You’re probably sick of hearing about turkeys by now, but since Thanksgiving was last week, I thought it would be a good time to talk about how your chicken production went. How did you prepare the bird? Did you brine it, or inject it? Perhaps you did both. In either case, let’s look at the pros and cons of each and add our voice to the big Brining vs. Injecting and which is better.
Injecting a turkey before roasting is a time-tested technique that results in ridiculously moist and flavorful meat. While brining and rubs deliver seasoning to the surface, injection marinades penetrate deep into the turkey for next-level juiciness.
If you’ve battled dry, bland turkey in the past, injecting can help you win Thanksgiving dinner this year. Read on to learn why injecting works, how to do it properly, and some of the best injection recipes for your holiday bird.
Why Inject Turkey? The Science Behind Moist, Flavorful Meat
Injecting introduces extra moisture and seasoning directly into the muscle fibers of poultry and other meats. This serves two key purposes:
-
Adds flavor throughout Surface-only methods like rubs and brines can’t reach the interior Injecting disperses seasoning for consistent flavor in every bite
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Boosts juiciness: The added liquid keeps meat tender and juicy, even the typically dry white breast meat.
When injected marinade meets heat, the liquid converts to steam which keeps meat succulent as it cooks. Natural juices stay inside too, since there’s less moisture loss
The results are remarkably tender, outrageously juicy meat with big flavor in every forkful.
How to Inject a Turkey for Maximum Impact
With the right technique, injecting a turkey is simple:
1. Make the Injection Marinade
You can purchase pre-made injection liquids or easily make your own. Good bases include:
- Broth or stock
- Juice
- Melted butter
Then flavor it up with your favorite herbs, spices, hot sauces etc. Simmer 10 minutes to infuse flavors.
Strain out any particles before injecting.
2. Load up the Injector
A meat injector allows you to pump liquid deep into the thick cuts of meat. Look for one with:
- Needle long enough to reach center
- Easy-to-read volume markings
- Tight seal to prevent leaks
3. Insert Injection Needle and Disperse Marinade
Aim for the thickest areas of white breast meat. Insert the needle deep into the meat and slowly press the plunger.
Withdraw and repeat to create a grid pattern of injection channels. Go easy – you don’t want liquid pooling at the surface.
4. Let Sit Before Cooking
Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes up to overnight. This allows the marinade to fully penetrate and equalize.
Then roast, smoke, or fry as usual for incredibly moist, flavor-packed turkey!
5 Delicious Turkey Injection Recipes
The possibilities are endless when making a flavor-packed injection marinade. Try these 5 amazing options:
1. Brown Butter Sage
Earthy sage and nutty brown butter are perfect for holiday turkey. Simmer fresh sage in melted butter then strain.
2. Apple Cider
Sweet, tart apple cider makes turkey incredibly succulent. Infuse with garlic, rosemary and orange zest.
3. Spicy Cajun
Get festive heat with a combo of Cajun spices, hot sauce and butter. A zesty kick for fans of spicy food.
4. Jalapeño Lime
The bright flavors of jalapeño, lime juice and zest make turkey extra lively. Finish with cilantro for freshness.
5. Miso Maple
For a fun Asian twist, use maple syrup sweetened with white miso paste and ginger. Next-level umami.
Injection FAQs: Your Top Turkey Questions Answered
New to injecting turkey? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
How much injection should I use?
For turkeys, plan on around 1 ounce of liquid per pound. Inject too little and you won’t get full flavor impact. Too much can make meat watery.
When should I inject the turkey?
Inject 30 minutes to 24 hours before cooking. This gives time for the marinade to penetrate deep and equalize.
Can I inject a brined turkey?
Absolutely! Brining provides surface flavor while injection marinates from the inside out. Use an unsalted liquid like broth or juice to avoid over-salting.
Is injection necessary if I’m deep frying?
Yes, even deep fried turkey benefits from injection. The high heat cooks the outside quickly, so injection keeps the interior juicy.
What’s the best turkey injector to buy?
Look for an injector with a long, thin needle to reach deep into thick cuts of meat. Make sure it has a good seal and easy-to-use volume markings.
Juicy, Flavorful Turkey is Just a Pump Away
If dry turkey has been your nemesis, break out the injector this year. When used properly, injecting poultry and roasts before cooking seals the deal on tender, succulent meat with excellent flavor distribution.
A small amount of hands-on time pays off in immensely juicy, crowd-pleasing results. Take your holiday turkey to the next level with the incredible power of injection marinades.
Why do we do it?
Brining and injecting both have the desired effect of adding moisture and flavor to whatever you are cooking. These two treatments are very good for turkey and chicken, but they are also good for pork, beef, lamb, and even fish.
Until recently people suffered through meals of dried and desiccated chicken, turkey, briskets, and pork roasts. It was the polite thing to do, that is until brining became mainstream in North America. You can’t really get the breast and thigh/leg parts of a bird to the right level of doneness at the same time unless you cook them separately. This is because of the shape of the chicken or turkey and the amount of white meat to dark meat, which should be 165°F to 180°F, and that’s just for birds!
Brining is a great way to hydrate meat. It’s especially effective on poultry, pork, and when used sparingly on fish. Basically, you submerge meat in a salty solution for up to 24 hours and sometimes more. There are pros and cons to this technique. Brining makes the meat look and feel fuller by letting the dissolved salt make the muscle fibers swell and soak up water, which stays there while the meat is grilled.
The first thing you need when making and using brine is a place to keep the meat and brine cold and safe for the duration of the process. For small pork chops or fish fillets, brining is easy. But for a whole turkey, especially one that weighs more than 15 pounds, it can be hard to find a container big enough. Then finding a place to keep the brining bird so that it won’t freeze, or get too warm. When space is at a premium during the holidays, this can be a challenge.
Even though the seasoning is more even than with injecting, there is a chance that the meat won’t have crispy skin or a crust after brining. This can be fixed by washing and drying the meat well before cooking it, then putting a thin layer of fat on the outside and seasoning it well.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Great for poultry, and pork | Potentially takes up to 24 hours |
| Hydrates meat | Takes up a lot of space |
| Uniform seasoning | Lots of salt, salty drippings |
| More tender meat – especially poultry, white stays tender while dark finishes cooking | Skin doesn’t crisp well during cooking |
| Easily customized with savory and sweet ingredients | Not great for mass-produced birds |
| Does not improve dark red meats like lamb and beef |
Another great way to make sure all meats get the water they need is to inject them. This can be done right before the big cook. Though, for better results, allowing time for the injection to equilibrate for up to 24 hours is recommended. With injecting you can see the results immediately. Injecting can be done with a flavorful liquid or even a brine mixture. Napoleon’s Stainless Steel Marinade Injector has a large bore needle that can handle very small chunks, but the injection needs to be thin and liquid with few to no chunks. Using a mix of fats (like melted butter), liquids (like wine or broth), and soluble seasonings (like garlic powder) will take a plain piece of meat to the next level.
For a long time, people have thought that this method works best for big, thick meats like beef and pork. Brining is a slower process. There would be enough time for the meat to cure to become pastrami or corned beef in the time it takes to get deep inside a brisket or pork shoulder.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| It’s faster. Inject right before, or when pressed for time | Oil or water-soluble ingredients recommended, chunks tend to clog the needle |
| Fats and flavor are deposited deep into the meat | Penetration can be sporadic |
| Skin is crisp | Possible spray back |
| Easily customized with savory and sweet liquid ingredients |
One of the big CON’s of injecting is spray back. When you over-fill a section of meat and the injection liquid sprays back at you. Some combat this by wrapping the subject in plastic wrap prior to injection. When you inject, don’t go through the skin. Instead, put the needle in after lifting the skin a little. This will keep the spray back from happening. Also, moving the needle around while depressing the plunger slowly will help diffuse the liquid being injected.