Easy Brined and Roasted Turkey Breast

Combine brine ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Place the turkey breast in large Ziplock bag and pour brine over the top. Seal bag and place the bag in a bowl to hold it upright. Put the bowl into the refrigerator. Let turkey brine for 4-12 hours, but no longer.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Remove turkey from the brine, rinse it and pat it dry with paper towels. Place bird in a 9×13″ roasting pan breast side up and prop it up with 4 foil balls. Place 1 ball of foil on either side of the breast, 1 under the tip and 1 nestled just up and the rib cage (see related blog link for photos).

Separate the skin from the breast and spread softened butter evenly under the skin. Drizzle and rub olive oil over the skin and season with salt and pepper.

Place pan in the oven and roast turkey for 30 minutes. Lower heat to 325 F and continue to roast the turkey until it registers 160-165 F on an instant-read meat thermometer. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour longer. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting.