so I wonder about the dispersion.