Honey Brined Turkey Breast Recipes

HONEY-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• For brine, place first four ingredients and 4 cups cider in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Stir in remaining cider; cool to room temperature., Place one roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey breast inside both bags; add brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a baking pan. Refrigerate 6-24 hours, turning occasionally., Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a roasting pan with foil. Drain turkey, discarding brine. Place on a rack in prepared pan; pat dry., Roast turkey 30 minutes. Brush with oil; roast until a thermometer reads 170°, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes.

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
• Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

ROAST-YOUR-OWN HONEY-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper around the whole turkey breast, in every crevasse and crevice. Gently peel back the skin and rub the seasoning under the skin too. Do the same with the honey, concentrating it under the skin; avoid putting the honey on top of the skin.
• On a baking sheet, mix the thyme, carrots, sweet potatoes, fennel, onions and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables out evenly and place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Next, brush the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter all over the turkey and on top of the skin.
• Cook for 15 minutes, then bump the temperature down to 325 degrees F and cook until the meat registers 165 degrees F on a GOOD instant-read thermometer, for another hour or so. Let rest at least 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve with the roasted vegetables. The turkey will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, and is perfect for the kids' lunches the following week.

BRINED SLOW-COOKED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, dissolve salt and sugar in 1 gallon cool water. Place turkey, bone side up, in brine and weight it with a plate. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours. Rinse turkey thoroughly under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Set up grill for indirect cooking. Place turkey on grill, away from hot coals; cover, keeping vent holes open over meat. Grill until cooked through, or an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of turkey registers 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple handfuls of charcoal every half hour to maintain heat). Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

BRINED GRILLED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine 1 quart water, salt, brown sugar and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Pour into a large bowl. Add remaining 1 quart cold water to cool the brine to room temperature. Add turkey breast; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4-6 hours, turning occasionally., Prepare grill for indirect medium heat, using a drip pan. Meanwhile, combine basting sauce ingredients. Grill turkey, covered, until a thermometer reads 170°, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, basting occasionally with sauce. Remove to a cutting board. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

BEST BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In 6-quart container or stockpot, mix water, salt and sugar; stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add turkey. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Remove turkey from brine, rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry.
• Place onion on center of rack in large shallow roasting pan; top with rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Place turkey, skin side up, over onion and herbs.
• In small bowl, mix butter and wine. Soak 16-inch square of cheesecloth in butter mixture until completely saturated; cover turkey completely with cheesecloth. Roast 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Remove cheesecloth. Place onion and herbs in pan with drippings if using drippings to make gravy (or discard). Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of turkey and does not touch bone. Turn turkey skin side down. Roast 30 to 60 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 165°F.

HONEY AND THYME-BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons pepper, and 6 thyme sprigs; bring to a boil then remove from heat.
• Pour mixture into a large bowl; cool to room temperature.
• To the bowl: add 6 cups water, salt, honey, and sugar, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Pour salt mixture into a 2-gallon heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bag.
• Add ice and turkey; seal.
• Refrigerate 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
• Remove turkey from bag; discard brine.
• Pat turkey dry using paper towels.
• Rub turkey with oil.
• Mix together 1 tablespoon pepper and chopped thyme, rub over turkey.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place turkey on a roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bake for 1 hour or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 180°F.
• Place turkey on a platter.
• Cover with foil and let stand 15 minutes.
• If desired, garnish with thyme sprigs.

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine hot water and salt in a 54-quart cooler; stir until salt dissolves. Stir vegetable broth and honey into the water. Add ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine with the breast facing up; cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight to 12 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towel; rub vegetable oil over turkey to coat. Discard brine.
• Put 1 cup wood chips in the center of each of two large sheets of aluminum foil. Wrap edges around wood chips to form small pouches, leaving small openings at the top.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly oil the grate. Place 1 pouch of wood chips directly over the flame beneath the grate.
• Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Close the lid and cook until the turkey's skin is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove and discard first pouch of wood chips; replace with remaining pouch.
• Cover turkey with aluminum foil, return cover to grill and continue cooking until the turkey is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
• Remove the turkey from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 1 hour before carving to serve.

GRILLED HONEY-DIJON BRINED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In 6-quart container or stockpot, stir water, honey, Dijon mustard and salt until honey and salt are dissolved. Add turkey breast to brine mixture. Cover; refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill for indirect cooking as directed by manufacturer. Remove turkey from brine mixture; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry. Discard brine.
• In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; brush over turkey. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer into turkey so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone.
• Place turkey on unheated side of 2-burner gas grill or over drip pan on charcoal grill. (If using one-burner gas grill, cook over low heat.) Cover grill; cook over medium heat 1 hour.
• Rotate turkey 1/2 turn; cook covered 45 to 60 minutes longer or until thermometer reads 165°F.
• Remove turkey from grill. Cover with foil; let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

HONEY CITRUS TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• Place orange juice, water, honey, brown sugar, lemon, oranges, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and bay leaf in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually stir in ice to start chilling the brine.
• Pour brine into a large bucket; add more ice to finish cooling.

HONEY BRINED HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
• Prepare brine by mixing water, honey and salt in a large bowl. Stir until honey dissolves. Add half the thyme and sage along with the garlic and black pepper. Set aside. Add chicken stock.
• Line an extra-large stock pot with a food-safe plastic bag. Place the rinsed turkey in the bag and pour brine over the turkey. Gather the bag tightly around the turkey, causing the turkey to be surrounded by the brine. Seal the bag and refrigerate the pot, bag and brined turkey for at least 12 hours.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°F Remove turkey from brine and pat dry inside and out. Discard brine. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2" deep) roasting pan.
• Squeeze lemon juice into the main turkey cavity. Put the squeezed lemon halves into the cavity along with the rest of the thyme and sage. Coat turkey lightly with oil and sprinkle inside and out with salt, pepper.
• Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Roast turkey, basting with poultry stock every half hour or so.
• Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180°F in the thigh, or 170°F in the breast.
• Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before carving.