Try this recipe for tender, juicy boneless turkey roast; it makes a great dish for 2-4 people, with plenty of leftovers!
This brown sugar maple glazed boneless turkey roast is ideal for those of you who cook for a smaller gathering during the holidays, as not everyone hosts a large gathering.
This recipe is for just the turkey breast; if you need to cook the whole bird, I have a great video and notes on how to roast and carve one.
This is a delicious take on the traditional bird—it is dry-brined for 12 hours with spices, roasted, and basted with a mixture of brown sugar, maple, and Sriracha sauce. Although eating turkey doesn’t just have to be around the holidays either. I eat it quite often year round.
The optimal dry brining time for a turkey breast depends on several factors including the size of the breast, the desired level of flavor and moisture, and personal preference. However, a general guideline is to dry brine a turkey breast for 24-48 hours.
Factors to Consider:
- Size of the Turkey Breast: Larger breasts require longer brining times to ensure the salt penetrates the entire piece of meat. For a 5-7 pound turkey breast, 24-48 hours is recommended. For smaller breasts (2-3 pounds), 12-24 hours may be sufficient.
- Desired Flavor and Moisture: A longer brining time will result in a more flavorful and moist turkey breast. However, it’s important to note that brining for too long can make the meat mushy.
- Personal Preference: Ultimately, the best way to determine the ideal dry brining time for your turkey breast is to experiment and find what works best for your taste and preferences.
Dry Brining Tips:
- Use kosher salt: Kosher salt is the preferred type of salt for dry brining as it dissolves evenly and doesn’t contain additives that can affect the flavor.
- Pat the turkey breast dry: Before applying the dry brine, pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Season generously: Use enough salt to coat the entire surface of the turkey breast.
- Refrigerate uncovered: Place the brined turkey breast in the refrigerator uncovered to allow the skin to dry out, which will help it crisp up during cooking.
- Rinse before cooking: Before cooking, rinse the turkey breast under cold water to remove excess salt.
- Cook to proper temperature: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the turkey breast is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Additional Resources:
- Dry Brined Turkey Breast Recipe: https://www.sipandfeast.com/dry-brined-turkey-breast/
- The Best Dry Brined, Bone-In Turkey Breast Recipe: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/dry-brined-turkey-breast/
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can I dry brine a frozen turkey breast? No, the turkey breast must be thawed before brining to ensure the salt penetrates the meat properly.
- Should I cover the turkey breast while it brines? It’s not necessary to cover the turkey while it brines, and in fact, it may hinder the process. Just make sure your turkey is in the coldest part of your refrigerator while it brines.
- How long will a dry-brined turkey breast last in the refrigerator? Properly stored, a dry-brined turkey breast will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Dry brining is a simple and effective way to enhance the flavor and moisture of your turkey breast. By following the guidelines and tips outlined above, you can achieve perfectly cooked, juicy, and flavorful turkey for your next meal.
Cooking time and temp for boneless turkey
As a general rule, turkey breast takes about 16 minutes per pound to cook. For a 4 pound bone-in breast, it takes just over an hour.
For a boneless turkey roast, the cooking time is about 40 minutes at 350°F. Be sure to check the internal temperature to know for sure that it’s cooked through. The internal temperature should be 163°F at the thickest part of the breast.
After roasting, take the turkey out of the oven, place it on a platter or cutting board so that its juices won’t drip onto your counter, and loosely cover it with foil. Allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. The turkey will cook for a further two to three degrees during this time, reaching a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
Dry brined turkey breast
What is brining? Well, a brine is a mixture of salt and seasonings that is used to seal and preserve the protein’s internal juices prior to cooking.
There are two types of brining solutions: liquid, also known as wet brine, and dry brine.
Wet brine
A liquid (wet) brine is a saltwater solution that the protein is marinated in. A great example of this is smoked salmon brine. To help seal and prevent it from drying out in the smoker, the fish is soaked in a wet brine solution before being prepared for smoking.
Dry brine
The method is the same for dry brining, but it doesn’t require water—it’s just a dry rub of salt and seasonings. Keeps it simple and less of a clean up actually. By brining meat, you can decrease the amount of total moisture loss. That means a tender, moist, boneless turkey roast.
To keep the meat extra moist and flavorful, I frequently rub herbed turkey butter under the skin of a whole turkey that I roast.
If you’d like, you can definitely do that with a brined turkey breast, but the dry brine has a lot of spices in it. Additionally, the breast is covered with a maple glaze while it cooks, resulting in extremely tender, juicy, and flavorful meat.
Once the turkey has roasted for some time, it is brushed with a delicious brown sugar maple glaze that includes optional sriracha and smoky paprika.
With the brine seasoning and this sticky, sweet, and extremely aromatic sauce, you really can’t ask for a more flavorful Thanksgiving turkey for two!