I experimented with several various kinds of frozen-fruit smoothies before coming up with this recipe. Since we were drinking it too frequently (and it is definitely not a low-calorie beverage), my husband and I no longer make it unless we are entertaining visitors at our house in Hawaii. For frozen alcoholic mixed drinks, it is a fantastic replacement.
| Prep Time: | 45 mins |
| Cook Time: | 2 hrs 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 day 1 hr 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 day 4 hrs 30 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 2 turkey breasts |
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, cracked
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 (5 pound) boneless turkey breast halves
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
- 1 sprig Spices, thyme, fresh
- 1 sprig Fresh Sage
- 1 teaspoon pressed garlic
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
- 6 stalks celery, cut into large chunks
- 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
- 2 medium yellow onions, quartered
- 8 fluid ounces chicken stock, or more as needed
Instructions
- Heat water for brine in a 6-quart pot over medium heat until steam begins to rise to the surface. Stir in kosher salt and sugar until dissolved. Add liquid smoke, peppercorns, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and smoked paprika. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let rest and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Do not refrigerate to cool.
- Place each turkey breast in a zip-top freezer bag. Evenly divide the brine, herbs, and garlic between the bags. Remove excess air, seal, and put into the refrigerator, 24 to 36 hours before you roast your turkey breast.
- Remove turkey from brine, pat dry, and let rest for 30 minutes. Pour brine through a strainer; discard brine but reserve garlic and herbs.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- At the same time, mix softened butter with rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, black pepper, and paprika for herb butter. Set aside.
- Arrange carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions, and reserved garlic and herbs from the brine in the bottom of a roasting pan. Rub about 1/4 of the herb butter on each breast under the skin. Don’t remove the skin. Rub the rest of the butter on top of the skin. Arrange the breasts in the roasting pan on top of the aromatic veggie rack; add chicken stock to the bottom of the pan.
- Roast in the center of the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each breast reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with a foil tent, and let rest for 15 minutes. The internal temp will rise above 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) during this rest.
- The brine is probably the most important step. It will keep the breast moist and flavorful. Do not skip.
- Always brine foods in a food-grade, nonreactive container such as a stainless steel or enameled stockpot, a brining bag, or a food-grade plastic bucket.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of brine ingredients. The actual amount of brine consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 611 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 294 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 101 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 4067 mg |
| Sugars | 12 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I had a 2 lb fresh breast half and followed the recipe except for the cooking time and temperature. I baked it at 450 for 10 min the finished it at 350 for 50 minutes. It was well done but not dry. Next time I’d bake it 45 min at 350 after the intitial 10 min at high temperature. Flavorful. I served it with chipotle sweet potatoes, a Southwestern dressing, and broccoli. Easy and quick.
Yes! I finally have my go to turkey breast recipe! I have tried several turkey/turkey breast recipes from this site and elsewhere and although they were all very good, my gut was saying there was still something better out there. And this recipe is it! It’s super easy, super tasty, and super moist. I only marinated for 20 hours, barely basted, but did cook the breast upside down until the last hour. I highly, highly recommend this recipe!
This is a terrific recipe. As he said, the key is the brine. I marinated for 36 hours before cooking. I couldn’t find 2 5lbs breasts, so I used one 8 pounder. As a result, I had to cook it at 325 for 3.5 hours. My husband and I tasted it and I will say, the flavor is in the meat, not just the skin. I think this recipe could be used for a full bird. Thanks Craig!