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Learn how to inject a turkey for extra flavor and moisture by following my recipe for the best Butter Injection for Turkey! Using a butter turkey injection creates the most tender turkey meat.
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Butter Injection Recipe
I look forward to the holiday season every year – especially cooking turkey! Turkey is one of my favorite main course meals, so I relish having the chance to prepare it. The only issue with cooking turkey is it can be easy to accidentally overcook the meat and have it dry out.
By using a butter injection for turkey, you can cook a moist and tender turkey without any need for a brine. The turkey butter injection will add richly flavorful seasoning to the meat while also keeping it moist. Best of all, you can cook your turkey however you like!
Whether you’re roasting a turkey, smoking turkey, or cooking turkey on the grill or even in the Instant Pot, this butter injection recipe will make your dinner that much more amazing.
Turkey Injection FAQs
You can inject turkey with a mixture of butter, spices, and herbs. In the case of my butter injection recipe, use a mixture of salted butter, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder. I recommend stuffing the bird with herbs and citrus. If you’re cooking a Spatchcock Turkey, you can season the outside of the bird with your regular seasoning and herbs in addition to the injection rather than stuffing.
You can inject a butterball turkey using this butter injection recipe. Inject the thigh and breast on each side of the turkey for the best results.
Inject the turkey with the butter turkey injection before cooking, then baste the turkey on the outside with the same mixture throughout the cooking process for best results – do not inject it while it is cooking.
The best place to inject a turkey is in both sides of the breast, and both thighs. This will give you the best results and juiciest meat.
Injecting a turkey helps keep the meat from drying out and will make the meat juicier, as if it were brined.
Butter for Turkey Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Old Bay seasoning
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
I use a mix of Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder for incredible flavor in my turkey. However, you can mix up the ingredients to create any kind of seasoning mixture you’d like. Using garlic powder rather than minced garlic, you could even create a garlic butter turkey injection following my garlic butter recipe.
Turkey Injection Recipe Instructions
- Melt salted butter in the microwave. Add it to a bowl with Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix until thoroughly combined.
How to Inject a Turkey
- Take half the mixture into your injector and inject it evenly into both thighs and both sides of the turkey breast. Use the remaining half of the mixture to baste the turkey every 30 minutes throughout the cooking process.
Turkey Internal Temperature
For more info on turkey cooking times and temps, including times for different sizes of deep fried turkey, take a look at our Turkey Temperature Chart!
Best Turkey Recipes
Try one of my turkey recipes paired with this butter injection for turkey:
- Thanksgiving Turkey
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Boneless Turkey Breast
- Grilled Turkey
- How to Smoke a Turkey
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Don’t forget the sides! My Popular Thanksgiving Dishes make a perfect holiday meal.
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📋 Recipe
Butter Injection for Turkey
Equipment
- Injector
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks of Salted Butter 1 cup
- 2 Tablespoons Old Bay
- 2 Tablespoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small dish in the microwave. Add all spices to it and mix well.2 Sticks of Salted Butter, 2 Tablespoons Old Bay, 2 Tablespoons Paprika, 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
- Take half of the mixture and inject it into the breast and thighs of the bird, saving the other half for basting throughout the smoking process.
Notes
- I use a mix of Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder for incredible flavor in my turkey. However, you can mix up the ingredients to create any kind of seasoning mixture you’d like. Using garlic powder rather than minced garlic, you could even create a garlic butter turkey injection following my garlic butter recipe.
- For best results, inject the turkey in both sides of the breast and both thighs.
- You can use a butter injection for turkey following any turkey recipe.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!