If you’re cooking for a smaller number of people this Thanksgiving or Christmas, then this roasted turkey breast is so easy to cook and takes just 60-90 minutes to be ready!
Why Roasted Turkey Breast
If you’re not cooking a whole bird this year, or cooking a whole bird can be intimidating, then roasting a turkey breast is a great option. It’s also perfect for those who forgot to thaw a whole bird a few days prior to cooking, or those who love white meat.
Roasting a boneless or bone-in turkey breast takes just 60-90 minutes depending on the size of the meat.
How Much Turkey Meat Per Person
Before you do your shopping, you need to think of how many people are you cooking for, and what size of turkey breast to buy.
For boneless turkey meat, you will need around 8oz of turkey meat per adult and 4oz per child.
How to Thaw Turkey Breast
Thaw in the fridge overnight, depending on the size of the turkey breast it will take around 18-24 hours to thaw completely. Once thawed, cook within 3 days.
Garlic Herb Butter
To keep the skin super crispy, and to flavor the turkey breast, this easy garlic herb butter is perfect and super flavorful! I love the notes of sage, rosemary, and thyme when it comes to turkey. It also helps keep the meat juicy and moist, so let’s get into it!
Use softened butter, and add your herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.
You can totally use dried herbs if you don’t have fresh herbs available, just use 1/3 of the amounts as dried herbs have a concentrated flavor. You can also use 1 tablespoon of this homemade poultry seasoning. I use it for turkey and chicken roasts and it tastes amazing!
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Pat dry the turkey breast (do not wash). Then using the bottom of a spoon, lift up the skin and spread the herb butter. You can either spread half of it under the skin, and the rest over the skin, or spread it all underneath the skin.
Once that is done, transfer the turkey breast to a roasting dish and onto the oven (you don’t need to cover it with foil, as it won’t roast in the oven for long). Roast for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of your turkey, when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155°F (68°C), remove from the oven.
Allow the turkey breast to rest for 20-30 minutes, a kitchen thermometer should register 165°F (74°C). This means that the turkey breast is safe to eat, and ready to be sliced.
Make sure that the temperature does not exceed 155-160°F when roasting, as that will dry the meat and make it tough.
Top Tips
- This method of roasting ensures that your turkey breast has an extra crispy skin! Basting will make it soggy so avoid that.
- Always roast the turkey breast skin side up to ensure that the skin stays crispy.
- Use the drippings to make homemade gravy, separate the fat, and use the rest to thicken for a tasty gravy.
- If eating crispy skin is not your thing, remove it either before or after slicing the turkey breast. But I strongly recommend that you roast the turkey with skin on to ensure that the meat stays juicy and tender.
- After 40 minutes of roasting keep checking the temperature of the turkey breast, as there is nothing worse than dry turkey!
Serving Ideas
Serve turkey with homemade cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, and stuffing.
If you try this recipe, please don’t forget to rate it and share a picture on social media, tagging #NourishPlate in your posts. I would really love to see your creations. Bon appetit!
Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 3-6 lb turkey breast boneless or bone-in
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 leaves fresh sage
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- In a small bowl, combine butter with herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix and set aside.
- Pat dry the turkey breast (do not wash). Then using the bottom of a spoon, lift up the skin and spread the herb butter. You can either spread half of it under the skin, and the rest over the skin, or spread it all underneath the skin.
- Once that is done, transfer the turkey breast to a roasting dish and onto the oven (you don’t need to cover it with foil, as it won’t roast in the oven for long). Roast for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of your turkey, when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155°F (68°C), remove from the oven.
- Allow the turkey breast to rest for 20-30 minutes, a kitchen thermometer should register 165°F (74°C). This means that the turkey breast is safe to eat, and ready to be sliced.Make sure that the temperature does not exceed 155-160°F when roasting, as that will dry the meat and make it tough.
Video
Notes
- The amount of butter and herbs in this recipe are enough for a 2.5-3 pound turkey, if the one you’re cooking is bigger around 6 pounds then double the amounts of butter and herbs.
- The servings specified in the recipe card (6 adult servings) is based on a 3-pound turkey breast. The recommended portion size is 8oz per adult, and 4oz per child.
- This method of roasting ensures that your turkey breast has an extra crispy skin! Basting will make it soggy so avoid that.
- Always roast the turkey breast skin side up to ensure that the skin stays crispy.
- Use the drippings to make homemade gravy, separate the fat, and use the rest to thicken for a tasty gravy.
- If eating crispy skin is not your thing, remove it either before or after slicing the turkey breast. But I strongly recommend that you roast the turkey with skin on to ensure that the meat stays juicy and tender.
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