Tender moist Grilled Turkey Breast
What is the secret to tender moist grilled Turkey breast? For me it is a couple of things done right. 1. A good wet rub 2. Indirect grilling 3. The right cooking temp and puling it at the right time. No great secrets there, just a lot of practice. Well the right rub can make or break you also.
Lets look at the rub I used:
Minced garlic, Italian herbs, butter, EVOO, salt and pepper. One of hundreds you can try.
Wet is simply adding oil or other wet ingredient to a dry rub. Examples might be: mustard, beer, vinegar, wine, juice (fruits), soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, brandy, bourbon, etc.
Gently massage the wet rub on the Turkey breast including under the skin. It will help if you let it set for up to an hour in the refrigerator. The time will allow the flavors to absorb into the meat and skin.
Grilling time and temp is essential to a perfectly cooked Turkey breast. Indirect grilling is required for the Turkey to cook without drying out.
Low and slow is good if you are looking for that famous smokey taste that comes from this technique, 225 degrees F is optimal for traditional BBQ and use a mild wood such has Alder, Almond and Fruit trees.
For indirect grilling, I go for 325 degrees F and that is based on the kettle temp. Preheating is mandatory for any good grill so maintain that temperature for a good 15 minutes before adding your food to the grill. I will use briquets for my base heat and add wood chunks to the briquets when it is time to cook, adding briquets to the pile as needed to maintain the heat at 325 degrees F.
Flip it, turn it? Nope, just let it sit there.
One final note: Cook to temp! With chicken and turkey you must cook till its done. You will need a good quality thermometer to check this. Try a Thermapen, I just love mine! 165 degrees F is the recommended temperature for safety. It's not like beef where you can pull it early and let it rise to temp, the muscle structure is different and it must be cooked thoroughly before removing from the grill.
168 degrees F is not OK! Pull it at the right time or you will start to loose all of those wonderful juices from overcooking and that happens fast after 165 F. Enough said.
Still having a tough time keeping your Turkey breast from drying out? Place a couple of strips of bacon on the top to add some moisture and flavor!
Next I will share my Skillet Stuffing and Stuffed Yellow Squash recipes.
