This rotisserie turkey is the Ferrari of turkeys. Its the king/queen of all turkeys. Once you try it, youll know what I am talking about. The meat is perfectly cooked in every part of the bird; the breast meat is flavored inside-out, buttery-tender, and exceptionally juicy. The skin is unbelievably crispy and delicious. And the tantalizing garlic and herb flavor will blow your mind. Your neighbors will be drooling while you are cooking it.
I used to brine whole turkeys to keep the meat moist, but that changed once I tried injecting them with garlic and herb-infused butter. It was a revelation! Brining works great for turkey meat until you try this method. Once you do, there is no going back. Its much quicker than brining, requires a lot less prep work, and the results are much better, in my opinion. You get a tastier and juicier turkey much faster. Isnt that the goal? I now make all of my turkey recipes using this method: oven roasted turkey, roasted turkey breast, etc.
Rotisserie cooking a whole turkey can be challenging, as the white breast meat and dark leg meat require different cooking temperatures and times However, rotisserie cooking just the turkey breast solves this problem beautifully The turkey breast contains only white meat, so you can pull it off the rotisserie as soon as it reaches the perfect internal temperature for juicy, tender meat.
Benefits of Rotisserie Turkey Breast
There are several advantages to rotisserie cooking a turkey breast rather than a whole turkey
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Even cooking The rotisserie allows the turkey breast to cook evenly on all sides, preventing dry spots. The constant motion bastes the turkey in its own juices for enhanced moisture and flavor.
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Juicy white meat: You can pull the breast off the rotisserie as soon as the internal temperature reaches 150-155°F. This prevents overcooking and drying out the lean breast meat.
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Flavorful crisp skin: The rotisserie method helps render fat from the skin, while the hot dry air of the rotisserie crisps up the skin beautifully.
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Carving ease: With no legs or wings attached, carving a rotisserie turkey breast is much simpler. You can cleanly slice perfect portions.
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Quick cooking time: A 6-8 lb bone-in turkey breast only needs about 1 1/2 – 2 hours on the rotisserie to reach ideal internal temp.
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Convenient size: One turkey breast provides ample meat for a small gathering. Leftovers are easy to store.
How to Rotisserie a Turkey Breast
Rotisserie cooking a turkey breast is simple with just a few preparation steps:
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Selecting the breast: Look for a high-quality, boneless breast between 6-8 lbs. The breast should have the skin on and bones intact.
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Dry brining: Salt and air dry the breast in the fridge for 8-24 hours. This seasons the meat and helps crisp the skin.
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**Seasoning:**Rub the breast with spices like paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. Get seasoning under the skin too.
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Skewering: Slide rotisserie skewers under the breast meat parallel to the bones. Don’t pierce the meat.
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Rotisserie setup: Use indirect heat around 350°F. Place a drip pan under the breast to catch drippings.
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Monitor temp: Roast until the thickest part of breast reaches 150-155°F. Then rest before slicing.
Delicious Rotisserie Turkey Breast Recipes
Below are two outstanding recipes for rotisserie turkey breast from popular cooking websites.
Rotisserie Turkey Breast with Spice Rub
This recipe from DadCooksDinner features a bold spice rub that creates amazing flavor. Smoked Spanish paprika gives it an incredible depth. The dry brining step ensures a super juicy breast.
Spice Rub Ingredients:
- Smoked Spanish paprika
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Mustard powder
- Kosher salt
Instructions:
- Mix spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Loosen the skin from the breast and rub half of spice mix directly onto meat under skin.
- Rub cavity with spices. Coat outside of breast with remaining rub.
- Refrigerate 8-24 hours to dry brine.
- Skewer breast onto rotisserie rod and cook at 350°F until internal temp reaches 150-155°F.
- Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Rotisserie Turkey Breast with Honey-Bourbon Glaze
The honey-bourbon glaze from this DadCooksDinner recipe adds sweetness and depth to the turkey breast. Make sure to brush on glaze repeatedly when roasting.
Glaze Ingredients:
- Honey
- Bourbon
- Cayenne pepper
Instructions:
- Dry brine seasoned turkey breast 8-24 hours.
- Set up grill for indirect medium heat, 325-350°F.
- Skewer breast onto rotisserie, making sure not to pierce meat.
- Cook 1 1⁄2 hours until internal temp reaches 150-155°F.
- Glaze breast with honey-bourbon mixture repeatedly during last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Rotisserie Turkey Breast FAQs
Here are answers to some common questions about rotisserie turkey breast:
How long does it take to rotisserie a turkey breast?
- Cook time is about 1 1⁄2 – 2 hours for a 6-8 lb turkey breast to reach an internal temp of 155°F.
Should the breast be cooked bone-side up or down?
- Cook bone-side up for even cooking. Flipping is risky.
Is it necessary to brine the breast first?
- Dry brining seasons the breast beautifully. Wet brining is not required.
Can you rotisserie a thawed frozen turkey breast?
- Only rotisserie fresh never-frozen turkey breasts, as the texture will be far superior.
What are the best wood chips to use?
- Oak, pecan, hickory, or apple wood chips pair excellently with turkey.
Enjoy Perfectly Cooked Turkey Breast
With its speedy cook time, ease of carving, and foolproof results, rotisserie turkey breast is a fantastic choice. Follow the tips here for roasting up the most juicy, flavorful turkey breast you’ve ever tasted. Your guests will be grateful they don’t have to bother with subpar dark meat. Serve it for a special occasion or make amazing leftovers. Either way, rotisserie turkey breast is sure to be a hit!
Garlic and herb butter
This is what makes this rotisserie turkey so awesome. Making infused garlic and herb butter is quick and easy; just mix some herbs, pepper, and salt with melted butter and let it infuse for 5 minutes. But you absolutely must use fresh herbs. Dried herbs will not give you the same results! Only fresh!
Which herbs to use is an excellent question. Ive tried many, and the ones I absolutely love are sage and rosemary. They are so aromatic! I also add parsley. Sometimes, I use cilantro when I have it on hand.
My method for making rotisserie turkey
First and foremost, I spatchcock the turkey. This way, the turkey cooks a bit faster and more evenly. I also like how it crisps up on both sides this way. Sure, its harder to cook a spatchcocked turkey, but its doable. If your rotisserie setup cant accommodate this, skip spatchcocking and rotisserie your bird as is. You will still get excellent results.
Next, I lift the breast and thigh skin, creating pockets (see the video below). Using a kitchen meat injector, I inject the meat under the lifted skin with the infused butter, then fill the pockets with the strained garlic and herb mixture.
My concern was that butter would ooze out during cooking and cause flare-ups and excessive smoking, but that hasnt been the case. I believe this is because I made the injections under the skin, and the entry points were covered with the garlic and herb mixture.
Finally, the turkey is cooked over direct heat at around 300F in my Big Green Egg fitted with a Joetisserie. This setup is just big enough to accommodate a 12-lb spatchcocked turkey. Your setup may differ from mine; your rotisserie may have a heat source on the side instead of a bottom, but that shouldnt matter.
The bird is done when the breast meat reaches about 160F – 165F, while the legs and wings hit 185F – 190F.
This rotisserie turkey is an eye candy. When you pull it off the grill, you will be very tempted to start ripping pieces off it and devouring them straight away. I dont blame you. But let the bird rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it up. Let those meat fibers relax again and re-absorb some of the juices.
