Grilled Turkey Breast is amazingly easy. Moist, tender, and flavorful—perfect for smaller gatherings or Thanksgiving. Add the optional Brown Sugar rub for even more flavor or seasoning of your choice.
Turkey breast with or without bones; oil: butter, olive oil, or vegetable oil; optional brine and rub; extra optional seasoning: pepper, fresh thyme, basil, or rosemary sprigs;
Fire up that backyard BBQ grill for this easy recipe. All you have to do is prep the turkey, preheat the grill, place it on the grill, and return in a few hours.
Use this recipe for any smaller gathering when you dont need a whole turkey. A great summer change of pace or for a smaller holiday feast. Use the suggested brown sugar spice, a BBQ rub, or season like a traditional holiday bird.
I started with a recipe from the Chicago Tribune with a brown sugar brine and rub. It was a good start, but I clarified, expanded, and made some adjustments and modifications to the guidelines.
Grilled turkey breast is a fantastic alternative to the traditional roasted turkey especially for smaller gatherings or a simple Sunday dinner. It’s an easy, flavorful, and oven-free way to enjoy this delicious protein.
To make the best grilled turkey breast ever, we’ll incorporate the greatest tips from two amazing recipes—one from Proud Italian Cook and the other from The Wooden Skillet—into this guide.
Get Ready to Grill:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole turkey breast (bone-in or boneless)
- 1/2 cup softened butter or ghee, divided
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: Stuffing with your favorite ingredients (onion, orange, garlic, rosemary)
Instructions:
- Preheat your grill to 400°F. Ensure your turkey breast is completely thawed and at room temperature.
- Place the turkey breast in a heavy-duty aluminum tray. Pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Generously rub the turkey with 1/4 cup of softened butter or ghee, getting into all the nooks and crannies, including the cavity.
- Season the turkey liberally with salt and pepper.
- If desired, stuff the turkey cavity with your chosen ingredients.
- Place the aluminum tray with the turkey breast on the center of your preheated grill.
- Close the grill lid and let the turkey cook for approximately 14-15 minutes per pound.
- Reduce the grill temperature to 325°F. Note that the temperature will drop significantly when you open the grill to insert the turkey.
- Baste the turkey only once or twice during the cooking time. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of melted butter or the juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan.
- Once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the turkey reaches 165°F and the juices run clear, remove it from the grill. Baste it one last time with the pan juices.
- Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes, covered with foil.
- Carve and serve immediately. Use the leftover pan drippings to make a delicious homemade turkey gravy.
Tips and Tricks:
- Thawing: Ensure your turkey is completely thawed before cooking. Check out this helpful post for all your turkey thawing questions.
- Brining: Consider brining your turkey beforehand for extra juiciness. Here’s a detailed guide on brining turkey.
- Aluminum Tray: Use two heavy-duty aluminum trays for extra support and to catch the drippings for gravy.
- Dry the Turkey: Patting the turkey dry before applying butter helps it brown beautifully on the grill.
- Stuffing: If using stuffing, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Basting: Minimize opening the grill to maintain temperature and avoid affecting the cooking time. Baste only when necessary.
- Internal Temperature: Use a reliable meat thermometer to ensure the turkey reaches 165°F internally.
- Resting: Allow the turkey to rest for optimal juiciness.
Additional Resources:
- The Wooden Skillet: https://thewoodenskillet.com/grilled-turkey-breast/
- Proud Italian Cook: https://www.prouditaliancook.com/2017/11/foolproof-grilled-turkey-breast-butter-herbs.html?m
Enjoy your perfectly grilled turkey breast!
✔️Tips to get it right every time
- Use the turkey breast you want. Although I personally like to use half of a bone-in breast, butterflying the full breast also looks good. Furthermore, with a few time adjustments, boneless turkey breast or turkey tenderloin will work.
- It’s essential to have both a grill surface thermometer and an instant-read meat thermometer. The grill lid’s thermometer is unreliable; don’t rely on it. A more detailed explanation of grill surface temperature can be found in A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill.
- A charcoal grill can be used, but controlling the temperature is far more challenging.
- Beautiful grill marks and char are produced when the skin is brown by using direct heat. You can skip the browning step if you want.
How to brine a turkey breast
Try brining your turkey breast if you have the time, as grilling dries it out a lot if it hasn’t been injected or brined beforehand.
A standard turkey brine, prepared with two quarts of water and about ¼ cup of Morton Kosher or table salt (you’ll need about ½ cup if you’re using Diamond Crystal Kosher salt). I’ve added a few more flavors with garlic, brown sugar, and bay leaf, but they’re not required.
You can use the brine to introduce other favors that you want. Add some apple cider, perhaps a quartered orange. Go wild. But the most important thing is the salt-to-fluid ratio stays approximately the same. It is not an exact science, so keep it close. See How to Brine a Turkey—A Basic Brine with Enhancements for more discussion.
A quick salt note. 1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Refrigerate for 3-6 hours. Be sure to rinse off the brine and pat dry. Also, do not use salt in the rub if you brine.