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Making a brined turkey breast is considerably less time-consuming than making a whole turkey, which is why it’s the perfect solution when entertaining a small group. Just five hours in our apple cider brine adds great taste and juicy texture to the turkey, and adding a touch of cider to the pan gravy boosts the flavor even more.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
We have a small family, so we always find ourselves scaling back the size of traditional holiday foods to prevent waste. One way we do this is to make a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. However, turkey breast can be bland and dry, so we developed this tasty apple cider brine. Brining is easy to do and always gives us great results, so we find it well worth the little bit of extra prep work.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- TURKEY BREAST: You can use either a fresh or frozen turkey breast for this recipe. If you get a frozen breast, you should defrost it completely before brining, so you’ll need to plan ahead. Allow at least 36 hours for defrosting in the refrigerator, then you’ll need another 4 to 5 hours for brining.
- FRESH HERBS: We recommend using fresh rosemary and thyme in the herb butter you’ll use to coat the turkey breast.
- BUTTER: Because of the salt already in the brine, we recommend using unsalted butter to coat the turkey.
- CHICKEN BROTH AND APPLE CIDER: We use a combination of low-sodium chicken broth and apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan to prevent the drippings from burning and provide the base for pan gravy.
Brine Ingredients
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make the apple cider brine:
- APPLE CIDER
- KOSHER SALT
- GRANULATED SUGAR
- WHOLE CLOVES
- WHOLE ALLSPICE
- BLACK PEPPERCORNS
- CINNAMON STICKS
- FRESH ROSEMARY
ABOUT THE SALT: When making a brine, you always want to use kosher salt. However, the saltiness does vary somewhat from brand to brand. Our brine recipe has been tested with both Morton Kosher Salt and Alessi Kosher Sea Salt. Both have comparably sized crystals and the same amount of sodium by weight. Results may vary if you use another brand.
How to Make Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
PREPARE THE APPLE CIDER BRINE: Place 1 quart of the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt and sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the cloves, allspice, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Note: You can prepare this a day ahead and refrigerate. Combine the cooled sugar and salt mixture with the remaining water and apple cider in a very large stockpot or food-safe plastic container.
BRINE THE TURKEY BREAST: Place your turkey breast in the brine and if necessary, weigh it down with a heavy plate to keep it submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours (no more than 6).
GET THE TURKEY BREAST READY FOR ROASTING: Thoroughly coat a roasting pan and rack insert with nonstick spray. Remove the turkey breast from the brine and rinse it briefly under cool running water. Dry it thoroughly with paper towels and place it skin side up on the roasting rack. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (400°F for convection).
COAT THE TURKEY BREAST IN HERB BUTTER: Combine the salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl, then mix in the softened butter until thoroughly blended. Using your hands, rub the softened butter over the skin of the turkey breast, coating it as completely as possible. Pour the chicken broth and apple cider into the bottom of the roasting pan. (This will prevent the drippings from burning and provide the basis for gravy if you choose to make it.)
ROAST THE TURKEY BREAST: Put the turkey breast in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and roast for 15 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to 325°F, rotate the pan again, and baste the turkey with pan juices. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F, about 1 hour longer. Remove the breast from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 to 25 minutes before carving.
MAKE THE PAN GRAVY: While the turkey rests, skim and discard the excess fat from the pan juices, and strain into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk some cornstarch together with water. Add to the simmering broth and continue whisking until thickened. If needed, season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl or gravy boat for serving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brining A Turkey Breast
This cider-brined turkey recipe was created for a natural turkey breast (no salt added). Check the ingredients list on your turkey as it will say if it’s already been treated with salt or injected with a brine solution. If it has, you can still coat it with herb butter and follow the roasting instructions.
When making roast turkey, it’s always best to plan ahead. A frozen turkey breast takes 36 to 48 hours to defrost in the refrigerator. Theoretically, you could defrost in a brine, but it is not recommended and this recipe calls for a fully defrosted or fresh turkey breast.
An average-sized turkey breast should brine for at least 4 but no more than 6 hours. Brining for too long can cause excess saltiness and potentially change the texture of the meat. Follow the time recommended in your recipe, and if you’re not ready to roast your bird right away, rinse it off, pat it dry, and put it back in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
It’s always best to rinse your turkey breast under cool running water after brining, then thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels before putting it in the roasting pan (or refrigerator).
Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast Dinner Menu
Here are our suggestions for a complete, stress-free dinner menu with an appetizer, sides, and dessert.
- EASY CRANBERRY CHEESE BALL (Make-Ahead): This tasty cheese ball is a simple combination of cream cheese, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and orange zest, rolled in toasted pecans. It can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.
- RUSTIC MASHED POTATOES: These easy-to-make buttery potatoes are flavored with sautéed shallots, cream, and fresh herbs. They can be made a few hours in advance and kept warm in a slow cooker on a low setting.
- SOUTHERN STYLE GREEN BEANS: Fresh green beans, slow-cooked with sautéed onions and smoky bacon, are super flavorful, easy to make, and can be cooked on the stove while the turkey roasts.
- HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGE: Our fresh homemade cranberry sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and only tastes better as the flavors develop.
- APPLE BROWN BETTY: This old-fashioned apple dessert is easier to make than a pie and every bit as tasty. It can be made up to 2 days in advance and warmed in the oven before serving. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s the perfect finish to a turkey dinner.
Apple Cider Brined Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 6 to 7 lb turkey breast, fresh or frozen and defrosted (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (2.3 ounces / 65 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
For the brine:
- 5 quarts water, divided
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 10 whole cloves
- 10 whole allspice berries
- 16 whole black peppercorns
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cups apple cider
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
Prepare the apple cider brine:
- Place 1 quart of the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt and sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add the cloves, allspice, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Note: You can prepare this a day ahead and refrigerate.
- Combine the cooled sugar and salt mixture with the remaining 4 quarts of water and apple cider in a very large stockpot or food-safe plastic container.
Brine the turkey breast:
- Place your turkey breast in the brine and if necessary, weigh it down with a heavy plate to keep it submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.
Get the turkey breast ready for roasting:
- Thoroughly coat a roasting pan and rack insert with nonstick spray.
- Remove the turkey breast from the brine and rinse it briefly under cool running water. Pat it dry with paper towels and place it skin side up on the roasting rack.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F (400°F for convection).
Coat the turkey breast in herb butter:
- Combine the salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl, then mix in the softened butter until thoroughly blended.
- Using your hands, rub the softened butter over the skin of the turkey breast, coating it as completely as possible.
- Pour the chicken broth and apple cider into the bottom of the roasting pan. (This will prevent the drippings from burning and provide the basis for gravy if you choose to make it.)
Roast the turkey breast:
- Put the turkey breast in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and roast for 15 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to 325°F, rotate the pan again, and baste the turkey with pan juices.
- Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160°F, about 1 hour longer. For best results, rotate the pan and baste the turkey breast about midway through the cooking time, and check the internal temperature after 45 minutes.
- Remove the breast from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 to 25 minutes before carving.
Make the pan gravy:
- While the turkey rests, skim and discard the excess fat from the pan juices, and strain 2-1/2 cups into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. If you don't have enough liquid, add some water or low-sodium chicken broth.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch together with 1/3 cup water. Add to the simmering broth and continue whisking until thickened. If needed, season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl or gravy boat for serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve always been afraid to brine my turkeys because I thought they would be too salty, but this year I was just making a breast and decided to finally try it. I’m really glad I did. It was so moist, not salty at all and had just a little bit of a sweet flavor. Thanks so much for sharing all the good info. I will definitely do this again!
Hi Eleanor,
I’m glad you had success with the brine. Thanks for letting us know.
Hi, can the turkey breast be brined overnight?
Hi Kim,
Brining poultry for too long can break down proteins, causing the texture of the meat to be a little soft. The 4 to 5 hours we recommend for a turkey breast is enough to infuse subtle flavor and ensure moist, tender meat. Depending on the size of your turkey breast, an 8-hour brine could be okay, but I wouldn’t be inclined to try 10 to 12 hours. I wish I could give you a more definitive answer, but I hope the information helps.
this sounds like a great recipe for Turkey!!
My kids would love this meal!
This looks delicious! I am going to make this for a small group of my friends for a second Thanksgiving 🙂