The olive oil, fresh herbs, spices, and citrus in this turkey marinade work together to make the juiciest and most tender turkey ever! It’s a quick and easy way to add flavor to your holiday turkey with little work.
A Thanksgiving turkey can be cooked in a lot of different ways, like this marinated turkey, a smoked turkey, or a deep-fried turkey. This is the only way to make sure you always have a beautiful and tasty bird! For a memorable meal, serve your turkey with my favorite Instant Pot cranberry sauce.
I’ve made turkey a lot of different ways, but a turkey marinade is one of my favorites. This mix of olive oil, herbs, and spices gives the turkey a deep, flavorful taste and keeps it from drying out in the oven.
Marinating a turkey is a great way to infuse flavor and make the meat incredibly moist and tender But how long can you safely marinate a turkey in the refrigerator before cooking it? I did some research and here’s what I found out.
Why Marinate Turkey?
Marinating is the process of soaking meat or vegetables in a seasoned liquid before cooking. The marinade typically contains an acidic ingredient like vinegar, wine, yogurt or citrus juice which helps to tenderize the meat by breaking down collagen fibers. Oil, herbs, spices and condiments are also commonly added to marinades to impart flavor.
Marinating has several benefits for turkey:
- Makes the meat more tender and juicy
- Infuses the meat with lots of extra flavor
- Can make lean cuts of turkey more succulent
- Adds moisture so the turkey doesn’t dry out while cooking
- Helps prevent the growth of bacteria on the surface of the meat
How Long to Marinate Turkey
Most recipes recommend marinating turkey anywhere from 2 hours up to overnight (about 12 hours). The longer you marinate the more flavor the turkey will absorb.
Here are some general marinating time guidelines:
- Turkey breast: 4-8 hours
- Boneless turkey breast: 6-8 hours
- Whole turkey: 8-12 hours
- Turkey pieces/parts: 2-4 hours
For really large whole turkeys (over 15 lbs), you may want to marinate for the full 24 hours to ensure the marinade fully penetrates and tenderizes the thicker cuts of meat.
Can You Marinate Turkey Too Long?
You can technically marinate turkey for longer than 24 hours if you wanted to, but it’s not recommended.
Marinating for longer periods of time can actually start to break down the proteins in the meat too much, resulting in mushy, unpleasantly soft turkey.
The acidic ingredients in marinades will essentially start “cooking” the turkey at room temperature after the 24 hour mark.
An over-marinated turkey may also take on an unappealing, slippery texture. Many cooks report the meat seems almost gummy or slimy when marinated for multiple days.
For food safety, raw turkey should never sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. So marinating longer than a day requires keeping the turkey refrigerated the entire time.
Marinating Turkey in the Refrigerator
To safely marinate turkey for 8-24 hours, you need to keep it refrigerated at 40°F or below. Leaving raw turkey out too long gives bacteria a chance to multiply quickly to dangerous levels.
Here are some tips for marinating turkey in the refrigerator:
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Place the turkey in a shallow non-reactive glass or plastic container. Stainless steel bowls also work well. Make sure the container is large enough that the marinade can fully cover and surround the turkey.
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Pour the marinade over the turkey until it’s completely submerged. Turn the turkey to coat it evenly. If needed, place a plate or bowl on top to weigh down the turkey and keep it fully immersed.
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Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator. Turn the turkey and redistribute the marinade once or twice during marinating.
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Discard used marinade after removing the raw turkey. Never reuse a marinade that touched raw meat since it can contain bacteria.
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Let the turkey come up to room temperature before cooking for more even cooking. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and scrape off any herbs, spices or seasonings that look burnt or charred after cooking.
Safe Marinating Practices
To safely marinate turkey for optimal flavor and texture, keep these food safety guidelines in mind:
- Refrigerate at 40°F or below when marinating more than 2 hours
- Discard used marinade from raw meat
- Use a clean container, bowl or bag for marinating
- Don’t reuse utensils that touched raw turkey to handle cooked turkey
- Cook turkey within 2 days of putting it in the marinade
- Marinate in the refrigerator, not on the counter
- Wash hands, containers and surfaces that touched raw turkey
As long as you follow refrigerated storage times and food safety best practices, you can marinate a turkey for up to 24 hours for more flavor infusion before cooking. Going longer than a day increases risks of bacteria growth and can make the texture unpleasantly soft.
For deliciously moist and flavorful turkey on your holiday table, marinating it in the fridge overnight is a great option. Just stick within the 12-24 hour timeframe for optimal results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about marinating turkey:
How long should you marinate a turkey breast?
For a boneless turkey breast, marinate 6-8 hours. Bone-in turkey breasts can be marinated 8-12 hours since the bone helps retain moisture.
What’s the best marinade for turkey?
Great marinade options include herb marinades, citrus marinades, yogurt marinades, and marinades with oil, vinegar, wine or fruit juices. Get creative with flavors!
Can you marinate a frozen turkey?
Do not marinate frozen turkey since the marinade cannot penetrate the frozen meat. Always thaw first, then marinate.
Should you rinse turkey after marinating?
Yes, gently rinse the turkey under cool water to remove any excess marinade. Pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
Can you marinate turkey too long?
Marinating longer than 24 hours makes the turkey texture unpleasantly soft and mushy. Stick to 24 hours or less for best results.
Does marinating cook the turkey?
No, marinating does not actually cook the turkey. Always cook raw marinated turkey thoroughly to an internal temp of 165°F.
Can I stuff my turkey after marinating?
For food safety, it’s best to cook stuffed turkeys immediately after stuffing. Marinating can allow bacteria from the raw turkey to infiltrate the stuffing. Cook and stuff just before roasting.
Should I marinate turkey in the fridge or on the counter?
Always marinate turkey in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Never marinate on the counter.
Conclusion
Marinating a turkey for anywhere from 6-24 hours in the refrigerator results in incredibly tender, flavorful meat. For optimal food safety and texture, marinate turkey no longer than 24 hours and discard used marinade. Follow proper refrigeration guidelines to avoid bacteria growth. With the right marinade and some planning ahead, you can give your holiday turkey a delicious flavor boost.
Tips for the perfect marinated turkey
- Make sure to rub the marinade under the skin and all over the bird. A baking dish with plastic wrap on top, a brining bag, or a large pot can all be used to keep the turkey while it marinates.
- The marinade will sit on the turkey’s skin and flesh and flavor it, but there isn’t a lot of messy liquid to deal with.
- A marinade is not the same as a turkey brine. Turkey brine is a mixture of water, salt, and sugar. If that sounds like the kind of method you want, you can use my turkey brine recipe.
- Put this marinade together up to two days before you want to use it. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to coat the turkey.
- You can roast, smoke or grill your marinated turkey. No matter what way you cook it, don’t forget to use a thermometer to check when the turkey is done. If you stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast or thigh, it should read 165 degrees F.
- This marinade makes enough to cover a turkey that weighs about 12 to 14 pounds. If the turkey is bigger, you might need to use twice as much marinade.
How do you make turkey marinade?
Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, orange juice, fresh herbs, garlic and seasonings. Pour the mixture over a thawed turkey. Let the turkey sit in the marinade until you’re ready to cook it. Remove the turkey from the marinade, cook as desired, then slice and serve.
This recipe calls for simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.
- Olive Oil: This forms the base of the marinade. It works with any kind of olive oil, but I like to use extra virgin olive oil.
- Adding soy sauce to turkey might seem like an odd idea, but it gives it a rich, savory flavor and some much-needed salt.
- I use a mix of orange and lemon juice, and the best juices are the ones that are just squeezed.
- To get the zest off of one orange and one lemon, use a microplane or grater.
- Herbs: I use chives, sage, parsley, and thyme, among other fresh herbs. Even though fresh herbs taste better, you can use 1/3 as many dried herbs if you need to.
- Garlic: To make the turkey taste even better, add a lot of freshly minced garlic.
- Spices: To finish the marinade, I add salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika.