Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter

Name: Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 whole Black Peppercorns; 1 cup Bourbon; 6 tbsp Butter; 2 tbsp Coriander Seed; 4 whole Dried Bay Leaves; 6 whole Garlic; 5 whole Orange Juice; 1 tbsp Paprika; 2 cups Sea Salt; 1 cup Sugar; 12 whole Tea Bags; 1 whole Turkey Breast; 2 qt Water; 6 whole Whole Cloves; 2 tsp Whole Cumin Seed

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Gluten-Free Carnivore 🥩Comfort-Food

Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter delivers a juicy, aromatic turkey breast infused with citrus, black tea, and warm spices. A paprika-coriander-garlic butter melts into the meat as it roasts, creating a gently smoky, citrus-bright finish. Perfect for a holiday centerpiece or a special Sunday dinner when you want deep flavor without a whole bird.

Prep15 mins
Cook2 hrs
Serves12
DifficultyMedium

1

Pour 2 quarts of water into a large soup pot and stir in the orange juice and zest, kosher salt, sugar, black tea bags, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and bourbon.
2

Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3

Stir 4 quarts of cold water into the brine and let it cool.
4

Submerge the turkey breast in the brine, adding more water if needed to fully cover it.
5

Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.
6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
7

Position the oven rack on the lowest level of the oven.
8

Remove the turkey from the marinade and discard the marinade.
9

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.
10

In a bowl, mix the coriander seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, and garlic into the softened butter.
11

Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast with your fingers and spread 1/4 cup of the seasoned butter under the skin.
12

Rub the remaining 2 tablespoons of seasoned butter over the turkey breast.
13

Place the turkey breast on a roasting rack and set the rack into a roasting pan.
14

Roast in the preheated oven until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 2 hours.
15

Transfer to a cutting board and let the turkey breast rest for 30 minutes before slicing.