If you need a quick and easy dish for a small Thanksgiving or Christmas, try this Roasted Turkey Breast. This oven-roasted and garlic herb butter turkey breast is cooked in a fraction of the time of a whole turkey and requires much less work. You don’t have to worry about overcooked and dry breasts from cooking a whole turkey. The skin on this turkey breast is extra crispy and the inside perfectly tender and moist.
Perfect for the holidays or just whenever you’re craving turkey, this easy roasted turkey breast is just what you need! It comes together quickly and easily in only a few simple steps.
Cooking a full turkey is always so stressful so this year, I am cooking a turkey breast instead. If you’re thinking of doing the same then you’re in luck! I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to getting the perfect roasted turkey breast!
When it comes to cooking turkey breasts, I think it’s important to keep things simple. Skip brining and the dry rub, and let the fresh herbs shine. You also want to be able to pair the turkey breasts with a variety of side dishes like my Healthier Green Bean Casserole Recipe, Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, and Easy Sausage Stuffing without the flavours all competing.
How to make this Easy Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- Turkey breast — I used breast bone, but you can get a boneless and skin-on turkey breast to save time on removing the bone.
- Olive oil or Butter— Use olive oil or neutral oil of your choice or even melted butter.
- Garlic — I recommend using fresh garlic instead of pre-minced garlic.
- Dry seasoning — I season paprika and ground coriander to season the turkey.
- Fresh herbs — I use fresh rosemary leaves, fresh sage leaves, and fresh thyme leaves.
- Salt and pepper —to taste.
- Chicken broth — I like using low sodium and organic chicken broth.
Instructions
Bring your turkey to room temperature and prep the oven
- First, if your turkey is frozen, place it in the refrigerator and it will thaw in about 24 hours or over night. Take the turkey breast out from the fridge and leave it out for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 325°F.
Prepare the turkey
- Place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, paprika, coriander, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix all together. Set aside.
- Use an upside spoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh, if necessary. Rub the mixture evenly all over the skin of the turkey breast and underneath the skin too.
Roast the turkey
- Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast for around 1 hr 30 minutes and don’t forget to baste all over the turkey breast every 30 minutes to keep the chicken moist. If it starts to get too dark, just make a tent out of foil and place it on the turkey to keep it from burning.
- Remove from the oven. Rest for 15 minutes on the cutting board before cutting and serving with slices of lemon or orange, fresh rosemary and some pomegranate. The turkey will have a crispy skin and delicious. Sprinkle chopped thyme on top of the
Recipe tips
- Depending on the size of your turkey breast, it may take longer for yours to roast. Always use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be 165F.
- Make sure you pat dry your turkey first. The moisture on the skin from thawing it or taking it out of the fridge will make it difficult for your skin to crisp up.
- If your turkey gets brown too quickly, cover it with foil to avoid the skin burning before the inside is cooked through. If the skin has not browned enough, you can turn on the broiler to crisp the skin up more.
- If you do not have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs in their place. For every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, use 1 teaspoon of dry herbs.
- It is important to allow your turkey to rest before you cut into it. When it is resting, the juices inside the turkey are redistributed back throughout the meat. If you cut it too early, you end up losing the moistness and your turkey will be dry.
- Garlic powder does not have the same fresh flavor as freshly minced garlic, so stick to fresh garlic if possible.
How Much Turkey Breast Per Person?
Normally one pound of turkey serves one person. A 5 pound turkey breast will easily feed up to 6 people, so you could make this for your family if you want to have a small and intimate dinner. You can also double this recipe and roast two turkey breasts at once.
How to Carve a Turkey Breast
- First, place the breasts skin-side up on the cutting board.
- Cut along one side of the breastbone with a very sharp knife.
- Then cut the other side of the breast off the bone.
- Place the breasts skin-side up on the cutting board and slice each breast crosswise and serve on a large platter.
How do I store leftover roast turkey?
Leftover turkey can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. It’s best that you store the turkey breast as whole as possible as it keeps it moist upon reheating it compared to sliced turkey. You can reheat the breast in the oven to keep the skin crispy or in the microwave.
How do I keep the turkey breast from drying out?
Basting the turkey breast with its juices and the chicken broth as it cooks will prevent it from being dry. Avoid overcooking the turkey breasts as well. Around 10 to 15 minutes before the turkey is set to finish, start checking the internal temperature with a thermometer at the thickest part of the breast.
You can use a wire rack to rest the turkey breast if you’re worried that the residual heat from the baking pan will overcook it.
Should a turkey breast be cooked covered or uncovered?
I cook mine uncovered. If you’re really worried about it drying out by leaving it uncovered, you can cover the turkey breast until the end and broil to crisp up the skin.
However, as long as you’re basting the turkey throughout the roasting process, you shouldn’t have to cover the turkey.
Holiday sides to go with turkey
Here are some sides to make with your turkey:
- Garlic Butter Green Beans Recipe: This green beans recipe makes a quick and delicious veggie-packed side dish. Everyone loves garlic butter and it goes so well with the green beans.
- Creamy Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Made with simple wholesome ingredients, this is a great addition to any holiday meal.
- Potatoes au Gratin: Rich and creamy, this Potatoes au Gratin recipe is a decadent side dish that goes with this easy roasted turkey. So simple and delicious.
- Cranberry Sauce: Bursting with flavour from the fresh juicy cranberries and orange juice, this sauce is the perfect to serve with turkey!
- Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe: Soft, fluffy and it’s so easy to make!
- Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce: A delicious appetizer perfect for any cheese lover.
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Easy Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in turkey breast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic clove minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- First, remove the turkey breast from the fridge and leave it out for about 30 minutes before cooking. Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position, and preheat oven to 325°F.
- Them, place the turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan, skin side up.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, paprika, coriander, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix all together. Set aside.
- Use an upside spoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh, if necessary. Rub the mixture evenly all over the skin of the turkey breast and underneath the skin too.
- Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast for 1 hr 30 minutes (the time will depend on the size of your turkey breast) and don’t forget to bast all over the turkey breast every 30 minutes. When the turkey is done the internal temperature should be 165F.
- If your turkey gets brown so quickly, cover it with foil to avoid burning outside.
- Rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tips
- You will have to adjust the time if your turkey breast is a different size. To check for doneness, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be 165F.
- Cover the turkey with tin foil if the turkey is browning too quickly.
- Always pat dry the turkey before seasoning as it helps the seasoning stick to the turkey.
- To store: Put leftovers into an airtight glass container and keep them for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- To reheat: Rewarm leftover turkey in the microwave. If you want to keep the skin crispy, reheat it in the oven or a toaster oven.
- To freeze: Place the leftover cooked turkey in a freezer-safe container or bag once it has cooled. Then, freeze the cooked turkey for up to 4 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Gwynn says
It turned out very good. Thanks.
Olivia says
Awesome!