Turkey Marinade Recipes

JUICY TWO-STAGE THANKSGIVING TURKEY MARINADE

Steps:

• On the Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving, whisk together salt, orange juice, brown sugar, a cinnamon stick and water in a large nonreactive container with a cover, such as a large stainless steel stockpot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve, about 5 minutes. Place the turkey into the brine, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, remove turkey from the first marinade, shake off excess, and pat the bird dry. Discard the brine. Clean the stockpot or brining container.
• In the clean stockpot, make the marinade by stirring together together sliced oranges, sliced lemons, onion, green bell pepper, parsley, cloves, garlic powder, cinnamon sticks, paprika, olive oil, and pepper. Place the turkey into the stockpot and rub the marinade into the turkey. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• On Thanksgiving Day, remove turkey from the marinade and shake off the excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Roast the turkey using your favorite method.

MARINATED THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Steps:

• Combine the first 7 ingredients; set aside and refrigerate 1 cup for basting. Place 1 oven roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey inside inner bag; pour in remaining marinade. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight, turning several times., Remove turkey; drain and discard marinade. , Prepare grill for indirect medium heat. Tuck wings under turkey and arrange breast side down on grill rack. Grill, covered, for 1 hour. , If using a charcoal grill, add 10 briquettes to coals; turn the turkey. Baste with reserved marinade. Cook, covered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, adding 10 briquettes to maintain heat and brushing with marinade every 30 minutes until thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170°. Remove turkey from grill; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. , Conventional roasting method: Follow steps for marinating turkey overnight. Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey on a rack in a large roaster. Bake, uncovered, 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in a thigh reads 170°. Baste frequently with reserved marinade. When turkey begins to brown, cover lightly with a tent of aluminum foil. Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy; serve with turkey.

CHICKEN AND TURKEY MARINADE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and mustard. Stir in chives, sage, oregano, parsley, thyme, garlic, paprika, and herb seasoning. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend before marinating your favorite meat.
• Place turkey or chicken in a 30 gallon plastic kitchen bag. Pour marinade over the bird. Grasp the bag a few inches above the poultry, and press air from the bag. Seal with a twist tie. Rotate bag to coat turkey with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator 24 hours, repositioning the bag every 4 hours, or so. Remove poultry from bag before roasting, and transfer marinade to a saucepan. Boil marinade for a few minutes, then use to baste the turkey every 30 minutes, or so, while roasting. Discard any remaining marinade when turkey is done.

MARINATED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place turkey in a large heavy-duty plastic bag; add half of marinade. Close the bag; refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Drain and discard marinade from turkey; arrange turkey in a single layer in large shallow roasting pan. Pour reserved marinade over turkey. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender, basting occasionally if desired. Remove turkey to serving platter and keep warm. , If desired, make gravy: Strain pan juices into a large measuring cup. Skim fat and reserve 1/4 cup in a medium saucepan; discard remaining fat. Blend flour into saucepan. Add water to pan juices to make 2 cups. Add to saucepan; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with turkey.

MARINATED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients of the marinade in a large plastic bag. Place turkey breast in a large plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Remove turkey, and transfer marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Grill turkey breast, basting with reserved marinade, until the temperature registers 175 to 180 degrees, about 35 to 45 minutes for a 5-pound bird.
• Transfer turkey to a cutting board and slice crosswise. Arrange slices onto a platter, spoon boiled marinade over the turkey slices.

AWESOME MARINATED ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Trim off any excess fat/skin. Wash bird well, remove all innards/giblets, turkey neck; save if you are going to use them to make gravy, otherwise discard, pat bird dry, inside and out.
• Blend all marinade wet and dry ingredients, heat to warm and blend either in microwave or on stove but do not let it scorch.
• Put 1 TBS of flower in a turkey roasting oven bag, shake to coat insides. Put a cake cooling rack (coat w/ cooking spray to keep from sticking) inside of bag to help raise bird off bottom, set inside of turkey roasting pan.
• Pour/rub marinade ingredients all over, making sure to get between skin, inside cavity of bird.
• Fold back wings, let legs lay free, put bird breast up in bag.
• Tie off bag and trim any excess beyond tie;.
• Puff up bag to keep it off skin as much as possible.
• Let bird marinate overnight in bag, in the pan ready to go in oven.
• Remove middle rack and put rack/roasting pan in lowest oven position. Preheat oven to 325, cook approximately 11 minutes per LB until core is up to 160 degrees, Before putting pan on oven, put 6 @ 1/2" long knife slits in bag around perimeter of breast to allow for venting.
• At half way point turn pan around 180 degrees in oven to allow even cooking in case oven has hot spots. Oven bag will suggest 350, I have found this cooks the bird too hot, too fast with less forgiveness.
• Pull out of oven, use scissors to cut slit in bag across top to allow it to sit for 30 minutes, tent a piece of aluminum foil over bird to help trap heat and moisture back inches.
• I usually go top down, starting with removing each breast half, and the cross cut against grain into portion slices, then cut drumsticks and present them whole, then remove thighs and wings and proceed to scrape and cut into portions.
• I will drizzle just a little of the pan drippings over cut portions in pan, helps to give the white meat a little more flavor and moisture.

EASY MARINATED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• In a gallon-sized resealable bag, mix together vegetable oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, basil, and black pepper.
• Add turkey breast to bag and let marinate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
• Remove turkey breast from bag and discard marinade.
• Preheat grill to high heat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate.
• Place turkey breasts on the grill. Close the lid, and grill turkey breasts about 15 minutes on each side, or to an internal temperature of 170 degrees F (68 degrees C).

TURKEY BRINE AND INJECTION MARINADE

Steps:

• You will also need 1 Ice chest just large enough to hold the bird, brine, and ice (not too big, bird must be submerged) and 1 Brine injector (preferred), or a large (50+cc) hydodermic with large diameter needle.
• Stir salt and sugar into boiling water until completely dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients, except olive oil, and allow to set for at least 30 minutes for flavors to develop.
• Taste; brine will be very salty; that’s why it is called ‘brine’.
• Adjust any or all ingredients to your taste, keeping in mind that tastes should be quite assertive.
• Thoroughly blend everything in a food processor or blender.
• Whisk or blend in olive oil, and strain about half into a cup or bowl for injecting, returning all strained solids to the half to be used for brining.
• Thaw your turkey completely, if frozen.
• Better yet, get a fresh turkey that hasn’t been injected with all of the artificial quote ‘butter’ unquote stuff, so the only thing in the bird is what YOU put inside the bird!
• Remove and reserve the neck and innards for gravy making, or discard them if you are not a gravy freak.
• Wash the bird thoroughly inside and out, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Use a 2 ounce (about) brining injector or a BIG (50+ cc) ‘hypodeemic nerdle’ to inject the bird with the strained brine.
• Inject in at least 3-4 sites on each side of the breast, 2-3 in each thigh, and 2-3 into the meaty part of each drumsticks, pushing the needle in deep and injecting about 1/3 of the brine deep, pulling the needle back about a third, injecting another third of the brine, and repeating after pulling the needle back another third of its length.
• Pour any remaining injection-brine with the half to be used for brining.
• Place 1 bag of ice in the bottom of the ice chest, place the turkey on top, and pour all of the brine over the turkey.
• Dump the remaining bag of ice over the turkey, and add enough very cold water to just cover the bird.
• Slosh things around enough to combine the brine with the additional water, ice, and the turkey, and make sure the brine gets into the turkey cavity.
• Close the ice chest, and set in a cool place to marinate.
• After about 7-8 hours, turn the turkey over, top to bottom, and do it again after another 7-8 hours.
• Add more ice only if everything melts; don’t bother otherwise.
• After a total of at least 24 hours, you are ready to cook your bird any way you desire, stuffed or not stuffed, roasted, fried, nuked, whatever.
• Just be sure to drain the turkey well and pat it dry before cooking by your desired method.
• Throw away all of the brine, remaining ice, etc.
• ,and thoroughly wash your ice chest before using it for more legitimate purposes, such as storing beer and wine to go with your ‘wonnerful’ turkey dinner.
• Notes: This marinade/brine can also be used for chicken or pork-- just half the recipe, and follow the general instructions using smaller amounts-- or make a full recipe of the brine/marinade and save half in the fridge for next time.
• If you are lucky enough to actually have a fridge large enough and empty enough to hold a turkey for a day or so, forget the ice chest and most of the ice, and brine your bird in a plastic bag large enough to hold the bird and brine, squeezing out all of the air, and just turn it over every 7-8 hours so things marinate evenly.

MARINATED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Prepare the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or a plastic Ziplock bag. Add the turkey breast and make sure that every part is covered with the marinade. If using a Ziplock bag, expel as much air as possible before sealing it. Marinate in a fridge for 12-24 hours. If marinating is not an option, roast the breast immediately and serve with those delicious pan juices - it will still be awesome.
• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Place the turkey breast into a deep baking dish and pour in the marinade. It's best to use a baking dish that is not too big otherwise too much liquid will evaporate. Bake uncovered on middle rack for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size, until the internal temperature of the meat in the thickest part reaches 160F - the temperature will rise to 165F during resting (see Notes). Baste the top and the sides of the breast with pan juices about every 20 minutes - this will prevent the top from drying out and will help with browning.
• If toward the end of baking the skin did not brown enough, turn on the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes. Do this before the internal temperature reaches 160F. I normally do it at about 150F internal. Monitor broiling process very closely as the skin can go from a nice deep-golden brown to charred pretty quickly.
• Remove the turkey breast from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before carving and serving. I find that it's best to transfer the breast to a serving platter immediately upon removing from the oven. If left to rest in the hot baking dish, the internal temperature will rise too much and meat will lose more moisture.
• Carve the meat, place on a serving platter and garnish with fresh rosemary twigs. Serve with the pan juices (don't forget to discard the cooked rosemary twigs), they are out-of-this-world delicious.

TURKEY MARINADE

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined.
• Pour the marinade over a whole thawed turkey. Rub the marinade to coat all over the outside, then loosen the skin and rub some of the marinade under the skin.
• Let the turkey sit in the marinade for 12-24 hours.
• Scrape any large pieces of herbs and garlic off the marinated turkey so that they won't burn when cooked.
• Roast, smoke or grill the turkey as desired, then serve and enjoy.