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Dry Brined Turkey Breast
If you're having a smaller Thanksgiving, want something that cooks faster, or just don't care for dark meat, I love using a turkey breast. Using a turkey breast cuts the roasting time in half and keeps you from drying out the breast meat, waiting for the legs to cook through. This dry brined turkey breast gives you moist meat and crispy skin.
-8 servings based on weight
Ingredients
Turkey
- 3-6 pound turkey breast (thawed)
- 2 cups low sodium turkey broth
Dry Brine
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Herb Butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Serve with
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Equipment
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Instructions
- Thaw your turkey breast (in the bag it came), in your refrigerator. It typically takes 24 hours per 4 pounds to defrost, plan accordingly according to weight.
- Once your turkey is defrosted, carefully remove it out of the bag (I do this over the sink, since it is easy to disinfect the surface after). Remove any bags of innards that may be included. Place turkey breast on half sheet pan with a rack, so any additional thawed juices that come out while it brines, do not get reabsorbed back into the turkey. Proceed to dry the entire turkey inside and out with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix the baking powder with the kosher salt (see note #1). From up above, sprinkle baking powder/salt mixture over the entire turkey breast (you may not need all of it depending on the size of your bird). Carefully place the bird, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Once your turkey has brined for 24 hours, remove from the refrigerator and preheat oven to 425F. If any juices accumulated overnight, discard. From the bottom of the breast, carefully separate the skin from the breast. Be very gentle or the skin can rip.
- In a small bowl, mix together unsalted butter and chopped fresh herbs (see note #2). Using your fingers, scoop herb butter out of bowl and begin smearing under the skin onto the breast. Spread the rest of the herb butter on the outside of the breast. If possible, pull the skin down and secure it in between the breast point and rack.
- Place turkey into the oven and carefully pour 2 cups of turkey broth into the the bottom of the pan. Begin roasting turkey in the oven. Every 15 minutes, carefully slide the rack out and baste the turkey with the juices in the pan.
- Depending on the weight of your turkey breast it should take 45 minutes- 1 1/2 hours to roast (my 6lb turkey breast took 1 hour and 15 minutes). For smaller birds, begin checking with a thermometer at 45 minutes, you are looking for 155F at the thickest part of the breast. After it rests it should come to temperature at 165F.
- Carefully remove turkey from oven (remember there is liquid at the bottom of the pan). Using your baster, reserve 1/4 cup of pan drippings for making homemade gravy (see this post for my homemade turkey gravy).
- Once the turkey has rested, use a sharp chef's knife or carving set to slice the turkey breast. Once you begin carving the turkey breast, you should immediately reveal juicy meat as you slice. Serve with homemade turkey gravy over the top and with your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.
Notes
- You must use kosher salt for this recipe, not table salt or other type.
- Ensure you're using unsalted butter since we dry brined with salt, using salted butter will result in over salted turkey. Same with the turkey stock, you want unsalted or low sodium.
Dry brine tips and FAQ's
- Thaw turkey based on weight. For every 4 pounds, it should take 24 hours. Since turkey breasts are much lighter, it will take much less time to defrost than a whole turkey.
- Dry brine for minimum 12 hours, 24 hours is ideal, max 48 hours.
- Time: Since turkey's are different sizes, use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is fully cooked. Do not rely on "pop up" turkey tabs.
- Turkey temperature should register 155 degrees F before you remove it from the oven. Check with a thermometer in two places to ensure it is fully cooked. Since we are only roasting the breast, check on thickest part of both breasts. Once rested, it should come to temperature at 165 degrees F.
- Allow the turkey to rest. Wait at least 20 minutes before carving the turkey to allow the juices to settle.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 510kcal (26%), Carbohydrates: 3g (1%), Protein: 74g (148%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 12g (75%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 231mg (77%), Sodium: 6690mg (291%), Potassium: 884mg (25%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 700IU (14%), Vitamin C: 3mg (4%), Calcium: 274mg (27%), Iron: 3mg (17%)