Easy Turkey Breast Recipe – Perfect for Camping!

I think it’s the question of the month on the many Camping and RV Facebook groups I belong to…. “How should I make my turkey when I’m out camping?” And that’s why I’m posting this super easy Turkey Breast Recipe today! But let me be clear – this turkey breast recipe is NOT just for Thanksgiving. Make sure to enjoy it anytime. Anywhere!

Camping for Thanksgiving is a long-standing tradition for many RVers, but it can be difficult to pull together a delicious, festive, “traditional” feast at the campground. This Turkey Breast Recipe makes it easy! Grilling bone-in turkey breasts can be a bit intimidating. They’re huge! (One 2-3 pound breast will feed 2-4 people) They’re heavy. And they’re kind of scary looking… It’s also a bit of a challenge to get them fully cooked without having them fully dry out! But follow these tips and your grilled turkey breast will be beautiful, juicy, tender, and oh so delicious! You will definitely want them for more than just a once-a-year celebration.

The Turkey Breast Recipe That’s Perfect Every Time!

Soak turkey breasts in a brine for a couple of hours. (see below) Remove from brine, rinse, pat dry. Coat with vegetable oil, then liberally salt and pepper both sides of the turkey breast. Place on a very hot grill over direct heat, skin side down, about 5 minutes until seared. Move breasts to the indirect heating side of grill, skin side up. Close lid and cook over indirect heat for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size) until the turkey breast reaches 165-degree internal temperature. Remove, tent with foil for 10 minutes, then cut and serve with your favorite sides! (See detail and full recipe below)

Brine! That’s the secret to this tender, juicy Turkey Breast Recipe! Don’t skip this step. Please. It’s so easy and makes such a difference. Grab a gallon size zip top bag and put 1/2 cup each of salt and sugar. Fill the bag about halfway with water and shake vigorously until the salt and sugar are mixed in. It won’t fully dissolve but that’s ok. Place the turkey breast into the zip top bag with the brine. Close and keep in your cooler or refrigerator for a couple of hours. This brine ensures the inside of the turkey breast stays nice and moist. Definitely, don’t skip it!

The other key here is to make sure to sear the skin on very high heat but cook it through over indirect heat. We use a propane grill, so this is really easy, but it can also be done with a charcoal grill. Turn all burners on high to heat the grill. Sear the skin side on high, then turn half the grill off. Move the turkey breast, skin side up, over to the side that is OFF. Leave the other side on medium-high heat. (If using a charcoal grill, mound up the charcoal on one side to make that the hot side and leave a few on the other side to make it the indirect side.) Close lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Approximately 30-45 minutes. It is important to have a meat thermometer for this recipe.

And that’s it! Now you know the secret to fabulous, juicy, tasty, always done to perfection, grilled bone-in turkey breasts! It’s one of the easiest recipes to get right and it makes for an impressive meal. I love to serve mine with fresh cranberries or cranberry sauce! Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated. You really can have a traditional turkey dinner when you’re out camping!

Items used for this recipe:

My Favorite Camping Grill

Digital Meat Thermometer (a necessity!)

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Easy Turkey Breast Recipe - Perfect for Camping!

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Passive Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

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Ingredients

Grilled Turkey

• 1 2-4 pound Bone-in Turkey Breast
• Salt and Pepper, To taste
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Brine

• 1/4 Cup salt
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Cups Water

Instructions

1. For the brine - mix 1/2 cup each salt and sugar with water in gallon size zip top bag. Shake bag to mix well.
2. Add turkey breast to the bag with the brine. Close and refrigerate 2 hours. Remove from brine, rinse well, pat dry.
3. Turn on grill to high heat.
4. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the turkey breast (don't be shy with the salt and pepper!)
5. Place turkey skin side down on the hot side of grill. Sear for approximately 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium high on hot side of grill. Turn heat off the other half of grill and move turkey (skin side up now) to the side with the heat off (this will give you indirect heat). Close lid and cook turkey until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It is very helpful to have a digitial instant meat thermometer for this. Check temperature after 20 minutes, then check regularly. You should check in several places of the breast (not against the bone though) to make sure you're getting an accurate reading. When turkey breast is 165 degrees, remove and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Serve wtih your favorite side dishes!