Where to Inject Turkey with Butter for Maximum Flavor and Moisture

Oh those Cajun turkey people are SMART! There you are trying to figure out what size turkey to buy and there is a pretty display promising you the BEST Thanksgiving turkey you’ve ever tasted with a bottle of turkey injection juice. Well, they lie. You can make something even better at home!

Ingredients for Turkey Injection

Making your own also means you get to customize the flavors and make something special. Add more or less hot sauce, use a broth instead of beer, maybe even take out the honey all together. You can easily find all of these at your local grocery store.

• Beer – I like using a light beer, but if you really want to use a dark, go for it. Remember, the whole bird will be infused with these flavors, so choose wisely. Low sodium chicken broth can also be used.
• Worcestershire sauce– adds a savory depth and sophistication.
• Honey– balances the sauce and also helps to stabilize it. You can also use agave nectar.
• Hot sauce– A thin cayenne sauce like Texas Pete or Frank’s works best. Anything too thick or with chile and garlic pieces will clog up the syringe. This diulates quite a bit so don’t worry about your bird being too spicy. Add more for a spicy bird.
• Coarse Kosher Salt- Use Kosher salt and makes sure it is fully dissolved. Iodized can leave a metallic taste and regular sea salt has much finer grain- you can use it, but reduce to 1/2 teaspoon.

Make sure you whisk the ingredients in a bowl. I very stupidly made the mistake of putting them all in a jar and trying to shake it together… well carbonated beer + shaking = mess. Also avoid adding any spices or herbs that will clog in the injection needle- like black pepper or flaky herbs. If adding them, put them in a spice grinder to get them real fine first.

Lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, apple cider and Creole seasoning are also favorites.

Some also use butter or olive oil, but I find this to be a little silly. Butter (or olive oil) will not absorb into the turkey meat and the hole you created will not seal, so all of that butter is just going to bubble out of the hole. I do not believe in butter based injections. It is not water soluble.

You can, however, rub it down with a compound butter, our turkey seasoning and butter or use the cheesecloth method, which suspends on the skin and that helps to crisp and flavor. Butter works best for roast turkey. It will burn on a fried turkey and smoking takes so long, it will start to melt off.

How to Inject a Turkey

The only special equipment you will need is the injector, but you can buy this bad boy once and use it over and over again with many different recipes. I do prefer the heavy duty ones compared to plastic, these often don’t have much power to inject into dense meat and then they break.

You can literally infuse anything you’d like using the meat injector. Chicken, pork … ok, it might be a little hard to inject fish, but you get the point. Now you just need to doing the actual injecting. And then use any cooking method you’d like to.

• Make injection. Plan for 1/2 an ounce of marinade for every 5 pounds of a whole turkey. Plan to inject the turkey right before cooking. Don’t too it too early and do it AFTER rubbing with seasoning or butter (if you are doing either of these). The pressure from the massage will push out the marinade. I even place it in the roasting pan before injecting so I don’t jostle it out in transit.
• Inject both breasts, deep inside, but not all the way through. Take it out and do it at different angles to evenly distribute the marinade.
• Inject both thighs, also deep, but don’t go through to the cavity.
• Inject other areas. Depending on the size and meatiness of your bird, inject any other areas that are thick with meat.
• Avoid bones. No need to inject thinner areas, the marinade won’t stay put. Avoid injecting right up next to bones.

Many people will ask if you can brine and inject a turkey. The turkey does not need both. If brined properly, it will be sufficiently saturated with the brining liquid and can’t physically handle any more. So you can try, but most of the liquid will come popping back out through the hole you created.

Here is the truth time though. Using a turkey injection will never replace the process of brining. We’ve all been there when you realize maybe you should have started brining last night instead of this morning.

And brining for a turkey and can take over 24 hours depending on how big the bird is! Injecting is the second best option. And of course, go old school and just rubbed the bird down with your favorite spice blend and butter.

Turkey injection recipe – Quick and Easy Garlic Butter

FAQ

Where do you put butter on a turkey?

From the outside of the skin, gently massage the butter around the breasts so that the meat is evenly covered.

Do they inject Butterball turkeys with butter?

Van Ness said frozen Butterball turkeys are injected with a basting material that is more like a broth to keep the bird moist and juicy during the roasting …Feb 8, 2006

Is it worth putting butter under turkey skin?

Should I put butter under the skin of my turkey? Yes. Putting butter under the skin helps add moisture and flavor to the meat.

Can you inject butter into a Turkey?

Yes, you can inject the turkey with flavored butter. It adds a delicious twist to the bird. But let’s not stop there! Injecting butter into other meats can enhance their flavors and keep them moist. So go ahead, get creative with your injections! How Often Should I Inject the Butter Into the Turkey?

Why should you use a butter injection for Turkey?

This is why you should use a butter injection for turkey! By injecting turkey with butter, you can cook a moist and tender turkey without any need to brine it. The turkey butter injection adds richly flavorful seasoning to the meat while also keeping it moist. Best of all, you can cook your turkey using your usual favorite recipe for turkey.

How do you fill a Turkey injector?

Look for one with a sturdy needle that won’t bend or break. Butter: Choose unsalted butter for a pure, rich flavor. Melt it and let it cool slightly before filling the injector. Seasonings: Enhance the flavor of the butter by adding herbs, spices, or garlic. This will infuse the turkey with additional layers of taste.

What is the best way to roast an injected Turkey?

What’s the best way to roast an injected turkey? Roast at 325°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Baste with melted butter or oil during roasting. Injecting turkey with butter keeps the meat incredibly moist, tender and saturated with richness and flavor. Follow these helpful instructions to master the turkey injection process.

Can you use margarine instead of butter for Turkey injection?

Sure, you can use margarine or oil instead of butter for turkey injection. However, keep in mind that butter adds richness and flavor. Injecting turkey with butter helps to keep it moist and juicy during cooking. Is It Necessary to Remove the Skin Before Injecting the Butter?

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.