Sweet Tea Brined Turkey Breast

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Sweet Tea Brined Turkey Breast uses a sweet tea brine for juicy, tender meat with a hint of sweetness that will redefine your expectations.

Sweet Tea Brine

I love a good dry-brined turkey breast like my Juicy Sliced Turkey Breast and I feel like I perfected turkey with that recipe.

However, when traveling to Nashville, I ate at a restaurant that had Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Thighs that piqued my cook's imagination. And though I found the thighs to be ok, I loved the idea of the sweet tea brine.

So back home, I decided on perfecting a wet brine for a turkey breast to share with you. Turkey is so often saved for the holiday season, but I love cooking one in the roaster oven, even in the summertime.

The roaster oven is a fantastic kitchen tool. It's a relatively inexpensive kitchen tool, provides another oven space, and doesn't heat up the kitchen.

Regardless of when you decide to give this one a try, you will find the meat to be tender and juicy with a little hint of sweetness. Even the leftovers are moist.

eating sweet tea-brined turkey with a fork on a gray plate.

Ingredients for Sweet Tea Brined Turkey in a Roaster Oven

Turkey breast -- bone-in, 6-9 pounds. You can use a whole turkey if you like, but double or triple the brine recipe to cover the turkey.
Family-size tea bags -- the ones that make a quart each
Granulated sugar
Kosher Salt -- using other salts require adjusting the amounts. Just keep it easy and buy Kosher salt
Butter -- soften on the countertop to make it easy to spread
Seasonings -- I use garlic powder, Tony Chachere's, black pepper

See recipe card for quantities.

ingredients needed to make sweet tea brined turkey breast.

How to Make Sweet Tea Brined Turkey in a Roaster Oven

Bring water to a boil. Add the tea bags and allow the tea to seep for a strong tea.
To the warm tea add sugar and Kosher salt, stir to dissolve.
Add cold water to cool completely.
In a large bowl or bucket that will fit in the fridge, place the turkey breast and cover with brine mixture.
Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
Remove the turkey breast from the brine and pat down the turkey breast. Discard the brine.
Place the turkey inside the electric roaster pan and coat the outside of the turkey with ½ of a stick of butter. Season as desired with garlic powder, black pepper & Tony Chachere's.
Melt the remaining ½ stick of butter in the microwave. Soak a piece of cheesecloth that will cover your turkey breast. Then drape it across the turkey breast.
Insert the thermometer into the breast sideways and set the thermometer to go off at 158 degrees F.
Cook at 325 degrees F in the roaster oven or regular oven until the internal temperature reaches 158 degrees F. Carefully remove the cheesecloth. Repositioning the thermometer stem as needed and reset it for 165 degrees F.
Continue roasting at 325 degrees F until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Remove from the roaster oven and rest the turkey breast for 20 to 30 minutes. Slice as desired and serve.

adding salt to the sweet tea to make a brine for the turkey breast.

covering the turkey breast that has been brined in the sweet tea mixture with butter.

Hint: Be careful when adding additional salt to the turkey breast while seasoning. Remember that the meat is well-salted already. I don't add any to the outside when cooking.

Substitutions & Variations

Whole Turkey -- Brine a whole turkey by doubling the brining ingredients. Please adjust cooking times accordingly.
Sweet Tea Brined Chicken -- Brine a whole chicken or your favorite chicken pieces using this technique. Of course, you will need to adjust cooking times.
Baked Sweet Tea Brined Turkey Breast -- Bake this beautiful turkey uncovered in the oven if you don't have a roaster oven.

Storage

Store cooked turkey for up to 3 to 5 days in an air tight container. Place in a heavy freezer bag for longer storage, up to 3 months.

Top tip

You must have a good meat thermometer to make a good turkey. Guessing on doneness is asking for disappointment. I like the ones you can leave in the meat and have an alarm on them for when the meat reaches internal temperature.

FAQ

What makes brined turkey taste better?

The salt in the brine dissolves a bit of the protein in the muscle fibers and allows the meat to absorb the brine and retain moisture during cooking. This makes the poultry juicier, and more tender and improves the flavor.

Do I rinse the turkey breast after brining?

For this recipe, the answer is no. Just pull it out of the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.

Can I cook turkey breast in advance?

Yes, if not serving the turkey breast right away, leave it on the bone, wrap it well in foil, and refrigerate. Slice when it's still cold, cover it with gravy, and reheat in a 325-degree oven and serve.

Can this turkey breast be baked in the oven?

Absolutely. Follow the same directions for baking in the oven.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

So many delicious recipes to try:

HAVE A QUESTION? ❤️

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sweet tea brined turkey served for thanksgiving.

Food safety

Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.