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Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter

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
Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

40 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
43 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
23 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
54 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

30
Heart Health
40
Metabolic
55
Digestive
26
Inflammatory
38
Performance
38
General Wellness
  1. 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. 2

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

  3. 3

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

  4. 4

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

  5. 5

    Refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight.

  6. 6

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

  7. 7

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

  8. 8

    Remove the turkey from the marinade and discard the marinade.

  9. 9

    Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.

  10. 10

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

  11. 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. 12

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

  13. 13

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

  14. 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. 15

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

About This Recipe

Bourbon Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter is made with 15 ingredients and serves 12. It takes about 2 hrs 15 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Peppercorns, Bourbon, Butter, and Coriander Seed. Each serving provides about 1023.6 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter made of?
The main ingredients are Black Peppercorns, Bourbon, Butter, Coriander Seed, Dried Bay Leaves. The full list of 15 is above.
How long does it take to make Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter?
About 2 hrs 15 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 2 hrs to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 1023.6 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 15 ingredients and 15 steps.
Is Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter healthy?
Bourbon-Orange Tea Brined Turkey with Paprika Butter has an easyChef Pro health score of 40/100. Per serving, it provides 1023.6 calories and 47.05 g of protein, or 94% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1514.58 mg (66% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 14.19 g (71% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 6.64 g (13% of the Daily Value). It contains Caffeine, Citrus, Milk, Garlic and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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