If you’re buying fresh turkey, look for tender pink breasts with no spots of discoloration. If you’re buying fresh turkey that comes prepackaged, make sure to use or freeze it before the expiration date. Choose frozen turkey breast with no signs of freezer burn. Uncooked turkey breast can be kept in the freezer for up to nine months. [1] X Research source
Leave frozen breast, still in its packaging, in the refrigerator for as long as necessary to thaw it out. Put the breast on a plate or tray to catch any juices that might drip out of the packaging as the meat thaws. If you’re pressed for time, thaw the turkey in cold water bath. Submerge the still-wrapped turkey in a large bowl or sink of cold tap water. Replace the water every half hour with fresh cold tap water. Allot half an hour of thawing time per pound of weight using this method. Use a microwave for the fastest thawing alternative. Remove all packaging from the turkey breast. Place it on a microwave-safe dish to catch any juices. Use the power setting and cooking time recommended for thawing or defrosting meat in the user’s manual.
You can whip up a quick marinade by mixing 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt for every four pounds of turkey. Be sure to place the meat back into the refrigerator for the duration of the marination. Because thawing at high temperatures (cold water bath and microwave) can encourage bacteria growth, it’s recommended that you cook fast-thawed meat immediately. Therefore, you must slow-thaw your turkey breast in the refrigerator if you plan to marinate it for a few hours before cooking.
For a smaller four to six pound turkey breast, set aside between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hours. For a larger six to eight pound turkey breast, set aside between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours. If you’re cooking at an altitude of 5,000 or more feet, you’ll need to add five to ten extra minutes’ cooking time per pound.
If you want to use fresh herbs, chop them roughly and insert them under the skin of the turkey, so they’ll cook right against the meat to flavor it. If you like the taste of lemon with poultry, try slicing a lemon and inserting the slices under the skin, to be removed after baking.
If you want to make sure the breast stays moist, you can baste the top of the breast periodically throughout the cooking process. Use either a large spoon or a turkey baster to pour the pan liquid over the surface of the breast. For crispy skin, turn on your broiler and broil for five minutes after it has been brought up to an internal temperature of 155 °F (68 °C).
Using the “low” setting, a smaller four to six pound turkey breast will take five to six hours to cook in a slow cooker. A larger six to ten pound breast will require eight to nine hours. Using the “high” setting will result in lower cooking time, equivalent to that of a conventional oven.
Make your own by combining 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon pepper. If you don’t have the right spices, you can use a packet of onion soup mix or a bouillon cube or packet. Dissolve one cube/packet in a cup of hot water and add it to the slow cooker.
Chop vegetables into larger chunks to prevent them from breaking down too much over a long cooking time. If you don’t have fresh herbs in your fridge or garden, you can replace them with dried herbs from your spice rack.
