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The second step to creating the best Thanksgiving turkey is injecting. You took the time to brine your turkey, don’t skimp by skipping this step. This is your chance to add even more flavor. This turkey injection recipe can be as mild or spicy as you like.
If you want to kick things up a notch this Thanksgiving, by all means, go crazy with the cayenne pepper. Just don’t go TOO crazy or the turkey won’t be worth eating.
How long before cooking do you inject a turkey?
It is strongly recommended that you inject your turkey several hours in advance. This will of course depend on the size of your turkey.
A whole turkey should be injected and then allowed to set for 12 hours. This allows the injection enough time to penetrate the meat. A turkey breast will need much less time.
Can you brine and inject a turkey?
Yes! In fact, we strongly recommend doing so. The key is to use a brine and injection with similar flavors. This is because the brine does add flavor to the turkey.
If you go with completely different flavors, it’s not going to work. Our brine recipe uses flavors that complement this injection recipe.
What do you inject in a turkey?
You want to add ingredients that add flavor and moisture. Butter is almost always used in an injection recipe. There is then a mixture of spices and herbs.
There are so many great flavors that work with turkey. Sage, onion, chives, thyme, garlic, cayenne, pepper, oregano, and lemon are just a few flavors that pair beautifully with turkey.
What ingredients are used in a turkey injection recipe?
As mentioned above, there are a lot of flavors that work with a turkey injection. For this recipe, we’ll be using:
- Butter
- Chicken broth
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground pepper
- Thyme
- Ground sage
- Cayenne Pepper
- Tabasco
How do you make a turkey injection?
This is so simple. You melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and let cool. That’s it. You can then add the mixture to the injector. This Stainless Steel Injector Kit is what I recommend.
It’s now time to smoke your turkey!
Make sure to check how I smoke my turkey on my Weber Smoker for proper techniques, tips, and and cooking time, etc.
Turkey Injection Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1/4 lemon juice
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1/4 to 1 tsp of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1 to 1-1/2 tsp Tabasco (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and let cool.
