Brined Garlic Herb Turkey Breast is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday gathering. With juicy, herb-infused turkey and a delightful garlic aroma, it’s sure to have everyone's mouth watering.
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Thanksgiving turkey season is quickly approaching. This simple brine makes the turkey breast more flavorful and adds moisture. Any extra leftover turkey breast that you have from this would be amazing on these Leftover Turkey Sandwiches, with some Pumpkin Pie Bites to finish it off!
Why this recipe works
Brined Garlic Herb turkey breast has the most succulent and flavorful and does perfectly with my Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes. Making roasted turkey breast is easier and faster than making the whole bird and more cost effective. In our house The white meat of the turkey is usually the most popular served with some Make Ahead Turkey Gravy.
Ingredients for Brining a Turkey Breast
- Turkey breast: I used 2 bone-in turkey breast, about 3 pounds each.
- Water: warm water helps dissolve the salt.
- Salt: iodized salt, kosher salt or sea salt work nicely.
- Sugar: a hint of sweetness helps balance the saltiness
- Herbs de Provence: Typically, this is a mixture of thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaves. This is optional but provides nice flavor.
- Butter: use softened unsalted since you're adding salt already
- Garlic: minced garlic cloves provide fantastic flavor
- Herbs: fresh, finely chopped rosemary and thyme
How to Brine a Turkey Breast
- Step 1: In a large bowl add warm water, salt, sugar, and herbes de provence, whisk and let cool. Add the turkey breast into the turkey brine and marinate in the brine.
- Step 2: Remove the brine from the bowl.
- Step 3: Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and place turkey breasts on the rack, breast side up.
- Step 4: In a small bowl, add softened butter, garlic, and fresh herbs and mix until combined.
- Step 5: Rub butter all over the turkey breast and under the skin.
- Step 6: Bake until the internal temperature reaches 164 degrees. Remove from oven and let the turkey rest at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast when checking the temperature.
- For an even more flavorful turkey, you can use a garlic herb butter instead of regular butter. You may want to reduce the amount of minced garlic if you choose this route.
- The best way to store leftover turkey is in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Using a higher temperature when roasting, then reducing the temperature helps give you the crispy skin and tender juicy meat inside.
- If using boneless turkey breast, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Recipe Faq's
Using a wet brine brings plenty of delicious flavor to your turkey and helps make it super moist. Plus, using salt in your brine helps break down the muscle fibers in a turkey breast, making it even more tender and helps ensure that every bite of your turkey breast is nice and juicy.
Use a meat thermometer to ensure that your turkey breast meat
reaches a safe internal temp of164F before removing it from the oven to let rest. Keep in mind that the breasts may roast a little more or increase in temperature as they rest.
You don't need to rinse your turkey breast unless you brined it for too long. Then you can run it under cold water.
Brine turkey [breast] for at least 8 hours but preferably overnight for best flavor.
Sure, you can use turkey thighs or even turkey legs if you prefer.
Sides dishes to go with Thanksgiving dinner
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Brined Garlic Herb Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2- 3lb half bone-in turkey breast
- 10 cups warm water
- 2/3 cup salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons Herbes De Provence optional
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 garlic gloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
Instructions
- Pour warm water into a large bowl and add salt, sugar and herbes de Provance and whisk until combined. Let cool.
- Once water is cool add turkey breast cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and remove turkey from brine and place on top of rack. Pat dry the turkey with paper towels as much as possible.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- In a small bowl add softened butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme and mix until well combined.
- Rub the butter mixture all over turkey breast making sure to get under the skin.
- Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of your baking pan to help prevent the butter from from smoking. Place the tukey pan in the center of your oven. Bake turkey for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45-55 minutes or until turkey breast reaches 164 degrees.
- Remove from oven and tent with foil to let rest 15 minutes slice and enjoy!
How long and what temp would you cook a whole turkey?
No just pat it dry with paper towels 🙂
Hi, this looks great! When you take it out of the brine do you rinse it? Thank you!
Oh, so happy to hear that De'Ane! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I used this recipe last year and can't wait to use it this year. My turkey turned out amazingly juicy and flavorful. I can't seem myself using another recipe and that's the honest truth.
Ugh. Auto correct. Breasts and big not breast’s and bit.
Thanks for your response!
The temperature will stay the same, but it will cook longer. I would check it after 1 hour and then every 10-15 minutes after that until it reaches 164 degrees.
Making this recipe tomorrow. It looks amazing! I couldn’t find half breast’s, so I got a 7.9 lb bone-in breast. Should I adjust the temperatures? I’m guessing the cook time will be longer. Any idea by how much?
I made your make ahead turkey gravy. It’s fantastic and has such a bit umami hit! Thank you for that!!
Yes you can make a turkey breast in the crockpot. I have another recipe for slow cooker turkey. https://butteryourbiscuit.com/slow-cooker-turkey-breast/
on my own and SO excited to try making my own Thanksgiving dinner. Can you do this in the crock pot as well?