Roasting a large turkey breast can be considered easier than roasting a whole turkey. Compared to a turkey that may weigh several pounds, you can be sure that meat from a small turkey breast won't be overcooked. Even the most diehard fan of dark turkey meat (that includes me) will love breast meat that has been brined and roasted to perfection. This shortcut to roasted turkey will save time, space and energy.
Brining is all about bringing moisture into the breast meat–the wings, thighs and legs don't really need the treatment. If you still want the whole turkey experience, consider cutting the wings, thighs and legs off before brining and roasting. Brine just the breast and roast the other parts separately so that the breast can be removed when it is done, while the rest of the turkey is left to finish roasting.
Turkey Brine
Makes enough brine for a 6-pound, bone-in turkey breast
Ingredients:
- 1 quart homemade chicken stock or good-quality canned, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/8 cup light-brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1/2 teaspoon crystallized ginger, chopped
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 quart cold water
Directions:
- Combine chicken stock or broth, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, ginger and honey in the bottom of a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey breast.
- Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Stir in the cold water. Carefully place the turkey breast into the brine. If needed, add more water to keep the breast completely covered with brine. Place a small dish on top of the turkey breast to keep it from floating up and out of the brine.
- Refrigerate, or add ice cubes as needed to the stockpot, for 4 hours.
Roasted Turkey Breast
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 brined, bone-in, 6-pound turkey breast, brine discarded and the breast thoroughly rinsed, inside and out (see Turkey Brine recipe above for instructions)
- 2 to 3 cups unsalted, prepared stuffing
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the herbs with the softened butter. Loosen the skin of the turkey breast from the meat. Spread the herb butter between the skin and the meat. Stuff the breast, if desired, with prepared stuffing, making sure not to compact the stuffing into the breast cavity. If the breast cavity has been split open at the back, sew a piece of cheesecloth across the opening, using a butcher's needle and cotton butcher's thread, to keep the stuffing from falling out.
- Place the breast, skin side up, on an adjustable folding roasting rack so that it stays securely in place. Place the rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and roast until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches 165 degrees F., about 1 1/2 hours.
- During roasting, add water, as needed, to the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent the drippings from burning. When the skin turns a dark golden brown, cover turkey breast loosely with foil to prevent the skin from overbrowning during the remaining cooking time.
- After 1 1/2 hours, check the internal temperature of the meat to be certain it has reached 165 degrees F. Remove turkey breast from oven and transfer roasting pan to a heatproof surface to rest while preparing the gravy using the pan drippings, if desired.
- Carve turkey breast, transfer to a platter and serve with gravy, as desired.
Corinne Shibley - Corinne Shibley studied sculpture in art history and created her own sculpture on the way to a B.A. in Studio Art. "There's something ...
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