Go Back
Robin Ward

🦃 The Easiest Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast of Your Life (Juicy, Tender & No-Fuss)

Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast—tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned using Samin Nosrat’s famous brine method. Easy, healthy, and perfect for any meal year-round.
Print Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 (33 g) Tbsp fine sea salt
  • 1 half turkey breast (about 2½ pounds), on or off the bone (I used a bone-in 2.75 lb. half breast)

Equipment

  • half sheet pan with wire rack
  • meat thermometer

Method
 

  1. One to two days before you plan to cook, place buttermilk and salt in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and stir to dissolve salt. Place turkey breast in the bag and seal carefully, expelling the air. Squish the bag to distribute buttermilk all around the turkey, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. If you’re so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the turkey gets marinated, but that’s not essential.
  2. Two hours before you plan to start cooking, remove the turkey from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Discard buttermilk, set the breast on a rimmed plate and bring it to room temperature.
  3. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 425 degrees. Place breast skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack or parchment paper.
  4. Place baking sheet on the prepared oven rack and roast the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast without touching bone registers 150 degrees, about 40 minutes for a boneless breast or 50 minutes for a bone-in breast. (You may want to tent the breast with aluminum foil if it’s darkening too quickly.)
  5. Transfer turkey to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

  • If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding one tablespoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk. Let sit for 5 minutes. This works for waffles, salad dressings, anywhere buttermilk is called for.
  • Important: Salt Note Salt types vary significantly in crystal size and density, which directly impacts how salty a dish will taste. Kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt are not interchangeable in equal amounts. If a recipe calls for one type and you substitute another without adjusting the quantity, the result may be overly salty or under-seasoned.
    For this recipe, I used sea salt in the brine. If you're using a different type of salt, please refer to a reliable salt conversion chart or measurement guide to ensure proper seasoning.
  • Can you double this recipe using a whole turkey breast? Yes! Double the salt and buttermilk for double the weight of meat!