Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast

By Samin Nosrat

Published Nov. 11, 2020

Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
1 hour, plus 24 to 36 hours’ brining
Rating
4(4,200)
Comments
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The proven alchemy of a salt-and-buttermilk brine does wonders for the often-dry roast turkey breast. The recipe is so easy, the trickiest step will be pulling out your kitchen scale to weigh out the salt. But it's worth doing if you can in order to ensure a properly balanced brine. Emerging from the oven with a beautiful lacquered skin and an incredibly moist and tender texture within, this roast is ideal for a scaled-down Thanksgiving meal, a cozy family dinner or to generate a stack of unbelievably tasty sandwiches.

Featured in: The Buttermilk-Brined Turkey of Your Thanksgiving Dreams

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2cups buttermilk
  • 33grams fine sea salt (2 tablespoons)
  • 1half turkey breast (about 2½ pounds), on or off the bone
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

300 calories; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 629 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    One to two days before you plan to cook, place buttermilk and salt in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and stir to dissolve salt. Place turkey breast in the bag and seal carefully, expelling the air. Squish the bag to distribute buttermilk all around the turkey, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. If you’re so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the turkey gets marinated, but that’s not essential.

  2. Step 2

    Two hours before you plan to start cooking, remove the turkey from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Discard buttermilk, set the breast on a rimmed plate and bring it to room temperature.

  3. Step 3

    Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place breast skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack or parchment paper.

  4. Step 4

    Place baking sheet on the prepared oven rack and roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast without touching bone registers 150 degrees, about 40 minutes for a boneless breast or 50 minutes for a bone-in breast. (You may want to tent the breast with aluminum foil if it’s darkening too quickly.)

  5. Step 5

    Transfer turkey to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,200 user ratings
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Comments

Bonnie

Can you double this recipe using a whole breast?

Madeiro

I had the same question as others regarding doubling the recipe for a 5lb breast. On a whim, I messaged Samin on Instagram — and she responded! Here is what she wrote. “Yes! Double the salt and buttermilk for double the weight of meat! Happy cooking!” Mystery solved. Happy cooking indeed.

Juliet Jones

Could we please try to do this without using a plastic bag? Perhaps in a bowl or rectangular terrine-type container? Maybe we need to increase the amount of brine to ensure the turkey breast is covered. Or just turn frequently.

Snohomish Cook

This recipe is one of the best roasted turkey recipes I’ve ever made. We loved it.

CK

I made for this Christmas for my husband (who loves turkey but had only his sister’s terribly overcooked turkey at Thanksgiving). It was EXCELLENT. I don’t even care for turkey, and this was delicious! I shopped late and found only gigantic bone-in full breasts, but followed the recipe adjusted for weight. Easy and outstanding. Per the gravy questions, I make the giblet gravy recipe from Joy of Cooking every year. No drippings required, just get an inexpensive packet of gizzards when you buy your breasts.

Michele

Without a doubt the best, most moist turkey I have ever made. Guests raved about it. I used a whole bone in breast; it was already packaged with brine/salt added, so I used 4C buttermilk with just 1 T fine sea salt, brined for 36 hours. Cooked at 425 entire time despite misgivings and it was perfect (just keep checking internal temp with instant read thermometer and tent with foil when browned as desired). I will never cook turkey any other way again. So easy and out of this world good.

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