Turkey Injection Recipe

Name: Turkey Injection Recipe
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup chicken stock; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 turkey

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
3 mins
Injecting Time
20 mins
Total Time
28 mins
Servings
1 cup
Calories
926 kcal
Course
Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine
American

Turkey Injection Recipe

Robert Berry

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Here’s a simple turkey injector recipe made with butter and chicken broth. Use this easy recipe to add flavor and moisture to your turkey from the inside out. It can be used for the whole turkey or the turkey breast (or other parts.)

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Ingredients

Servings

8 tablespoons unsalted butter One 4 oz. stick
1 cup chicken stock at room temperature (or turkey stock)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 turkey 14-16 pounds - fully thawed if frozen, cleaned and dried with paper towel

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Instructions

Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until just melted. Do not let it turn brown.
Off the heat, add the chicken stock, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and Kosher salt. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Let it cool for a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be cold, but rather just close to room temperature.
Place the injector tip into the butter mixture and pull the plunger back to fill the syringe. If the mixture separates, you can “agitate” the butter solution by plunging back and forth a couple of times to emulsify and incorporate all the ingredients.
Prior to injecting the bird, make sure that any air pockets in the syringe are removed. To do so, point the syringe upwards and gently push the plunger until all the air is extracte.
Using the injector, insert the tip at a 45-degree angle, distributing ¼ ounce per site at least 1 inch deep. You can start to pull the tip out as you slowly inject but do not force it. Stop the injection just before you reach the skin.
Continue this process throughout several areas of the turkey, including the wings, breast, thighs, and legs, for a total of 20 to 24 times. Don’t be tempted to massage or distribute the liquid because once it is injected, the solution will self-absorb as it rests in the fridge. If you see the solution escaping from a different pierced area, you should apply slight pressure using your finger so that the solution does not ooze out while you are injecting it into an adjacent area.
Cover it with stretch film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight or up to 36 hours.

Equipments used:

Notes

: As you inject the bird, we recommend moving quickly as butter tends to solidify as it sits. Towards the end of the injection process, as the butter cools down, it may clog the needle. If that happens, an easy solution is to run the syringe (and the needle tip) under hot tap water for 15-20 seconds.
: When injecting your bird, try not to penetrate beyond the meat and into the turkey’s inner cavity, as the marinade won’t infuse the meat unless the needle lands within its fibers.
: You can both brine and inject a turkey with marinade before roasting. However, keep in mind that the two
methods
should complement each other in terms of flavor, and the amount of salt used. If you choose to use both preparation methods, I recommend brining the meat first for 12-24 hours, then rinsing off the bird and pat-drying it with a paper towel. Then, you can inject the meat with the injection marinade. However, when preparing the injection solution, omit using salt to prevent your turkey from being overly salty.
Yields: This recipe yields 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of injection fluid, which is ideal for a turkey that is between 14-16 pounds. The nutritional values below do not include turkey, and they are for the whole injector recipe.
Make Ahead: You can technically make this recipe ahead of time, but if you do, you still have to warm it up on the stove. Therefore, we do not recommend making it ahead.
Storage: If you decide not to use the whole marinade, we recommend discarding it to prevent contamination.
Move quickly to avoid butter solidification: As you inject the bird, we recommend moving quickly as butter tends to solidify as it sits. Towards the end of the injection process, as the butter cools down, it may clog the needle. If that happens, an easy solution is to run the syringe (and the needle tip) under hot tap water for 15-20 seconds.
Don’t pierce the bird’s cavity: When injecting your bird, try not to penetrate beyond the meat and into the turkey’s inner cavity, as the marinade won’t infuse the meat unless the needle lands within its fibers.
Brining and injecting: You can both brine and inject a turkey with marinade before roasting. However, keep in mind that the two methods should complement each other in terms of flavor, and the amount of salt used. If you choose to use both preparation methods, I recommend brining the meat first for 12-24 hours, then rinsing off the bird and pat-drying it with a paper towel. Then, you can inject the meat with the injection marinade. However, when preparing the injection solution, omit using salt to prevent your turkey from being overly salty.
Use any of your favorite turkey recipes: You can use any of your favorite turkey recipes once the marinating time is complete. However, make sure to adjust the amount of salt used if you are using other seasonings to flavor your turkey.
You can use this injection marinade recipe for chicken as well. However, be sure to adjust the recipe according to the size of your chicken.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 926kcal (46%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 94g (145%) Saturated Fat 58g (290%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 25g Trans Fat 4g Cholesterol 248mg (83%) Sodium 2906mg (121%) Potassium 502mg (14%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 2821IU (56%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 66mg (7%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 926 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	926kcal	46%
Carbohydrates	18g	6%
Protein	8g	16%
Fat	94g	145%
Saturated Fat	58g	290%
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	24%
Monounsaturated Fat	25g	125%
Trans Fat	4g	200%
Cholesterol	248mg	83%
Sodium	2906mg	121%
Potassium	502mg	11%
Fiber	1g	4%
Sugar	7g	14%
Vitamin A	2821IU	56%
Vitamin C	15mg	17%
Calcium	66mg	7%
Iron	2mg	11%