Oh those Cajun turkey people are SMART! There you are trying to figure out what size turkey to buy and there is a pretty display promising you the BEST Thanksgiving turkey you’ve ever tasted with a bottle of turkey injection juice.
Injecting a turkey breast is a great way to ensure it stays juicy and flavorful when cooking. The injection liquid permeates deep into the meat, tenderizing it from the inside out With the right homemade marinade recipe, you can take your turkey breast from bland and dry to succulent, tasty and unforgettable
There are many options for what to inject a turkey breast with. Customizing your own marinade allows you to craft the perfect flavor profile. Consider complementary tastes like:
- Savory – chicken or turkey stock, butter, olive oil, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce
- Sweet – honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, apple juice/cider, pineapple juice
- Spicy – cayenne, crushed red pepper, hot sauce like Tabasco
- Herbs – rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, cilantro
- Acid – lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar
- Umami – soy sauce, fish sauce, Parmesan, Worcestershire
Combine ingredients in whatever profile you like best For example, brown sugar, butter, apple juice, garlic, and sage would give you a sweet and savory marinade. Soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and Sriracha would make an Asian-inspired spicy marinade. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Here are some popular recipe ideas for what to inject a turkey breast with
Savory Herb Injection
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Simply combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until well blended. Cool and inject into breast meat.
Brown Sugar Apple Injection
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp salt
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool before injecting.
Spicy Soy Ginger Injection
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave or on the stovetop until well blended. Allow to cool completely before injecting into the turkey breast.
Lemon Herb Butter Injection
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Once butter is melted, remove from heat. Let cool and strain out herbs before injecting into turkey.
Maple Bourbon Injection
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp bourbon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until uniform. Gently warm on the stove or microwave until well incorporated. Allow to cool to room temperature before injecting turkey.
How Much Injection Will You Need?
The amount of marinade needed depends on the size of the turkey breast. Plan on using:
- 1/4 cup for a 2-3 lb breast
- 1/2 cup for a 4-6 lb breast
- 3/4 cup for a turkey breast over 6 lbs
It’s better to have extra than not enough. You can always use leftover butter-based injection as a rub on the exterior of the meat before seasoning or roasting.
When to Inject the Turkey Breast
For maximum infusion of flavor, inject the breast 1-2 days before cooking. However, you can inject right before roasting if needed.
Make sure your marinade is at room temperature before drawing it into the injector. If you made it ahead and chilled it, warm the mixture until it liquefies again.
How to Inject a Turkey Breast
Using an injector or meat syringe, insert the needle deep into the thickest part of breast. Push the plunger to release marinade as you slowly pull the needle back out.
Make injections across the breast, distributing them evenly. Angle the needle and repeat to ensure good coverage. Any excess leaking out can be blotted with paper towels.
Once injected, roast, grill, smoke, or deep fry the turkey breast as desired until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Rest before slicing into the juicy, flavor-packed meat!
Food Safety Tips
When injecting raw poultry, follow these guidelines:
- Wash hands and surfaces before and after handling raw turkey
- Use a fresh injector needle each time
- Discard any leftover marinade that touched the raw meat
- Cook turkey thoroughly to 165°F internal temperature
- Refrigerate cooked turkey within 2 hours
With the right homemade marinade and technique, injecting a turkey breast takes the flavor to new heights! Explore different taste profiles and inject up to 2 days before roasting or grilling. Maintain proper food safety and the result will be a juicy, delicious turkey breast the whole family will love.
How to Cook a Turkey with Injection
There are literally hundreds of ways to cook a turkey, but the most popular seem to be brining, rubbing and injecting.
Let me tell you a few things about the store bought Turkey Injection Juice:
- It is overpriced. Homemade Turkey Injection marinade will cost under $1 and you probably already have the ingredients.
- You will never use that whole bottle and unless you make turkey weekly, you’ll be throwing it out because it expired.
- They taste good because they are full of salt.
- You can make your own injection mix less than 3 minutes, save money and not overdo the salt.
- You can smoke, fry or roast or even air fry an injected turkey.
Ingredients for Turkey Injection
Making your own also means you get to customize the flavors and make something special. Add more or less hot sauce, use a broth instead of beer, maybe even take out the honey all together.
- Beer – I like using a light beer, but if you really want to use a dark, go for it. Remember, the whole bird will be infused with these flavors, so choose wisely. Low sodium chicken broth can also be used.
- Worcestershire sauce– adds a savory depth and sophistication.
- Honey– balances the sauce and also helps to stabilize it. You can also use agave nectar.
- Hot sauce– A thin cayenne sauce like Texas Pete or Frank’s works best. Anything too thick or with chile and garlic pieces will clog up the syringe. This diulates quite a bit so don’t worry about your bird being too spicy. Add more for a spicy bird.
- Coarse Kosher Salt- Use Kosher salt and makes sure it is fully dissolved. Iodized can leave a metallic taste and regular sea salt has much finer grain- you can use it, but reduce to 1/2 teaspoon.
Make sure you whisk the ingredients in a bowl. I very stupidly made the mistake of putting them all in a jar and trying to shake it together… well carbonated beer + shaking = mess. Also avoid adding any spices or herbs that will clog in the injection needle- like black pepper or flaky herbs. If adding them, put them in a spice grinder to get them real fine first.
Lemon juice and Creole seasoning are also favorites.
Some also use butter or olive oil, but I find this to be a little silly. Butter (or olive oil) will not absorb into the turkey meat and the hole you created will not seal, so all of that butter is just going to bubble out of the hole. I do not believe in butter based injections. It is not water soluble.
You can, however, rub it down with a compound butter, our turkey seasoning and butter or use the cheesecloth method, which suspends on the skin and that helps to crisp and flavor. Butter works best for roast turkey. It will burn on a fried turkey and smoking takes so long, it will start to melt off.
How to Smoke Turkey Breast: Only FOUR INGREDIENTS (Texas Style Recipe)
FAQ
What do you inject in a turkey?
Should I inject turkey breast?
When to inject turkey before frying?
What is butterball turkey injected with?
What can you inject in a Turkey?
Cajun Turkey Injection using Cajun Seasoning. Italian Herb Injection by adding Italian Seasonings. A Turkey Injection Marinade uses olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, thyme and oregano. Turkey Marinades are wonderful injections. What should you inject in turkey? You can inject turkey with a mixture of butter, spices, and herbs.
How do you inject a turkey breast?
Injecting a turkey is easier than you think. Once the injection is prepared you will assemble your meat injector and pull up a full syringe of fluid. First inject the needle into each side of the breast, pushing the needle in deep and slowly withdrawing the needle as you press the plunger.
How do you make a Turkey injection?
Thanksgiving is around the corner. Mix things up and add an extra burst of flavor to your bird with a turkey injection recipe. Using a meat injector helps ensure your turkey is juicy and flavorful. Place butter and broth into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and repeat in 15 second increments until fully melted.
Can you inject a Turkey with butter?
You can inject turkey with a mixture of butter, spices, and herbs. In the case of my butter injection recipe, use a mixture of salted butter, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder. I recommend stuffing the bird with herbs and citrus.