The turkey London broil has become a popular way to enjoy a lean, flavorful and easy-to-prepare cut of turkey. But what exactly is a turkey London broil? How do you make it and what makes it different from other ways of cooking turkey?
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the turkey London broil including
- What is a turkey London broil?
- Difference between regular broiling and London broiling
- Best cuts of turkey to use
- How to prepare and cook a turkey London broil
- Marinating and seasoning tips
- Cooking methods like grilling, broiling, etc.
- Internal temperature and doneness
- Serving suggestions and side dish pairings
- Storage and reheating leftovers
So let’s get started uncovering the mystery of this tasty turkey dish!
What Exactly is a Turkey London Broil?
The term “London broil” refers to a cooking method rather than a specific cut of meat. It involves marinating a thick slice of meat, then broiling or grilling it.
Although London broil originated as a technique for flank steak, it has become popular for turkey breast cuts too. The turkey version is leaner and lower in fat than beef.
The usual turkey London broil consists of a thick turkey breast cut like a boneless turkey breast or turkey breast tenderloins. It is marinated, then cooked quickly with high, dry heat on a grill or under the broiler.
This method gives you a flavorful, juicy turkey breast with a crispy sear on the outside. So it’s ideal for those who want a simple and fast turkey dish with big, bold flavors.
How Does London Broiling Differ from Regular Broiling?
There are a few key differences between regular broiling and London broiling:
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Marinating: London broil is marinated before cooking to tenderize and add flavor. With regular broiling, marinating is optional.
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Thickness: London broil uses a thicker, larger cut of meat. Regular broiled meats are usually thinner.
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Cook time: The thick London broil cut requires a shorter cooking time at a high temperature. Regular broiling can take longer for thinner cuts.
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Doneness: London broil is often cooked to medium doneness at most. Regular broiled meats may be cooked further to well-done.
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Resting: London broil should rest after cooking. This helps retain juices in the thicker cuts. Resting is optional for regular broiling.
Best Turkey Cuts for London Broil
The most common turkey cuts used for London broil include:
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Boneless turkey breast: This is the most popular choice. The whole breast is sliced thickly (1 inch or so).
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Turkey breast tenderloins: Tenderloins offer portion-sized cuts with a tender texture.
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Turkey London broil slices/cutlets: Some grocers sell presliced turkey labeled specifically for London broil.
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Turkey scaloppine: Thin slices pounded for quick, even cooking.
For best results, choose a cut that is 1-2 inches thick. Avoid cuts that are too thin or they will dry out. Thicker cuts over 2 inches may need a lower oven temperature and longer cooking time.
How to Prepare Turkey London Broil
Proper preparation is key to ensure a flavorful, juicy turkey London broil:
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Select the cut: Choose a thick, evenly shaped cut from the breast or tenderloins.
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Trim excess fat: This keeps the dish lean. Leave a thin layer of fat for flavor.
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Pound if needed: Use a meat mallet to gently pound scaloppine or thinner cuts to an even thickness.
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Marinate the meat: Marinating is vital to London broil (see marinade tips below).
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Pat meat dry: Drain off excess marinade and pat turkey dry before cooking. This promotes browning.
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Coat with oil: Brush with oil to keep the turkey from drying out.
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Season with salt/pepper: Just before cooking, season with salt and pepper.
Now the turkey is ready to be cooked using your preferred method.
Marinade Tips for Flavorful Turkey
A flavorful marinade is key to a tasty turkey London broil. The acidic marinade helps tenderize the meat as well as infusing flavor.
Some good marinade ideas include:
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Yogurt- or oil-based: Yogurt and oil help keep the turkey moist.
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Acidic ingredients: Lemon juice, vinegar, wine. These tenderize the meat.
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Fresh herbs: Rosemary, thyme, sage all complement turkey.
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Garlic and onion: For savory flavor in the marinade.
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Soy or Worcestershire sauce: For umami flavors.
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Spices and chile peppers: Think chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne.
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Sweet elements: Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar.
For best results, marinate the turkey for at least 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Overnight is even better to let the flavors develop fully.
How to Cook a Turkey London Broil
The traditional cooking methods for London broil are grilling or broiling. But you can also adapt the technique for oven roasting, pan searing or air frying with slight adjustments.
Grilling
Grilling over direct high heat is a classic cooking method for London broil. To grill:
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Use a two-zone fire if possible.
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Place turkey over direct heat. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side to get grill marks.
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Move to indirect heat and grill, turning occasionally, until an instant read thermometer reaches 165°F.
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Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Broiling
Broiling in the oven is another excellent London broil cooking method. To broil:
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Position oven rack 6 inches from heating element and preheat broiler on high.
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Place turkey on a broiler pan lined with aluminum foil.
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Broil for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly charred.
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Flip and continue broiling to an internal temperature of 165°F.
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Allow turkey to rest before serving.
Pan Searing
To pan sear a turkey London broil:
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Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Use a heavy pan like cast iron.
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Add just enough oil to coat the bottom.
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Sear turkey 2-3 minutes per side to get a nice brown crust.
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Transfer skillet to a 400°F oven to finish cooking for 5-15 minutes until 165°F.
Oven Roasting
To oven roast, cook at 400°F on a roasting pan for 15-25 minutes until fully cooked. Use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness.
Air Frying
Air frying allows you to cook a turkey London broil with little to no oil. Cook at 400°F, flipping halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Doneness and Internal Temperature
Regardless of cooking method, always rely on an instant read thermometer to determine doneness. Turkey is safe to eat and Avoid overcooking the turkey or it will dry out.
- Rare: 140°F
- Medium-rare: 150°F
- Medium: 160°F
- Well-done: 170°F
The USDA recommends cooking turkey to 165°F minimum for food safety. Let the cooked turkey rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
Serving and Side Dish Ideas
A turkey London broil makes a quick and easy main course. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Slice into strips or medallions: Cut across the grain for tenderness.
- Pair with compound butter: Top slices with flavored butter for extra moisture.
- Offer jus or gravy: Make a simple pan sauce from the drippings.
- Serve with crispy roasted veggies: Potatoes, Brussels sprouts, etc.
- Build a sandwich or wrap: Use leftovers for quick lunches.
- Toss with a salad: Turn into an entree salad with greens, cheese, nuts.
- Make kebabs: Skewer diced turkey with vegetables and pineapples.
The bold flavors of turkey London broil stand up well to robust seasonings and sides. Some excellent pairings include chimichurri sauce, roasted squash, tomato salad and bacon Brussels sprouts.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Like any cooked turkey, leftovers from a turkey London broil should be refrigerated promptly and consumed within 3-4 days. Here are some tips for storing and reheating.
- Allow turkey to cool slightly before refrigerating in a sealed container.
- Slice the turkey prior to storing for quick reheating portions later.
- Use leftovers within 3-4 days for maximum freshness.
- Reheat in the microwave until warmed through, or crisp up slices in a hot skillet.
- Add leftover sliced turkey to salads, sandwiches, wraps or flatbread pizzas.
- Chop or shred turkey to use in soups, chilis, casseroles or stir fries.
With proper storage, you’ll have quick access to delicious turkey meat for sandwiches, salads and other easy meals.
Tag: turkey london broil
When the “Kosher Connection” Team decided to feature stuffing for the November LinkUp, I was so excited to post this recipe! I also happen to be doing a Thanksgiving demo tonight, so the timing was perfect to develop this dish to perfection. I prefer to make individual turkey roulades using turkey cutlets, but you can also make one larger one using a turkey london broil (essentially a skinless, boneless turkey breast half) that’s been butterflied and pounded. The visual impact is enough to make everyone at the table ooh and ahh. And that’s before they’ve even tasted it.
Now I love a beautiful plate of food as much of the other person, but I don’t like to spend hours in the kitchen. To simplify this recipe, I decided not to sear the turkey breasts (this gives it a nice brown color all around) because that would require me to tie each one up with kitchen twine. Instead, I just rubbed them down with some paprika, garlic powder and olive oil, baked seam-side down in the pan. My 5-Minute (no-joke!) stuffing also keeps things simple, but you can easily stuff the roulades with any store-bought filling (even cold cuts, like in this recipe).
So, if you’re making thanksgiving for a small group, and a whole turkey seems too large for your crowd (or like me, you’re daunted by the thought of cooking the huge bird), give this beautiful and delicious recipe a try!
For more delicious Thanksgiving stuffing recipes, visit the Kosher Connection Linkup below. Happy Thanksgiving!
1 pkg turkey cutlets salt and pepper 5 minute stuffing (recipe below) paprika garlic powder extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chicken stock
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place turkey cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or rolling pin to even thickness. Remove plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of stuffing on the turkey breast and spread out over cutlet, leaving a 1″ border all around. Starting from the shortest side, roll the turkey breast tightly and place seam-side down in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining cutlets (use a second baking dish, if needed). Sprinkle the roulades with paprika and garlic powder and drizzle with olive oil. Lightly rub in the spices. Pour 1/4 cup chicken stock into the bottom of the pan (repeat with 2nd pan, if you are using). Cover, and bake for 15-20 minutes (more for thicker cutlets). Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Slice each roulade and serve over cranberry sauce. My mulled wine version works wonderfully with this recipe!
VARIATION: Instead of cutlets, you can make a larger roulade using a butterflied turkey breast (or turkey london broil). Pound out the breast to even thickness and continue as above. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until thermometer reaches 160 degrees.
One taste of this fantastic stuffing and you’d never imagine it took only 5 minutes to make! There are few tricks here! Firstly, instead of sauteing up onion and garlic, I just use onion and garlic flavored croutons! Nifty, right? Then, I add just a touch of poultry seasoning (a little goes a long way!) to give it that been-stuffed-into-a-bird-for-hours quality! Using frozen spinach not only eliminates work, it also adds a beautiful touch of green – so festive and autumnesque!
1 10oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups chicken stock 1 5.25oz. bag onion & garlic flavored croutons 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
Method:
Using gloves, squeeze out spinach to remove water. Heat up olive oil in a skillet and add spinach. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until heated through. Add chicken stock, stirring to incorporate, and heat through. Add the croutons and poultry seasoning and stir until croutons soften and soak up the chicken stock.
1 year ago: creamy pareve mashed potatoes
Oven-Roasted London Broil Turkey With Salsa : Turkey Time
FAQ
What cut is Turkey London Broil?
A Turkey London Broil is another name for a boneless, skinless half turkey breast.
Is Turkey London Broil healthy?
This Turkey London Broil is healthy, and here’s why: Lean Protein: Turkey breast is a protein powerhouse, containing 34 grams of protein in just 5 oz. Heart-Healthy: With only 1g of saturated fat per serving, this recipe is heart-friendly.
What goes with Turkey London Broil?
There are many ways to accompany this turkey London broil in the oven: any vegetables can enhance this delicious meal: campfire veggies, brussel sprouts and zucchini etc. Cheesy campfire potatoes also come great with turkey, oven-roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, and fries: the ideas are endless.