You’re probably sick of talking Turkey by now, but given that last week was Thanksgiving, I thought it would be a great time to discuss how your poultry production progressed. How did you prepare the bird? Did you brine it, or inject it? Perhaps you did both. Either way, let us explore the benefits and drawbacks to each and weigh in on the great debate about Brining Vs. Injecting and which is better.
The time has come again to start preparing for the biggest meal of the year – Thanksgiving dinner. As the star of the show, the turkey takes center stage. Getting your turkey just right is crucial to pulling off an amazing feast. Two popular methods for preparing turkey are brining and injecting. But which technique truly yields the juiciest, most flavorful bird? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each to determine the best approach.
Why Enhance Your Turkey at All?
You may be wondering why you need to brine or inject the turkey in the first place. Can’t you just season the outside and roast it? While a basic roasted turkey can turn out decently enhancing the bird takes it to new heights.
Brining and injecting serves two key purposes
- Adds moisture – Keeps the turkey tender and juicy
- Infuses flavor – Allows seasonings to permeate deep into the meat
Without these extra steps, the breast meat tends to dry out and overall flavor is one-dimensional
Brining 101
The process of brining involves submerging the raw turkey in a saltwater solution for a length of time. The salt in the brine helps break down muscle proteins, allowing the meat to retain more moisture during roasting. Flavorings like herbs, spices, citrus, and aromatics can also be added to the brine solution.
The Pros
- Infuses deep, uniform flavor and moisture
- Larger birds and whole turkeys are easy to submerge
- More hands-off process, just requires time
The Cons
- Takes significant time – from 4 hours up to 2 days
- Requires lots of space in fridge for brine bucket
- Can make skin soggy – needs additional steps to crisp up
- Excess brine must be disposed of properly after
Injecting 101
Injecting involves using a meat syringe to directly deliver a flavorful liquid deep into the turkey. The liquid can be a simple saltwater brine, herb infusions, marinades, or really anything you want to add.
The Pros
- Much faster than brining – can be done right before cooking
- Marinade flavors are intense and consistent in every bite
- Works great for smaller birds
- Leaves skin crisp
The Cons
- More hands on process – have to inject thoroughly
- Can be messy if liquid leaks back out
- Special injector tool required
Key Considerations
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Turkey size – Brining works best for large birds, while injecting can be better for smaller ones
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Cook time – A turkey cooked for a long time benefits more from brining. A shorter cook favors injecting.
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Flavor complexity – Brines allow more elaborate flavor layers. Injecting offers boldness.
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Pre-treated birds – Commercially brined/injected turkeys don’t need enhancement. Read the label.
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Food safety – Use fresh brine and handle raw turkey carefully to avoid contamination.
Step-By-Step Guide
Brining Method
Supplies Needed:
- Large container big enough to submerge turkey
- 1 cup kosher salt per gallon of water
- Other flavorings as desired
- Refrigerator space
Steps:
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Mix together salt, water, and any other brine ingredients until dissolved. Use 1 cup salt per gallon water.
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Place thawed raw turkey in brine container. Submerge completely.
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Refrigerate 4 to 24 hours. Longer time equals more flavor infusion.
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Remove turkey from brine, rinse, pat dry. Discard used brine.
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Cook turkey as desired, applying oil/seasonings to get crispy skin.
Injecting Method
Supplies Needed:
- Meat injector syringe
- Flavorful injecting liquid – brine, marinade, infusion
Steps:
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Prepare injecting liquid. Good options are broth, wine, fruit juices, melted butter with herbs/spices.
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Load liquid into injector syringe. Insert needle into thick parts of turkey – breast, thighs, legs.
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Pull back slightly on syringe before pressing plunger to avoid liquid spurting back out.
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Inject liquid slowly into turkey until thorougly infused.
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Refrigerate 4 hours up to overnight to marinate.
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Cook turkey as desired. Skin should remain crispy.
The Verdict
While both techniques have their merits, most turkey experts agree that injecting yields the ideal mix of flavors, moisture, and crispy skin for a Thanksgiving bird. The hands-on injection process allows you to perfectly season the turkey and lock in juiciness. Spatchcocking the bird helps it cook quickly and evenly for optimal doneness. Combine injecting with high heat roasting or grilling for the ultimate Thanksgiving triumph.
So grab your meat syringe and get ready to wow your guests with the best turkey ever! What flavorful marinade will you inject this year?
Why do we do it?
Brining and injecting both have the desired effect of adding moisture and flavor to whatever you are cooking. Turkey and chicken benefit greatly from this practice, but pork, beef, lamb and even fish can benefit from one of these two treatments.
Until recently people suffered through meals of dried and desiccated chicken, turkey, briskets, and pork roasts. It was the polite thing to do, that is until brining became mainstream in North America. It is nearly impossible to get both the breast and thigh/leg portion of a bird be cooked to the desired doneness at the same time unless you cook them separately. This is all due to the shape of the chicken or turkey, and the proportions of white to dark meat which are done at 165°F and 180°F respectively; and that’s just for the birds!
Brining is a great way to hydrate meat. It’s especially effective on poultry, pork, and when used sparingly on fish. Basically, you submerge meat in a salty solution for up to 24 hours and sometimes more. There are pros and cons to this technique. Brining visibly and physically plumps the meat in a process where dissolved salt will cause the muscle fibers to swell and absorb water, which then stays there during the grilling process.
First and foremost when making and using brine, you have to have a place to put both the brine and the meat to keep it at a safe, cold temperature for the duration. A few pork chops or fish fillets are easily brined, but it can be hard to find a container big enough to fit a whole turkey, especially when it gets up over 15 lbs. Then finding a place to keep the brining bird so that it won’t freeze, or get too warm. When space is at a premium during the holidays, this can be a challenge.
While you do receive more uniform seasoning results than you potentially would with injecting, there is the risk that the meat you are cooking won’t have crispy skin or a crust after brining. This can be remedied by thoroughly rinsing and drying the meat off before you cook, then applying a thin layer of fat to the outside, with some strategic seasonings.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Great for poultry, and pork | Potentially takes up to 24 hours |
| Hydrates meat | Takes up a lot of space |
| Uniform seasoning | Lots of salt, salty drippings |
| More tender meat – especially poultry, white stays tender while dark finishes cooking | Skin doesn’t crisp well during cooking |
| Easily customized with savory and sweet ingredients | Not great for mass-produced birds |
| Does not improve dark red meats like lamb and beef |
Injecting is another great way to ensure much-needed hydration in all meats and can be done right before the big cook. Though, for better results, allowing time for the injection to equilibrate for up to 24 hours is recommended. With injecting you can see the results immediately. Injecting can be done with a flavorful liquid or even a brine mixture. The one caveat being that the injection needs to be thin and liquidy, with little to no chunks (Napoleon’s Stainless Steel Marinade Injector does have a large bore needle that can handle very small chunks), Using a mixture of fat – like melted butter, liquid – like wine or broth, and soluble seasonings – like garlic powder, will take an otherwise boring piece of meat to the next level.
It’s been a long-held opinion that this process works better for thick, large, and solid meats like beef and pork. Brining is a slower process. In the amount of time required to get the deep inside meat like a brisket or pork shoulder, the meat would in fact cure, becoming pastrami or corned beef.
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| It’s faster. Inject right before, or when pressed for time | Oil or water-soluble ingredients recommended, chunks tend to clog the needle |
| Fats and flavor are deposited deep into the meat | Penetration can be sporadic |
| Skin is crisp | Possible spray back |
| Easily customized with savory and sweet liquid ingredients |
One of the big CON’s of injecting is spray back. When you over-fill a section of meat and the injection liquid sprays back at you. Some combat this by wrapping the subject in plastic wrap prior to injection. A great way to prevent spray back is not going through the skin when injecting, instead, inserting the needle after you have lifted the skin a little. Also, moving the needle around while depressing the plunger slowly will help diffuse the liquid being injected.
Should You Inject Or Brine Your Thanksgiving Turkey
FAQ
Is injecting a turkey better than brining?
Is it better to brine or inject a deep fried turkey?
Is injecting the same as brining?
When should you inject your turkey?