Roasted Turkey Breast
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Perfect for small gatherings, this easy roasted turkey breast is juicy, moist, and so tender with enough pan drippings for turkey gravy!
Featured Comment
I made this for my first go at hosting Thanksgiving for my family and I am SO PROUD of how it turned out. Possibly the most delicious Thanksgiving turkey I’ve ever had (my husband also said it was the best he’d ever had, too!). Make this. Immediately. So good.
Why you’ll love this roasted turkey breast
- Perfect for a small gathering. If you are keeping Thanksgiving small or you’re simply just not in the mood to cook an entire Thanksgiving turkey this holiday season, this recipe is here to save the day.
- Less hassle. There’s no brining, no basting, no fuss. And with substantially less cooking time than a whole turkey, this leaves your oven space more available during the big day.
- Juicy and flavorful. Say good-bye to dry turkey. With a few simple tricks, you’ll have tender, moist, oh-so-juicy turkey meat with enough pan drippings for turkey gravy.
Ingredients
- Turkey: bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, about 3-6 pounds
- Lemon: sliced to line the baking dish to prevent sticking while adding flavor and moisture
- Butter: unsalted and softened at room temperature
- Fresh herbs: thyme, sage, and rosemary (or substituted dried)
- Seasonings: salt and pepper, to taste
How to make roasted turkey breast
- Prep the turkey. Remove the turkey breast from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Pat dry. Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels.
- Make the herb butter. Combine the softened butter, garlic, thyme, sage, and rosemary.
- Loosen the skin. Gently lift the skin away from the turkey breast meat and rub about half of the herb butter directly under the skin onto the breast meat in an even layer.
- Roast. Transfer the turkey breast, skin side up, to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish lined with lemon slices. Spread the remaining herb butter over the outside of the skin in an even layer. Then cook for about 15-20 minutes per pound or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°F.
- Rest. Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes, covered loosely with foil, and allow the carryover cooking to raise the internal temperature to 165°F.
- Make the gravy. While the turkey rests, repurpose the pan drippings for gravy.
- Slice and serve. Slice the turkey breast into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick slices, ensuring each piece keeps some skin intact. Serve warm with the turkey gravy.
what to serve with turkey breast
Tools For This Recipe
Roasted Turkey Breast: Frequently Asked Questions
What if I bought a frozen turkey breast? How long will it take to thaw?
To defrost a turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of thawing for every 5 pounds.
Do I need a roasting pan and rack?
Because a turkey breast is much smaller than a whole turkey, this can be cooked in a vessel of your choosing – a roasting pan without the rack, an oven-safe skillet, or a baking dish.
Should I base the turkey?
For maximum crispy skin, skip the basting. Opening the oven door frequently will slow down the cooking time and prevent the high heat needed for crispy skin.
How long will it take to cook a turkey breast?
This will vary on the size of your bird but plan for about 15-20 minutes per pound.
How do you know when the turkey is done cooking?
The turkey should reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) inserted into the thickest part of the breast (avoid touching bone, gristle, or fat).
Will I still have enough pan drippings to make gravy?
Yes! Even with a turkey breast, you should have plenty of pan drippings for the most favorited gravy recipe.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Roasted Turkey Breast
Perfect for small gatherings, this easy roasted turkey breast is juicy, moist, and so tender with enough pan drippings for turkey gravy!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 5-pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Let turkey stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Spread lemon slices into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, thyme, sage and rosemary.
- Dry turkey thoroughly with paper towels. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin from the breast meat, spreading half of the butter mixture under the skin. Secure skin over the butter with wooden picks.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on top of the lemon slices. Spread remaining half of the butter mixture over the turkey; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place into oven and bake until the turkey is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Let stand 20 minutes before carving; serve warm with gravy, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Plan for 1 – 1.5 lb of turkey per person. This will ensure you have enough leftovers and pan drippings for your gravy. If using boneless breasts, reduce the amount to 0.5 lb of turkey per person.
- Bone-in is ideal. Turkey breasts are available boneless and bone-in. Bone-in will generally be far more flavorful and juicier.
- Thaw the turkey breast. If using a frozen turkey breast, allow 1-2 days to thaw completely in the fridge or 3-5 hours in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Rub the butter mixture inside and out. For maximum flavor, rub the herb butter mixture throughly both under the skin and over the skin in an even layer.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. Check your turkey breast halfway through cooking, inserting through the thickest part of the breast but avoiding the bone. Remove the turkey from the oven once it reaches 160°F to allow the carryover cooking (during the resting period) to raise it up to 165°F.
- Let your bird rest. Let the turkey breast rest for at least 20 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness. This also frees up oven space to reheat and cook your remaining Thanksgiving side dishes.
- Save the drippings. Drippings make for the best turkey gravy.
Did you make this recipe?
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Plan on 3 hours before you want to eat. I had a 5 pound half breast and it was full of flavor and kept its moisture. Already in my calendar to have ready for next year!
How long for a boneless turkey breast “roast”
Turned out great and so juicy!
Do you cover the turkey breast while cooking?
If you use a bone-in breast, how do u get the breast to stand up on the lemons or rack without falling over when you move it? Thanks in advance.
I have the same question! I made this last year using a rack (for the same reason) and it still turned out excellently, but I am curious how this would stand up without a one.
I ball up tin foil and wedge it on the side of the breast this seems to work out fine (injoy)
I used this recipe on Thanksgiving Day.
It was delicious!
Thank you.
Made it for Thanksgiving and it was a winner.
Great flavour and the meat was moist and tasty.
This will be my go to recipe
Just me and husband, whole turkey is too much. This was absolutely delicious and easy! I used our home grown herbs and I will make it again and share the recipe. I followed to the letter and wouldn’t change a thing. I did not cover the turkey breast while roasting. I did remove the spine so breast would stand up.
How long for a 8lb turkey?
Ours took about 3 hours. The cooking instructions were on the bag. Temp in the thickest part of the breast should be 170. Be sure you let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting. Makes a big difference.
Hi Do you cover the turkey while it’s cooking?
Used this recipe last year for Thanksgiving. Best turkey we have had hands down. They requested I make the turkey the exact same way so we will be doing it again! We love all of your recipes we have tried! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Casey! We hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Question – when ordering the turkey breast I see a lot of “ready to brine” descriptions. Should I brine?
Hi there this was the best turkey I ever cooked
Nate Boone
It was a delicious recipe. I will definitely use again and hardly any leftovers.
The 2nd time in a week I’ve fixed this recipe. However used dried versus fresh herbs. Since I used dry herbs, I reduced the quantity by half. The best turkey breast I’ve ever fixed. Everyone kept going back for more. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed.
We had a holiday emergency at Thanksgiving this past year. At the last minute our turkey source was closed. We were leaving town to celebrate at a rental with family, and wanted to avoid roasting a large turkey using an unknown oven. This recipe saved us, and was some of the best turkey we’ve ever had! So quick and easy too! We bought two 5lb turkey breasts, and cooked side by side following this recipe exactly as written. Delicious! Crispy skin, moist and tender meat. I would use this recipe anytime. Thank you for the holiday rescue, Damn Delicious!
If I have two 5lbs turkey breasts, can I cook it at the same time side by side?
Thank you!
Fantastic recipe that turned out perfectly!
There were plenty of pan drippings for gravy too.
This turkey was probably the best we’ve ever had – so tender and moist! Well worth the extra time roasting in the oven. One note: I used a smaller 2.75-lb boneless skin-on turkey breast (found at Whole Foods) and it still took a solid 1.5 hours to reach 165, maybe due to the thickness.
This was absolutely perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe. Turkey was flavorful and moist, and it was so easy to make. Yet another hit from Damn Delicious!