The Best Turkey Marinade Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long can you marinate a turkey for? ›

Use ¼ to ½ cup of marinade for every 1 to 2 pounds of meat. Marinate meat for 2 to 8 hours. The longer you marinate the stronger the flavor. Discard any leftover marinade that has touched raw meat.

Try marinading your turkey in a mixture of broth, spices, and lemon juice, like in our Marinaded Thanksgiving Turkey for a roast that's flavorful through and through. Similar to brining, your turkey should sit in the marinade for a few hours to soak up all the delicious flavors.

Marinating typically only reaches into the first quarter inch of the meat. During brining, the turkey absorbs extra moisture, which helps it stay juicy. The salt breaks down some of the turkey's proteins, making it more tender and adds flavor.

First, place the turkey in a ziplock bag with buttermilk, 2 teaspoons of salt and garlic powder. Place in a bowl (to prevent spillage) overnight. The buttremilk tenderizes the turkey overnight so it is the juiciest turkey ever. Next, take out the turkey from the ziplock bag and pat the turkey dry with an kitchen towel.

Brining your turkey in saltwater adds extra moisture to the lean bird, helping it stay juicy as it roasts (even if you accidentally overcook it).

Once the turkey is thawed, you can keep it in the refrigerator for one to two additional days before cooking.

Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage along with a half lemon go a long way to add flavor, and stuffing it into the bird takes almost no time at all. (While you're at it, season the cavity with a good amount of salt and pepper.) Brining is an essential step to ensure a juicy bird.

Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they'll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavor.

You should always rinse the turkey after wet or dry brining. Once rinsed, you can let the turkey air dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or pat it dry with a paper towel.

If your turkey isn't fully submerged, add more brine solution (1/4 cup salt to 1 quart water) until the turkey is covered. Let sit in the fridge for 12-18 hours. Pat the inside and outside dry with a paper towel, and let dry, uncovered, for 1-2 hours before roasting.

What happens if you over brine a turkey? ›

It's best to brine turkey for 12 to 24 hours. Brining it for longer than 24 hours can result in mushy meat and an overly salty flavor. If you do accidentally over-brine it, you can soak the turkey in cold water to remove some of the excess salt, but it likely won't have the best flavor or texture.

The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons. Keep in mind, also, that different kosher salt brands vary in how salty they actually are.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Because turkey breast is especially lean, I like to rub softened fat beneath the skin just before roasting. It melts and gives the meat extra flavor, richness, and moisture. Duck fat is wonderful for this, and it fortifies the poultry flavors, but unsalted butter works well, too.

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

For the juiciest and moistest turkey, wet brining is your best option. Wet brining involves soaking your turkey in a bath of saltwater and refrigerating it for 24 to 48 hours.

It's easy: Simply cook it a day or two in advance, let it cool completely, then carve the bird into large pieces—breasts, wings, thighs and drumsticks. Store in a container in the refrigerator until the big day. This method actually result in juicier meat—and an infinitely more relaxed host.

Yes! It doesn't so much matter when you season your bird—whether it's just before popping it in the oven or several days in advance for a dry-brine technique—as long as you season it before it gets cooked.