I talk about the joy of dry brines a lot on this blog. For most applications, dry brining is the best way to season meat. But…not for rotisserie turkey breast. If you’re in a hurry, or if you love juicy breast meat, wet brines are the way to go. With a turkey breast, all I have is juicy breast meat, so I go with a wet brine.
Also, turkey breasts fit in reasonably sized containers - it’s not like wet brining a whole turkey, where I can’t find anything big enough to fit that eighteen pound monster I got from the store, not even my largest stockpot, and I’m trying to use a 28 ounce can of tomatoes to hold the lid down and force the turkey to stay…ahem…sorry…got off track there.1
Now, I know setting up the rotisserie is extra work. It’s worth it, and turkey breast makes it easier. No trussing is needed - there are no wings or legs flopping around, and the breast meat is held in place by the bones of the bird. Spit the turkey breast, set up the grill, plug in the rotisserie motor, and you’re ready to go.
Did I mention I wrote another cookbook? Looking for more Rotisserie Turkey information? Check out Rotisserie Turkey Grilling. Thanks!
Rotisserie Turkey Breast with Basic Wet Brine
- Total Time: 10 hours
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Rotisserie Turkey breast, moist and juicy thanks to a wet brine.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water
- ¼ cup table salt or ½ cup kosher salt (3 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 6-to–8-pound bone-in turkey breast
- 2 cups wood chips (Cherry wood or your favorite flavor smoking wood)
Instructions
- Brine the turkey breast: Cut the extra skin away from the neck. Check inside the neck cavity and discard any big pieces of fat. Pour the water into the container. Add the salt and sugar and stir until they dissolve. Submerge the turkey breast in the brine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 to 8 hours.
- Spit the turkey breast: One hour before cooking, remove the turkey breast from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Trim off any loose pieces of skin or meat near the wings. Skewer the breast on the rotisserie spit, securing it with the spit forks. Let it rest at room temperature until it is time to cook.
- Set up the grill for Indirect Medium heat (350°F): Set up the grill for indirect medium heat (325° to 350°F) with the drip pan in the middle of the grill and the heat on the sides. On my Weber Summit, I set the outer burners to high and leave the middle burners off. I also set the smoker burner to high, and the infrared rotisserie burner to medium. For charcoal, split a ¾ full chimney of charcoal, about 75 coals, into two piles on the sides of the grill.
- Cook the turkey breast: Add the wood chips to the grill. Put the spit on the grill, start the rotisserie spinning, and make sure the drip pan is centered under the turkey. Close the lid. If you are using a charcoal grill, add 16 unlit briquettes after an hour to keep the heat going. Cook until the turkey breast reaches 150°F in its thickest part, about 90 minutes.
- Carve and serve: Remove the turkey from the grill and remove the spit from the turkey. Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving. Cut the breast halves from the keel bone and ribcage, then carve the breast into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange the turkey slices on a platter and serve.
Notes
- If you are grilling on a gas grill without a smoker box, wrap the wood chips in an aluminum foil envelope, and set them on the burner cover directly over one of the lit burners.
- If you are using a grill with an infrared rotisserie burner, use it until the turkey breast is browning nicely, then turn it off. I check after a half an hour; if the turkey isn’t browned enough, I check every 15 minutes after that.
- Try to find a “natural” turkey for this. If your turkey is “Enhanced with a X% solution”, that means it was pre-brined at the plant. We don’t want to over salt the turkey, so cut the salt back to 1.5 ounces - 2 tablespoons of table salt or ¼ cup of kosher salt.
Tools
- Grill with a rotisserie attachment (I love my Weber Summit)
- A container large enough to hold the turkey breast—I use an 8-quart food service container
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Rotisserie
- Cuisine: American
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Rotisserie Turkey Breast with Spice Rub
Rotisserie Turkey Breast with Basic Dry Brine
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Rotisserie Turkey, Dry Brined with Orange and Spices
Rotisserie Turkey - The Big Turkey
Rotisserie Turkey Wrapped With Bacon
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My Rotisserie Recipes Index
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Kent Wilson says
Mike
I love to drink bourbon but absolutely do not like to season protein with it...any changes I should make if not using that seasoning?? I love just plain roasted turkey with salt and pepper
Thanks Kent
Mike Vrobel says
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/rotisserie-turkey-breast-dry-brined/
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/rotisserie-turkey-breast-with-basic-wet-brine/
https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/rotisserie-turkey-breast-with-spice-rub/
Bill says
Just received my rotisserie for my 70th birthday, and you have quickly become my go-to guru for all things related. As we say out here on Maryland's Eastern Shore, bless you and all who sail in you!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you, and enjoy that rotisserie!
Chris says
Typo at the end of step 5: "(about 90 minutes hours)."
Mike V says
Thanks - fixed.
Garret Komjathy says
You are my primary resource when it comes to rotisserie. Change your name to the Ruler of The Rotisserie!. Keep up the great work and I also love your book. Awesome Resource!
Mike V says
Thank you, Garret!
DUFF says
I'm with Garret! I've hit so many home runs with your recipes ... you need to change the blog name to reflect some branding.
"Mastery of the Rotisserie"
"Champion of Spin"
"Meat that spins is meat that wins"
LOL, I dunno. Keep doin' what you do!
Mike V says
Thanks, Duff!