This is the best turkey injection recipe when you want to use your grill or smoker to make a whole turkey. By injecting a poultry marinade into your holiday turkey (or any meal!), you will end up with a tender and moist turkey that is full of flavor! This recipe has a hint of sweetness from the honey while the lemon and butter provide great flavor that compliments the wood flavors from the smoker.
When you use injection marinades, you can say goodbye to dry turkeys! This process literally infuses flavor through the whole turkey breast and helps to tenderize. You can also use this technique with other turkey brines. When I make my smoked turkey recipe, I like to keep the seasoning mixture simple and this recipe is a breeze.
Making a homemade turkey injection may seem intimidating, but it’s actually a simple process that takes just a few minutes. With the right ingredients and technique, you can easily make a flavorful turkey injection that will help produce the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ve ever tasted.
Why Make Your Own Turkey Injection?
There are several benefits to making your own turkey injection rather than buying a pre-made one
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Cost savings – Homemade costs just a fraction of what you’d pay for a store-bought injector. The ingredients are common pantry staples you likely already have on hand.
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Control the flavor – You can customize the injection to suit your taste preferences. Add more or less heat, sweetness, herbs and spices as desired.
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Avoid preservatives – Store-bought injections often contain preservatives and artificial ingredients Making it yourself ensures you know exactly what’s going into your turkey
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Make it fresh – An injection you make right before cooking ensures maximum flavor. Store-bought ones can lose potency over time.
Choosing an Injector
To make a turkey injection, you’ll need a meat injector, which is a large syringe with a needle used to infuse liquid deep into the meat. Look for one that is:
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Sturdy and well-constructed. Avoid flimsy plastic models.
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Large enough for a turkey. A 2-3 ounce capacity is ideal.
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Made of stainless steel. This material won’t interact with acidic ingredients.
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Easy to clean. Look for a model with removable needles and plunger.
Creating Your Own Turkey Injection
The process for making turkey injection is simple:
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Choose your base liquid. This provides moisture and is the bulk of the injection. Options include broth, beer, juice, or water.
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Select flavoring ingredients. Things like spices, herbs, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, citrus, honey, garlic, etc.
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Combine ingredients. Whisk together in a bowl until well blended.
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Transfer to injector. Use a funnel if needed to prevent spills.
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Inject turkey. Inject deep into breast, thighs, and other thick parts.
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Cook turkey as desired. Roast, grill, fry or smoke.
Some key tips for success:
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Make the injection very smooth with no particles to avoid clogging the needle. Finely mince garlic and herbs or use powders instead of fresh.
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Avoid over-salting. Turkey soaks it up readily. Taste as you go.
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Use room temperature or slightly warm injection so it flows into the needle and meat easier.
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Inject right before cooking so flavors stay locked in.
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Plug holes after injecting to help prevent leakage. Try garlic slivers or onion chunks.
Injection Ideas and Flavor Combos
The possibilities are endless when making a homemade turkey injection. Use these ideas to inspire your own signature blend:
Cajun-Style – Beer, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire, onion and garlic powders
Italian Herb – White wine, balsamic, Italian herbs, garlic, pepper
Southwestern – Chicken broth, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, cilantro
Lemon-Herb – Chicken broth, olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, sage
Sweet and Savory – Apple juice, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sage
Buttery Garlic – Melted butter, broth, lemon, garlic, parsley
Tips for Injecting a Turkey
Once your marinade is made, follow these tips for proper injection technique:
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Inject an hour or less before cooking. Marinade needs time to spread through meat.
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Inject deep into thick breast and thigh areas. Angle needle and distribute evenly.
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Avoid bones. Inject around them. Bones conduct heat for even cooking.
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Inject 1⁄2 ounce marinade per 5 pounds turkey. Scale recipe up or down as needed.
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Plug holes after injecting to prevent leakage. Try garlic cloves or onion chunks.
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Discard any unused marinade. Don’t reuse after injecting raw poultry.
Cooking an Injected Turkey
An injected turkey can be cooked using any method – roasted, grilled, smoked, or fried. The injection helps keep it juicy and flavorful no matter how it’s prepared.
For oven roasting, plan for approximately 15 minutes per pound at 325°F. Use a meat thermometer to confirm the turkey reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.
Let rest at least 20 minutes before carving for the juices to reabsorb. The results will be moist, tender and packed with flavor in every bite thanks to your homemade injection!
With the right injector, basic ingredients and simple technique, you can easily make your own signature turkey injection recipe. Get creative with flavors to make your holiday bird the star of the table!
What Ingredients do I Need for The Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe?
- unsalted butter
- chicken broth
- salt
- finely ground black pepper
- honey
- lemon juice
Before You Start: Make sure you are using at least a 2 cup capacity measuring cup.
What is a Meat Injection Syringe?
A meat injector syringe can be purchased at most kitchen supply stores. I have seen them at Williams-Sonoma, Target, and even some grocery stores. I purchased mine, this stainless steel meat injector, through Amazon (affil). I am still learning to use it, but have had great success with several traditional turkey marinades and also some chicken injection recipes. I like that it has a variety of tips so that the injection mixture flows through easily if I’m trying to inject a recipe that has ground spices in it. It’s also easy to clean.
- You can use olive oil or avocado oil in place of the melted butter. An oil in your turkey marinade provides flavor and adds moisture.
- Try a cajun turkey injection recipe by adding cayenne pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, and or creole seasoning to your marinade. I would omit the honey in this case.
- Looking for a use for the neck and/or giblets? Make this turkey neck gravy recipe or doctor up your dressing with this Thanksgiving Stovetop stuffing recipe.
Turkey injection recipe – Quick and Easy Garlic Butter
FAQ
What should I inject my turkey with?
Inject the turkey with melted butter seasoned with salt, ground black pepper, and ground rosemary to achieve the moistest meat.
What to inject turkey with before frying?
Salt, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder add plenty more savory flavor to the mix. Once you’ve made the injection fluid, be sure to keep it warm so the butter doesn’t solidify. After injecting the turkey, rub it with your favorite dry rub to add even more flavor.
Is it better to brine or inject a turkey?
While you do receive more uniform seasoning results than you potentially would with injecting, there is the risk that the meat you are cooking won’t have crispy skin or a crust after brining.
What needle do you use for turkey injections?
In order to reach the deepest parts of the turkey, you need a special tool called a meat injector. A meat injector is basically a hypodermic needle with a large gauge needle.
How do you inject a Turkey in a meat injector syringe?
Fill a meat injector syringe with the turkey marinade. With the turkey resting in a large pot, baking pan, or marinade bag, inject 1–2 teaspoons of the marinade into several spots throughout the body of the turkey. Aim to make about 12–15 injections. Refill the marinade injector as needed.
How do you make a Turkey injection?
Use a spice grinder to break down whole spices or dried herbs into a fine powder before adding them to your injection. 4. Make in advance. Craft your turkey injection in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 5. Inject liberally.
How do you inject a turkey breast?
For best results, inject the turkey in both sides of the breast and both thighs. You can use a butter injection for turkey following any turkey recipe. Our Kitchen Transformation – you can do it too!
Can You brine a Turkey & inject it?
If you’re choosing to brine this bird and then inject it, do not add salt to the injection mixture because the turkey will end up being too salty. This spicy Cajun-inspired injection contains lemon, onion powder, garlic powder, crab boil, olive oil, butter, Cajun seasoning, Tabasco, and cayenne.
How do you make a Turkey poop injection?
1. Make your injection liquid Melt a stick of unsalted butter and combine with hot sauce, lemon juice, chicken broth, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder and whisk together. Place your turkey on a tray to avoid creating a mess.
Can you inject a Turkey with garlic butter?
Using garlic powder rather than minced garlic, you could even create a garlic butter turkey injection following my garlic butter recipe. For best results, inject the turkey in both sides of the breast and both thighs. You can use a butter injection for turkey following any turkey recipe.