Go Back
Close up of sliced beer and butter turkey breast on a platter.

Beer and Butter Turkey

Course: Main Dish, Turkey
Cuisine: American
Keyword: roasted turkey, thanksgiving turkey
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 860kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
This Beer and Butter Turkey will become a Thanksgiving classic. Crispy golden skin, juicy flavorful meat. It's the best Thanksgiving turkey.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup(56g) butter
  • cup(160ml) beer or apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (15 pound) (6.8kg) turkey completely thawed

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the beer, salt, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
  • Fill a culinary injector with the hot sauce and inject the turkey in several spots. I also like to make sure some of the sauce is drizzled over the skin. It really helps to make the skin golden brown.
  • Place turkey in a roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 4 hours or until meat thermometer inserted in the breast reads 165 degrees F.
  • Remove from oven and let rest 20-30 minutes before carving. (this step is very important or the juices will just go everywhere)

Notes

  1. Recipe adapted from food.com
  2. I used this recipe on a store bought turkey already injected with a solution. 
  3. Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to 4 days.
  4. Freezer Friendly: Cool completely and place in a plastic bag or freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months. 
  5. Nutrition Facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate. Nutrition info is calculated using lite beer and assuming you will eat the skin.  

Nutrition

Calories: 860kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 131g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 435mg | Sodium: 1648mg | Potassium: 1398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 394IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 5mg