This Garlic Butter Turkey Breast Recipe is perfect for a small gathering for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions. This oven-roasted turkey breast is cooked in a herb garlic butter sauce that everyone will love. The skin on this turkey breast is extra crispy and the inside perfectly tender and moist.
You will love how simple and delicious this garlic butter turkey breast recipe is. It’s filled with so much flavor thanks to the herb, garlic, and butter! Roasting turkey breast is a simple way to make juicy turkey for Thanksgiving, or any holiday celebration without having to roast a whole turkey.
While a lot of people like to make a traditional turkey for holiday dinners, I feel that just a turkey breast is a great alternative. Plus it takes way less time to prep and cook in comparison and since we’re having smaller family dinners now. If you’re having more people over, you can roast two turkey breasts instead of one!
If you’d like more holiday recipes, try my Healthier Green Bean Casserole Recipe, Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mayo Mustard Dressing,
More Holidays Side Dishes:
- Easy Roasted Turkey Leg
- Stuffed Mushroom Recipe
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Potatoes au Gratin
- Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe
- Creamy Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
How to Cook a Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- Turkey breast — get a boneless and skin-on turkey breast to save time on removing the bone. But you can also use bone-in turkey breast.
- Butter — be sure to use unsalted butter to keep the turkey from tasting too salty. Make sure the butter has softened, so you can mix the herbs in.
- Salt and black pepper — to taste.
- Garlic — use freshly minced garlic and not pre-minced garlic.
- Fresh herbs — I use fresh thyme, parsley, and rosemary to add flavour to the turkey breasts.
Instructions
Bring your turkey to room temperature and prep the oven
- Take the turkey breast out from the fridge and leave it out for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Adjust the rack in the oven to the lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prepare the turkey
- In a small bowl, add butter, salt, black pepper, garlic, and herbs. Mix all together and set aside for later.
- Use a spoon to loosen the skin from the turkey flesh so you can rub the mixture under the skin. Careful not to tear the skin so the butter mixture can say under the skin.
- Using your hands, add some butter mixture under the skin, then add some on the top of the breast. Spread butter mixture as evenly as possible.
- Turn turkey upside down and spread more butter mixture on it. Then, if you have any butter mixture leftover, add it to the baking pan before sprinkling salt and pepper onto the turkey breast.
Bake the turkey
Subscribe for new recipes & a free e-cookbook
- Place turkey in the baking pan or roasting pan, skin side up.
- Roast the turkey breast for 1 hr 30 minutes, basting the turkey with butter every 30 minutes.
- Rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Use the melted butter mixture as gravy.
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 that should be 165F. Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. It should be 165F.
- If your turkey breast gets brown too quickly, cover it with foil to avoid the skin burning before the inside is cooked through.
- If you do not have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs in their place.
- Make sure you pat dry your turkey breast 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.
- It is important to allow your turkey breast to rest before you cut into it with a sharp knife. 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 flavour as freshly minced garlic, so stick to fresh garlic if possible.
How many people will this turkey breast recipe serve?
If you’re wondering how much turkey per person, I would say that 4 to 5 pound of 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.
How To Carve A Turkey Breast
- Remove the turkey breast from the oven. Place the breasts skin-side up on the cutting board.
- Cut along one side of the breast bone with a very sharp knife. Make sure to keep your knife close to ribs.
- Then cut the other side of the breast off the bone and slice each breast crosswise and serve on a large platter.
How do I store leftovers?
Leftover juicy turkey breast 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. You can reheat the breast in the oven to keep the skin crispy or in the microwave.
If you’re looking for a way to use up your leftovers, try my Turkey Vegetable Soup Recipe.
How do I keep the turkey breast from drying out?
Basting the turkey breast with butter 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.
You can use a wire rack or a cutting board to rest the turkey breast if you’re worried that the residual heat from the baking pan will overcook it.
Want more turkey recipes?
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Stuffed Peppers: These Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Stuffed Peppers are filled with flavours and a delicious homemade tomato sauce. A perfect recipe for a busy weeknight.
- Easy Turkey Meatloaf Recipe: This turkey meatloaf recipe makes a healthy and hearty weeknight dinner. The low carb meatloaf freezes well so make it ahead – it will save time making dinner on busy nights!
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe: This Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet will be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes, and you will be amazed by how flavourful it is. It’s a perfect ONE-PAN meal for your family to enjoy!
- Easy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers: Easy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers are so easy to make, flavourful and you will need only a handful of ingredients.
- Easy Roasted Turkey Breast: This turkey breast is cooked in a fraction of the time of a whole turkey and it’s so delicious.
Watch the Garlic Butter Turkey Breast Web Stories.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @primaverakitchen on Instagram so we can find you!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Garlic Butter Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb turkey breast boneless and skin-on, patted dry
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
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 400°F.
- In a small bowl, add butter, salt, black pepper, garlic, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Mix all together. Set aside.
- Use an upside spoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh, if necessary.
- Using your hands, add some butter mixture under the skin, then add some on the top of the breast. Spread butter mixture as evenly as possible. Then, sprinkle some more salt and pepper over the turkey breast.
- Turn turkey upside down and spread more butter mixture on it. Then, if you have any butter mixture leftover, add on the baking pan.
- Place turkey in baking pan, skin side up. Place turkey in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350F.
- 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. Use the melted butter mixture as gravy. So yummy!
Tips
- Cover the turkey with foil if your turkey gets brown too quickly, this helps avoid the skin from burning before the inside is cooked through.
- Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh herbs. 1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
- Always pat the turkey dry if there’s moisture so the skin will crisp up and the seasoning will stick better.
- To store: You can store leftover turkey for up to 4 days in the fridge. Uncut turkey breasts hold on to moisture better than sliced turkey.
- To reheat: You can reheat the turkey in the oven for crispy skin or simply microwave the leftovers.
- To freeze: You can freeze leftover turkey in an airtight freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Similar Recipes:
Deborah says
I am a huge fan of dark meat at Thanksgiving but this looks absolutely delicious I know I will have to make this. May not even wait for Thanksgiving!
Olivia says
That’s awesome! Hope you like it!
Chris S says
Very tasty!
Olivia says
Awesome!!
Carlotta says
Looks very good. Can you prepared, refrigerate it and cook in the morning?
Olivia says
Yes you can.
Terry Kelley says
Was great
Olivia says
Awesome!
Claudia Niemeyer says
Dear Olivia, since we’re only 2 adults & 2 cats, I wanted to do something with a part of turkey, not the whole bird and this recipe was THE answer to my prayer. I’ve done your recipe with a whole chicken before and it came out wonderful. I could get only turkey breast without the skin and wondered how it would turn out, so I tried it and it came out wonderfully. It was very tasty and juicy. Since I made the whole recipe of the garlic-butter mixture, I had left a lot of butter. The breast was not as large as you indicated in your recipe and I used the remaining butter to roast some frozen veggies with it. They came out vey flavorful. I can only recommend this recipe highly.
Olivia says
That’s amazing, Claudia!!! I’m very happy to hear that. Thanks for your comment and for making my recipe!