This holiday season you should definitely give a Turkey Injection Recipe a try! It is the best way to add a lot of flavor to a perfectly juicy bird (perfect for Thanksgiving). Whether you are making a whole turkey or a turkey breast, this is the best turkey injection recipe! Just follow this step-by-step guide to a flavorful turkey!
The Best Turkey Injection Recipe
Every year we are on deck for making a classic Thanksgiving turkey that is not only full of flavor but perfectly tender and moist. We have recently discovered that using a meat injector is the easiest way to add moisture and fresh herb flavors right into the turkey meat. No matter if you are making a traditional butter and sage roasted turkey, smoked turkey, or deep-fried turkey, the whole crowd is going to love it!
Make sure you keep your turkey moist while it is cooking by using a flavorful turkey baste!
What You Will Need
- chicken broth – you can purchase some from the grocery store or learn how to make chicken broth or turkey broth.
- worcestershire sauce – perfect for adding lots of savory flavor!
- lemon juice – a splash of acidity is great for brightening things up and amplifying the flavor.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must!
- fresh garlic – everything is better with a little garlic.
- fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, & fresh sage – fresh herbs that are the perfect compliment to turkey.
- bay leaf – brings more depth to the flavors.
- meat injector – a simple tool used for injecting moisture and flavor directly into the meat – this is the meat injector that we used!
Turkey Injection vs. Brine
Both options are great ways to add moisture and flavor to your bird. Wet brining a turkey involves soaking a whole turkey (or turkey breast) in a liquid that is made up of water, kosher salt, herbs and/or fruit. While a turkey injection is directly injecting broth, herbs, and butter directly into the turkey breasts and turkey thighs multiple times.
One nice thing about injecting a turkey is that you have the option to do this right before cooking the turkey or injecting it the night before cooking. A brine typically works the best when the turkey has a chance to sit in the brine for at least 12-48 hours. So, if you have less time, using a meat injector is definitely the way to go! Or you can do both a brine and use a turkey injection!
How To Make A Thanksgiving Turkey Injection Recipe
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to gather the simple ingredients.
Place all of the ingredients for the injection mix in a small saucepan.
Place the saucepan on medium high heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir to fully combine.
Remove it from the heat to cool slightly and then pour it through a mesh strainer to remove the large chunks of food because they will clog your meat injector.
And get your meat injector assembled and ready to go. Use a measuring cup to fill your injector with the melted butter mixture.
Make 3 injections with the injection needle on the side of the breast, but for every injection hole angle the injector three different angles so you are getting 3 injections shots in the breast for every 1 hole (you don’t want too many holes or you will lose moisture).
If any liquid does come out of the hole when you remove the injector you can simply rub it into the turkey skin on the outside of the turkey.
Repeat in the turkey thigh, making 2 injections holes with the injector needle (3 different directions within in each hole).
After you have completed all of your injections you can either cook it immediately or, for best results, cover the injected turkey and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Flavor Variations
We love this classic savory turkey injection just as it is but feel free to get creative with the flavor options. We also recommend trying balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, onion powder, or cayenne pepper for a little fire!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Turkey Injection Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup injection liquid 1x
- Category: Turkey
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our delicious Turkey Injection recipe adds a ton of flavor and moisture to your Thanksgiving Day turkey before you cook it any way you want!
Ingredients
Injection Recipe:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced (or 1 smashed garlic clove)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1–2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1–2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1–2 fresh sage leaves
- 1 bay leaf
Other:
- whole turkey, turkey breast or turkey tenderloin
- meat injector
Instructions
- Butter Mixture: Combine turkey injection ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to medium-high heat and allow butter to melt. Stir to combine and let gently simmer 5-10 minutes.
- Prep Turkey: Meanwhile prepare the raw turkey: ensure it is fully thawed, let it sit out for 1 hour to come to room temperature, pat it dry with clean paper towels and place in a roasting pan.
- Meat Injector: Remove melted butter mixture from heat and strain (if there are large bits in the liquid it will clog the injector). Ensure you have a cap on the end of the meat injector so when you pour the liquid in, it doesn’t run straight out. Fill the injector and place the plunger on top.
- Inject Turkey: For best results, make 3 injections across the breast. Do this by inserting the meat injector firmly in the turkey breast. At each injection site you will adjust the injector at three different angles so you are getting 3 injections shots in the breast for every 1 hole (you don’t want too many holes or you will lose moisture). At each angle, give the injector a little push to insert some of the butter mixture. Repeat in the turkey thigh, making 2 injections holes (insert injector in 3 different directions within in each hole). If any liquid comes running out of an injections site simply rub into the turkey skin on the exterior of the turkey.
- Leftover Liquid: If you have leftover injection liquid simply pour it into the bottom of the roasting pan for basting.
- Night Before: For best results (& if you have the time), inject liquid the night before cooking and leave in the refrigerator (covered) overnight.
- Cook Turkey: Feel free to cook the injected turkey any way you want, highly recommend following our easy tutorial on how to cook a turkey!
Notes
- Garlic: feel free to use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
- Brining: you can still do this if you are also brining a turkey – just opt for a low-sodium broth and omit the extra salt.
- Recommended Injector: we used this meat injector and it worked great.
- Other Cuts of Turkey: this also works if you are making a roasted turkey breast, smoked turkey breast, or even a turkey tenderloin!
Mary says
We are having our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. I plan to do this injection…..1st time doing one. Can you do injections during the cooking process….such as when basting, do a quick injection????
Erin says
Hi Mary – nope, no need to inject again during the cooking process. Inject before cooking and then you can baste during the cooking process if you want. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Mike says
Thanks for the easy and fun take on turkey! Love mixing up the Thanksgiving options for my family
Erin says
So glad you liked this one!
Bridget says
Love this! Makes our Turkey so juicy, every time!
EH says
This was AMAZING! Juiciest turkey ever!!!