Brined Turkey Breast

Once you learn how to make a brined turkey breast, you’ll never have it any other way. It turns out moist, perfectly seasoned and so delicious that Christopher wants me to make it this way for many years to come.

Why and how brining works

Meat is basically muscle and muscles are long bundled fibers. Placing the turkey in the salt and water mixture over a certain amount of time helps the fibers relax. The soaking of the bird allows water to enter the muscle fibers, which means when you cook the turkey, there is less water loss, which means moist meat. Here is a good article explaining why brining works.

It is not a secret that I will always choose dark meat over white meat, if given a choice. The reason for this preference is that in my experience, white meat is usually cooked too long and the meat turns out dry.

Thankfully, I was introduced to brining. Now, instead of despairing at the thought of white meat left on the platter at Thanksgiving, I know I can rejoice that the white meat I cook will be moist and delicious.

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Helpful tips

• All salts are not created equal. Certain salts are milder than others. So, I use Kosher salt when brining because it’s not as salty as table salt.
• There is a difference between a turkey breast and a turkey breast roast. The breast is just the breast with the bones in and the roast has both thigh and breast meat and does NOT have bones.
• Make sure when you brine the turkey breast that it is fully submerged.
• Brine your turkey breast in either stainless steel or plastic.
• When you heat the water so you can melt the salt, you don’t have to bring it to a boil. I’ve done it both ways and it really doesn’t make a difference in taste.
• Some people put sugar in the brining mixture, but I do not as I don’t think it needs it. And don’t we already have too many foods with sugar added?
• Even though rinsing poultry is not encouraged because it supposedly spreads around bacteria, I do rinse the turkey after it has been brined to get excess salt off of it.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Kosher salt – Kosher salt is less dense and made of larger crystals than table salt or fine grain sea salt. But even among brands of kosher salt there can be differences. For instance, Diamond Crystal salt crystals are larger and dissolve faster than Morton’s, so if you use Morton’s, you’ll need less salt than if you use Diamond Crystal.
• Water – Filtered is best because it is purer, with less contaminants.
• Oregano – Organic ground. You can use any herb in the brining mixture. I prefer oregano or tarragon.
• Sage – Fresh sage leaves can be found in the produce section of the grocery store, near the herbs.
• Peppercorns – I use black but you can use any color you like.
• Butter – Organic. I never use margarine as I don’t trust the ingredients.
• Rosemary – Fresh sprigs are found in the produce section of the grocery store, near the herbs.
• Garlic paste – This is the best product ever. I find it in the produce section of the grocery store and use it in a lot of my recipes. If you can’t find the paste, I recommend using garlic powder over chopping up garlic.
• Pepper – Ground.

How to make brined turkey breast

Pre-step

Get out your brining container. I use my stainless steel stockpot.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – Kosher salt, sage leaves, oregano, peppercorns and whole turkey breast.

Step two

In a saucepan, combine everything in the above photo, except the turkey, in filtered water. Set heat to medium and cook just long enough to melt the salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir, making sure there are no grains of salt left.

Let cool to at least room temperature. I transfer the salt mixture out of the pan and put it into the fridge.

Step three

Dry your turkey breast inside and out and place in the brining container. Gently pour the brining mixture over the turkey. Add just enough additional filtered water to cover the turkey.

Step four

Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. I usually brine the turkey breast for around 18 hours.

Turn the turkey at least once during the brining.

Step five

Preheat oven to 325.

Step six

After the turkey is finished brining, carefully take the bird out of the mixture and throw away the brining water. Rinse the bird inside and out and dry it thoroughly by taking a paper towel and dabbing at it. You want the skin as dry as possible so it will brown nicely.

Step seven

You can either use an appropriately sized roasting pan with the V insert or do as I do. I thickly slice an onion and lay the slices down in a roasting pan. I do this because the drippings from the roasted turkey drip onto the onions, flavoring them so nicely.

Step eight

Place the brined turkey breast on the onions. Add 4 sage leaves, 2 sprigs of rosemary and rub butter and garlic paste on the skin. Sprinkle as much pepper as you want.

Step nine

You cook a bone-in turkey breast for 15 – 20 minutes per pound or until the temperature reaches 155-160 Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the breast.

My bird was 5 pounds and took 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach 160; so it ended up taking 20 minutes per pound.

Step ten

Take the brined turkey breast out of the oven and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes before slicing. Some people place a tent of foil over the bird but I don’t bother.

Look at those yummy onions.

Step eleven

Slice the breast as thickly or thinly as you want.

Plate a few pieces with some potatoes and veggie and pour on the gravy.

Yum.

I hope you enjoyed this brined turkey breast recipe. Once you’ve brined, you’ll never go back to plain dry turkey.

Other popular Poultry recipes

• Swiss chicken
• Saltimbocca
• BBQ chicken

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!