While the Thanksgiving turkey is traditionally the star of the show, there are many solid reasons for preparing and enjoying just the turkey breast. Maybe you are cooking for a smaller crowd or want to enjoy the holiday favorite on a random Tuesday night.  It could be that you are already filling your oven to capacity with your whole bird but need a little more of the delicate white meat to meet the needs of your guests.  Or just maybe history has shown that Aunt Betsy has a habit of piling her to go container with everything but the trussing twine and you want to make sure you have something left for Friday’s super special “better than the first time” leftover recipe (coming soon to this very page!).  The smaller, white meat only breast from your favorite grocer or butcher resolves any number of things, and  this brined turkey breast recipe will have you gobbling all year long.

 Brining a turkey takes some time but it is super easy and definitely the way to go if you desire a bird that is tender, flavorful and succulent on the inside with a savory, crispy skin on the outside.   The process involves an extended soak in a flavorful salt-sugar water bath before roasting. In the same way that an extra large tub of salty movie theater popcorn makes us feel plump and juicy, the salt in the brine actually helps the turkey retain water, and in the bird’s case, it’s a very good thing! The salt also acts as a mild tenderizer, gently breaking down muscle fibers in the turkey and yielding an especially tender texture.   And the ingredients you add to your brine, the herbs, spices and aromatics, infuse the meat with flavor evenly and thoroughly, not just on the surface, thus ensuring every bite is as delicious as the next.

For the turkey you will need:

• 6-8 lb bone in skin on natural turkey breast
• 4 carrots
• 4 celery sticks
• 3 small onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 c unsalted chicken broth
• soft butter
• fresh ground pepper

For the gravy you will need:

• liquid and  drippings from roasting pan
• Chicken broth to equal 1 ½ cups liquid when combined with drippings
• 3 T flour
• 1 T butter

For the brine you will need:

• 1 cup Kosher salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• peel of 1 orange
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 table black peppercorns
• sprig of rosemary
• ½ cup dried apple chips
• 3 quarts of water
• the equivalent of 3 quarts of water in ice, about 6 pounds

Get Brining:

In a large pot, combine salt, brown sugar, orange peel, garlic, allspice berries, peppercorns, dried apples and 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Once the salt and sugar is completely dissolved, transfer the brine to a 12 quart container (like this one) and allow to cool.  

For a speedier cool-down, take a page from your mom’s after school snack playbook and use the quickset Jello method -  Add the equivalent of 3 quarts of water, or 6 pounds, of ice to the brine.  You want the brine completely cooled before adding the turkey because you want to infuse it, not cook it. 

Now that your brine is cool, add your turkey, making sure it is completely submerged.  If necessary, weigh it down with a clean dry plate before adding the lid and placing it in the refrigerator. 

Let the turkey bathe in its salty bath for 12-18 hours.  Don’t overbrine - the muscular structure of the breast will break down too much making mushy meat.

Remove the breast from the brine and pat it dry.  Then (and this step is important!)  move it to a roasting rack set in a baking pan and allow to air dry uncovered in the fridge for at least 8 hours.  This will let the skin dehydrate just enough to crisp up when it meets the heat of the oven.

Get roasting:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Roughly chop 3-4 carrots, celery stalks and onions into large pieces to make a bed of vegetables and put them in the bottom of a roasting pan.  Throw in a couple of crushed unpeeled garlic cloves and pour in 1 cup of unsalted chicken stock.

Leaving the skin attached in the center of the breast bone, gently release the skin to form two pockets and rub softened butter under the released skin and the outside of the skin.  Season with fresh pepper.

Nestle the bird on top of the bed of vegetables and place in the oven.  Cook for 30 minutes at 425F then lower oven temperature to 325F and cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, or about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. Don't depend on the “pop up” button on the bird to tell you when it is finished. I use an oven thermometer with a probe to monitor the internal temperature without opening the oven, ensuring it's cooked perfectly and safely while maintaining a steady cooking temperature.  Allow to rest 20 minutes before carving.

Get to the gravy:

While your turkey breast is resting, make this deliciously smooth and  creamy gravy to dress it up.  Strain the cooking liquid and drippings through a sieve into a glass measuring cup and reserve the vegetables for another use (tomorrow's soup).  Spoon the fat that layers on the  top into the roasting pan and set on a burner on the stove,  Add 1 T butter and heat over medium heat.  Whisk in 3T flour to make a thick roux.  When it begins to get a golden color, whisk in reserved juices (add chicken broth to equal 1 1/2 cups if you don't have enough)  until smooth, and simmer gently until thickened.

Get to the table:

This is the point where you summon the person in your house who is an expert at carving turkeys.  In our house it is my husband.  When I was doing this post I carved it myself so I could take the pictures.  But it is a skill I don't need to learn.  Slice and serve with gravy!