This simple brine for turkey of salt, sugar, and fresh herbs is super simple and versatile–you can also use it with pork or chicken. It’s perfectly scaled for a turkey breast or two but can be easily adapted to a whole turkey. Best of all, with this recipe, you won’t be throwing a lot of extra ingredients away because each ingredient serves a real purpose. Read on for lots more brining tips!
Should I Brine a Boneless Turkey Breast? A Complete Guide for Juicy, Flavorful Meat
Brining a turkey breast before cooking is a technique that can help ensure moist, flavorful results. But should you take the time to brine boneless turkey breast or not? There are good reasons for and against brining. This complete guide will walk through everything you need to know to decide if brining a boneless turkey breast is right for your meal.
What Exactly is Brining?
Brining refers to soaking meat in a saltwater solution, known as a brine, before cooking. The basic brine is made by combining salt and sugar with water. Herbs, spices, citrus and aromatics are also typically added for extra flavor.
The salt in the brine seasons the turkey breast and helps it retain moisture during cooking. The sugar balances out some of the saltiness. The aromatics infuse the meat with more complex flavors.
Benefits of Brining Turkey Breast
There are several advantages that brining can offer for boneless turkey breast:
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More moist and juicy meat – The salt helps the turkey breast retain moisture and prevents it from drying out.
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Better seasoned flavor – The salt deeply seasons the meat, while added aromatics provide extra flavor.
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More tender texture – Brining helps breakdown proteins in the meat resulting in a less chewy texture.
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Infuses flavor – Herbs citrus and spices in the brine get absorbed into the turkey breast.
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Easy to execute – It only requires a saltwater solution and time.
How to Make a Simple Turkey Brine
Making a basic brine is straightforward:
- 1 gallon of water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Herbs, citrus, spices (rosemary, garlic, lemon)
Combine the ingredients in a pot and heat to dissolve the salt and sugar. Chill the brine completely before using. Submerge the turkey breast and refrigerate 12-24 hours. The measurements can be adjusted based on personal taste and quantity of meat.
Should You Brine Bone-in or Boneless Turkey?
You can brine both types, though bone-in turkey takes more time. Boneless breast only needs 12 hours typically. Bone-in works best with a full 24 hour brine. The bone makes it take longer for the brine to fully penetrate and season the meat.
Both will benefit from brining. Choose whichever fits your schedule and preferences best. Just account for brining time based on whether there is a bone or not.
Can You Brine a Frozen Turkey Breast?
It’s best to fully thaw turkey before brining. Frozen meat won’t allow the brine to soak in effectively. For ideal results, thaw turkey breast 1-2 days ahead in the refrigerator before brining. Or thaw in cold water, changing it every 30 minutes.
Once thawed, pat the turkey dry before submerging in the chilled brine. This helps the brine absorb better.
Should You Rinse Turkey After Brining?
After brining is complete, rinse the turkey breast under cold water. This removes excess salt from the outer surface. Gently pat it dry with paper towels before cooking. Some recipes suggest air drying uncovered in the fridge which promotes crisping the skin when roasted.
How to Cook a Brined Turkey Breast
Brined turkey can be cooked many ways – roasted, smoked, grilled etc. Roasting is most common for boneless breast. Simply pat dry, rub with oil, and roast at 400°F until it reaches 165°F internally. Then slice and serve!
Enjoy brined turkey breast on its own, in sandwiches, salads, casseroles and more. It will have much more flavor and moisture compared to unbrined.
Pros of Brining Boneless Turkey Breast
Here are the main benefits of taking the time to brine a boneless turkey breast:
- Much juicier, moist meat that won’t dry out
- Deeply seasons the meat, not just the surface
- More tender and less chewy texture
- Allows you to infuse lots of flavor from aromatics
- Very simple process with big impact on end result
- Fool-proof way to excellent turkey breast
Cons of Brining Turkey Breast
There are also a few potential drawbacks to consider:
- Requires advance planning time of 12-24 hours
- Uses a lot of salt, not good for low sodium diets
- Degrades shelf life of raw meat slightly
- An extra step compared to just cooking the breast
- Requires a large container to hold brine and meat
- Can make the texture mushy if brined too long
For most home cooks, the pros outweigh the cons. With a little planning, brining is worth the effort for guaranteed delicious turkey breast. But the extra time and salt do not work for all budgets and schedules.
Should You Brine a Boneless Turkey Breast?
Based on the pros and cons, here are some things to help decide if brining a boneless turkey breast is right for your meal:
- If juicy, well-seasoned meat is your priority, brining is highly recommended
- If you don’t mind extra effort and planning ahead, brining is great
- If you often find turkey breast dries out during cooking, brining prevents that
- If you need to cook turkey last minute, brining may not be feasible
- If limiting sodium, be aware brining adds a lot of salt
For many home cooks prepping holiday dinners or cooking turkey breast regularly, brining is an easy way to guarantee ideal, fool-proof results. But weigh your specific goals, constraints and preferences when deciding.
Tips for Brining Boneless Turkey Breast
Follow these tips for successfully brining boneless turkey breast:
- Use a large enough container to hold turkey and brine
- Chill brine completely before submerging turkey
- Turkey must be fully submerged in brine
- Refrigerate while brining to keep cool
- Allow 12-24 hours for brining time
- Rinse turkey after removing from brine and pat very dry
- Avoid reusing raw turkey brine
With some advance planning, brining boneless turkey breast takes the guesswork out of achieving juicy, intensely flavored meat. Let the turkey soak up all that seasoned moisture before cooking it to perfection. Give it a try for your next meal and see if the extra effort pays off!
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Because my personal chef clients entrust me with their money, I must be highly conscious of wasting ingredients.
Many brine recipes involve a lot of extra spices and aromatics like onions, carrots, garlic and fruit such as citrus. According to Serious Eats, those extra ingredients make your brine smell good but do little to flavor the meat past the skin. In a brine solution, the salt does all the work. All those other ingredients that don’t have much impact on flavor will just get thrown away in the end.
This simple brine for turkey has added flavor with fresh herbs, but dried herbs may also be used, making this simple turkey brine recipe very economical.
This simple turkey brine recipe can also be used for pork or chicken, and it’s scaled perfectly for one or two turkey breasts but can be doubled or tripled for a large turkey.
How to Make a Simple Brine for Turkey:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this simple turkey brine recipe, along with how to prep. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
How to Brine and Smoke a Turkey Breast
FAQ
Should I brine a skinless boneless turkey breast?
Yes, brining helps to bring some moisture to the white meat, but a long time in a salt solution won’t mean a juicier meat. Therefore, I suggest brining turkey breast for no longer than 4 hours for smaller pieces and up to 7 hours for larger breast pieces. Also, it’s easy to overcook your meat.
Is it worth brining a turkey breast?
Is brining a turkey worth it? Yes! Brined turkeys are so much more flavorful and juicy than non-brined birds. Brining a turkey isn’t difficult, but it does take a little time, so plan ahead and you’ll be set.
How do you brine a butterball boneless turkey breast?
Place salt and boiling water in a tall pot. Stir until salt dissolves. Add ice cubes and stir until water is cold. Place turkey in pot and add enough cold water to cover. Stir brine around turkey, cover pot and refrigerate overnight (anything between 12 and 24 hrs works).
Should I brine my boneless skinless chicken breast?
Brining the chicken breast helps the meat retain moisture during cooking. Drying the breast well before grilling leads to quicker browning.
Should you brine a boneless turkey breast before cooking?
For best results, you should brine turkey breast for 12 to 24 hours before cooking it. When you brine a boneless turkey breast, it helps the meat come out juicy and tender. The salt in the brine helps the liquid soak into the meat, which tenderizes it and adds moisture. If you add other spices to your brine, the meat comes out even more flavorful.
How long do you brine a turkey breast?
Brining is a surefire way to get a moist, delicious turkey breast every time. Allow 12-24 hours of brining time depending on the size. Weigh down the breast to keep it fully submerged and brine in the fridge for safety. Rinse off any excess salt after brining and roast to 165°F internal temperature.
Should I rinse and dry turkey breast After brining?
Yes, you should definitely rinse and dry the turkey breast after it is done brining. This removes any excess salt from the turkey and prevents it from being too salty. I’m happy to report that this turkey brine works for both bone-in and boneless turkey breasts. I tested it with both and was happy with the results.
How much salt do you need to brine a turkey breast?
A general rule of thumb is to use about 1/2 cup of salt for every gallon of water in the brine solution. However, you can adjust the salt content based on your taste preferences. 3. How long should I brine the turkey breast? For a boneless turkey breast, it’s best to brine it for at least 12 hours, but overnight is preferred for the best results.
What is brining a turkey breast?
Brining is the process of soaking meat or poultry in a saltwater solution (known as a brine) before cooking. This helps infuse moisture deep into the meat, resulting in a juicier finished product. Turkey breast in particular can often turn out dry and stringy when roasted.
Can You brine a frozen turkey breast without thawing?
You can brine a frozen turkey breast without thawing first. But for the most even brining, thaw it before submerging in the brine. The brine will penetrate much better when the meat isn’t frozen solid.