Your experiences with Butterball boneless turkey breast roasts?

[GilFisher]

Thinking about doing a couple of Butterball turkey breast roasts for thanksgiving, two different ways, probably. I just have a couple of questions for the experienced:

-Do these need a brine, or are they basically already brined "enough?" I know the website says that they're already a little enhanced for "juiciness" and already contain a bit of salt. Just wondering "how" salty.

-If you remove the breast "pieces" from the netting, how many pieces are there?

Thanks

 

[Mark Foreman]

Read the labels. Most Butterball turkey breasts are injected. The package will indicate what the injection is.

 

[Chris Allingham]

You said boneless in the title. If so, you're looking at something like this.



They're deboned and formed into a solid roast shape using both light and dark meat. They cook-up looking like this: https://www.butterball.ca/products/boneless-turkey-breast/ There are not breast "pieces" inside. They are more highly processed than regular turkey and yes, they are salty but not offensively so. The ones I've tried usually include a gravy packet.

Better choice, I think, is a whole bone-in breast portion. You can cook them as-is and cut from the bone afterwards, or you can debone and cook boneless. If you debone, you can cook the breasts two different ways, as you suggest. Or you can roast two of these whole side-by-side in the oven or smoke using two different ways.

These are from an article I wrote for TVWB: https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey-breast-bone-in/

There is a Butterball version of this that is always available at Walmart. They're injected like a normal Butterball turkey.

 

[timothy]

You said boneless in the title. If so, you're looking at something like this.

Is that the same as you used here?

 

[GilFisher]

You said boneless in the title. If so, you're looking at something like this.

View attachment 17738

They're deboned and formed into a solid roast shape using both light and dark meat. They cook-up looking like this: https://www.butterball.ca/products/boneless-turkey-breast/ There are not breast "pieces" inside. They are more highly processed than regular turkey and yes, they are salty but not offensively so. The ones I've tried usually include a gravy packet.

Better choice, I think, is a whole bone-in breast portion. You can cook them as-is and cut from the bone afterwards, or you can debone and cook boneless. If you debone, you can cook the breasts two different ways, as you suggest. Or you can roast two of these whole side-by-side in the oven or smoke using two different ways.

These are from an article I wrote for TVWB: https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey-breast-bone-in/

There is a Butterball version of this that is always available at Walmart. They're injected like a normal Butterball turkey.

View attachment 17736

View attachment 17737

Appreciate your response.
I've done whole turkey as is, spatchcocked, turkey breast on the bone, and turkey breast deboned THEN smoked. The roast is actually something I'd like to try. For one, seems quicker to thaw out than a whole intact breast and bone section. Plus I like the uniformity of it being jet-netted. Also, in these Covid times, I won't be cooking for very many, and also it'd give me a chance to just thaw two quickly, treat and season differently, and have a competition with myself.

Reason I was asking about the pieces is just out of curiosity, most videos I've seen describe the net holding together "a few pieces" together.

I will be doing the white meat roasts, btw.

Good to hear about the solution not being too salty. That really helps.

Thanks again.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Is that the same as you used here?

No, the ones in the article you're referring to are breasts cut from the bone, not injected, no rib meat, just pushed through a meat horn into elastic netting by the butcher.

Just looked at the Butterball Frozen Breast Meat Roast, they are up to a 20% solution of water, food starch, salt, flavorings, etc. A typical frozen Butterball turkey is only up to 8%. A fresh Butterball turkey is only up to 4%. Big differences in water injection.

 

[Brian Trommater]

Just pop in to say thanks for that Guru. It works great.

 

[M Andreyka]

You said boneless in the title. If so, you're looking at something like this.

View attachment 17738

They're deboned and formed into a solid roast shape using both light and dark meat. They cook-up looking like this: https://www.butterball.ca/products/boneless-turkey-breast/ There are not breast "pieces" inside. They are more highly processed than regular turkey and yes, they are salty but not offensively so. The ones I've tried usually include a gravy packet.

Better choice, I think, is a whole bone-in breast portion. You can cook them as-is and cut from the bone afterwards, or you can debone and cook boneless. If you debone, you can cook the breasts two different ways, as you suggest. Or you can roast two of these whole side-by-side in the oven or smoke using two different ways.

These are from an article I wrote for TVWB: https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/turkey-breast-bone-in/

There is a Butterball version of this that is always available at Walmart. They're injected like a normal Butterball turkey.

View attachment 17736

View attachment 17737

I do the whole breasts, they are really good and even comes with a gravy packet

 

[M Andreyka]

Thinking about doing a couple of Butterball turkey breast roasts for thanksgiving, two different ways, probably. I just have a couple of questions for the experienced:

-Do these need a brine, or are they basically already brined "enough?" I know the website says that they're already a little enhanced for "juiciness" and already contain a bit of salt. Just wondering "how" salty.

-If you remove the breast "pieces" from the netting, how many pieces are there?

Thanks

Dont do one of those do a real breast

 

[BobH-SCW]

Chris is right on the saltiness-did a few last year, and while OK and easy cleanup, no bones etc I agree the bone in breast is the way to go.

 

[GilFisher]

Just pop in to say thanks for that Guru. It works great.

Glad you're enjoying it, man!

 

[GilFisher]

Dont do one of those do a real breast

Well I've done real breast before, just wanted to try something different. Unfotunately the all-white meat options are out right now at both of my local stores, so looking like I might just swing a couple of breasts.

 

[Bruno]

picked up a 7 pound boneless skinless breast from my butcher. He had up to 14 pounds, how the hell that’s possible. Lol.
I’m cooking a bone in double breast as I type, I couldn’t smoke it though it’s raining.
I sure hope it doesn’t rain on Thanksgiving I want to do this breast Franklin style.

 

[Chris Allingham]

He had up to 14 pounds, how the hell that’s possible.

7 pounds sounds like an entire turkey breast (left and right sides) deboned and stuffed into netting. Maybe 14 pounds is 4 pieces netted together?

 

[Bruno]

7 pounds sounds like an entire turkey breast (left and right sides) deboned and stuffed into netting. Maybe 14 pounds is 4 pieces netted together?

Could be, what I ended up with was re-netted by them.

 

[Bruno]

 

[Chris in Louisiana]

Gil, I have cooked those turkey roasts. They are a cheap and easy way to bang out some turkey.

Bone-in breast is better, but the roasts are convenient and adequate. I know someone who cooks a ton of them and gives them to neighbors.

I posted a thread about a cook last year on my kettle of some white/dark mix roasts. Turkey roasts on the kettle

Plan was rub with Memphis Meat Dust. Put some unlit briquettes behind fire bricks, then put about 25 lit on top with oak and cherry. Cook the roasts indirect until 150+. (USDA says 165, but if it stays at 150 for 4 minutes, the bugs are supposed to be just as dead.)

Started out fine, but the fire eventually got a little too hot. Should have just cracked the bottom vent instead of leaving it full open.

Turkey tends to be raw, raw, raw, overcooked. meaning the temp really shoots up once it gets close.

These did the same and jumped to 170 before I even thought I needed to put a probe in to monitor.

They were still tasty and not over dry even though they were well browned outside.

My note was to try it on the kettle again, but with less charcoal and the air more restricted. Also put the monitor probe in at the beginning.

Sliced them with an electric knife up at a family gathering, and people ate them up with pleasure. You would not wow Ina Garten with them, but they get the job done.

 

[Joe V]

I’ll spin one of those 3 pound Butterball boneless Turkey roasts in my air fryer every now and then during the winter months. They’re pretty tasty and provide white & dark meat that’s moist and not too salty. I’ve also spun a Butterball Cajun marinated boneless Turkey roast that is just white meat that was tasty. Very convenient for a week night Turkey fix in the dead of winter.