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You don’t have to have a bunch of fancy equipment (an injector is a must!) or ingredients to make a really, really great dish for Thanksgiving. My easy grilled turkey breast takes less than two hours to make. It comes out delicious, moist, and tender, with the best crunchy skin ever. And other than a little time basting, it’s about as fuss-free as you can get. And pretty much pretty hard to goof up, too!
This recipe for an easy grilled turkey breast starts with a frozen breast that has already been brined. Most frozen turkey comes this way. The brining process means you don’t have to brine it yourself. It also means things are going to be easy.
You can get by without an injector if you don’t have one, though I highly recommend the investment. If you don’t have one, simply (and carefully) separate the skin from the turkey on the front part of the breast. Just go slow, gently sliding your fingers in between the skin and meat and it will come apart. Then, dip your fingers into the butter mixture (after letting it cool slightly!) and rub it on the meat beneath the skin where you separated the two. That’s it. Get plenty up in there (about half of the mix) and you’ll have great results!
You’ll need (and want) a quality injector when you prepare your turkey breast for grilling. This is not the time to skimp and get a flimsy injector. You want strong needles with the right-sized holes for making sure your injection liquid gets in to every nook and cranny of the turkey breast. I use one similar to the injector below and love it!
Easy Grilled Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast frozen bone-in turkey breast, 5-6 pounds, thawed completely. Do not use a fresh breast
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 whole stick
- 2 tablespoons your favorite BBQ seasoning more or less, to taste. I used Sweet Red from Albukirky Seasonings. See the note below.
Instructions
- Rinse the breast and pat dry. Trim off any excess fat.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the seasoning
- Fill an injector with half of the butter mixture (working in batches if necessary) and inject throughout the turkey. Get the needle deep into the meat of the thighs and breast.
- Blot the turkey breast dry.
- Place the turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and let sit out at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Place the breast over the aluminum pan. Close the lid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting with the remaining butter mixture every 20 minutes.
- After 1 1/2 hours, and once the breast has started to turn golden brown, keep cooking and basting until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Make sure to measure the temperature in several locations, and do not let the thermometer touch the bone when testing.
- Remove turkey and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
