If you are searching for the ultimate turkey injection marinade recipe, look no further than these easy, homemade options!

Are you tired of dry turkey that lacks flavor, even after applying rubs and butter? While a rub will provide surface flavor, it doesn’t penetrate into the meat. This is where an injection marinade comes in handy, as it helps keep the meat moist and delicious during cooking.

What is a turkey injection marinade?

A turkey injection marinade is a thin, flavorful liquid injected into thawed, raw turkey meat with a food-grade injector. These marinades provide extra flavor and keep the bird juicy during cooking. Injection marinades can range in complexity from 1-2 ingredients or up to 5 or more. To ensure success, keep these marinades free of bulky ingredients like herbs that might clog up the injector. Use pulverized herbs instead.

Please note that if you plan to brine your turkey, reduce or omit the amount of salt in you injection marinade.

How to inject a turkey marinade

Inject the marinade into large meat sections like the breasts and thighs. Turkey breast is quite dense and will benefit from an injection marinade.

• Draw the marinade mixture into the syringe and release a little air.
• Penetrate the meat with the injector, about 1 1/2-2″ deep.
• Inject small amounts of the marinade every 2″ across the breast and thigh regions.  
• There will be some overflow. Gently blot it away with a paper towel.
• If you plan to brine your turkey, reduce the salt content in the turkey injection recipe by half or omit it entirely. 
• Cook your turkey as directed. Use our Smoked Turkey recipe guide and Smoked Turkey Cheat Sheet for best results.

The recipes below are some of our favorite turkey injection marinades! Use these injections whether roasting, rotisserie cooking, deep frying, or cooking your turkey on a pellet grill.

1) [TAG17]

This quick and easy 6-ingredient injection marinade, is perfect for holiday turkeys, rotisserie turkeys, and smoked turkey breasts. Whatever the occasion, this honey marinade will infuse your turkey with a crisp, sweet, and buttery flavor!

2) [TAG20]

This garlic butter injection marinade will add the most delicious flavor to your grilled, smoked, or baked turkey. It’s easy to prepare and one of out reader favorites. Try the Garlic Butter Turkey Injection Marinade

3) [TAG22]

Infuse your turkey with fantastic flavor by using this homemade Creole Butter Turkey Injection. The melted butter, savory spices, and that little hint of sweetness and heat is a great way to make the most of your Thanksgiving turkey.

4) [TAG25]

Our Sage-Butter turkey injection marinade is made with simple ingredients and will add exceptional flavor to poultry! It’s versatile, too! Use it on turkey, chicken, or pheasant.

5) [TAG27]

This simple turkey injection marinade will add loads of extra flavor to your holiday turkey. Whether grilling, smoking or baking your turkey, this injection marinade will help keep the bird moist and delicious as it cooks. Use this apple cider and butter mixture on poultry like whole chicken and game hens. Try this Apple-Butter Turkey Injection Recipe

Meat Injectors

You can’t use our best turkey injection marinade recipes without an injector. Don’t worry; they are available in-store and online for at reasonable prices. Below, I have listed three models for you to choose from. If you plan to do a lot of injecting, then you’ll need a syringe with a pump action. When buying a meat injector, look for something easy to use, that fits comfortably in your hand, and can handle the right volume.

Ofargo Marinade Injector

The Ofargo Marinade Injector is a classic-style syringe. The marinade is sucked up through the needle and then pushed back into the meat. The needle on this model is large enough that it shouldn’t clog. Still, make sure that your marinade is near water-thin. It is an inexpensive unit that you can purchase for around $10. It is dishwasher-safe and durable enough to last for several years. The volume of this injector is small, but it will handle most jobs for a single family.

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Oklahoma Joe’s Trigger Meat Injector

The Oklahoma Joe’s Trigger Meat Injector is more of a marinade pump than a syringe. Dip the hose end into a container with your marinade, and the trigger mechanism pumps the solution into the meat on both strokes. This will make for faster injecting and is excellent for those that are doing more than a single, small roast. At around $30, you pay a little more, but it can handle a lot more injecting. It will save your hands if you have a lot to do.

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Chop’s Power Injection System

Do you need to inject a lot of meat? Then this is the system you need. The tank holds a gallon of injection solution. Pump up the pressure and start injecting. It is the system used by caterers and BBQ competition cooks. Easy on the hands, it will allow you to inject at lightning speed. Of course, it costs around $160, so this is really for those who make money on barbecue or do lots of cooking.

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