OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST RECIPE + WonkyWonderful (2024)
By Nicole Harris1 Comment
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This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe is perfect for those small holiday menus. If you’re hosting a small Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner, this butter and herb turkey breast will be perfect!
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Cooking Turkey Breast
Cooking a turkey breast is great for those smaller holiday gatherings. I have a feeling a lot of us will be spending the holidays with our immediate families this year. No need to skip the feasts entirely, just scale them down.
I personally have been cooking just the turkey breast for years because that is my preferred part of the turkey and my holiday feasts are always on the small side.
Do You Cook Turkey Breast Covered Or Uncovered
If you want that deep browned top (which most do) Start uncovered then just tent with foil once the turkey reaches your desired color. I usually cover it around the last 30 minutes or so.
Ingredients Needed For Buttery Herb Turkey Breast(screenshot for grocery list)
Place turkey into greased roasting dish. Carefully pull up the skin from the breast and rub half the butter mixture under the skin. Smear the remaining butter on top of skin. Surround with lemon wedges and fresh herbs.
Roast turkey breast for approximately 2-3 hours or until internal temp reaches 165ºF in the thickest part of the breast. Baste with juices 1-2 times while roasting. Tent with foil once turkey reaches the desired brown color.
This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe is perfect for those small holiday menus. If you’re hosting a small Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner, this butter and herb turkey breast will be perfect!
Place turkey into greased roasting dish. Carefully pull up the skin from the breast and rub half the butter mixture under the skin. Smear the remaining butter on top of skin. Surround with lemon wedges and fresh herbs.
Roast turkey breast for approximately 2-3 hours or until internal temp reaches 165ºF in the thickest part of the breast. Baste with juices 1-2 times while roasting. Tent with foil once turkey reaches the desired brown color.
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Comments
Cherylsays
I made this yesterday putting as much of the butter mixture under the skin and cooking in an oven bag. My 8.5 lb turkey breast took 2 hours to cook. It was moist and delicious. Today, after picking the carcass, I cooked the carcass in water with salt, pepper, and some garlic powder (because I had no vegetables). After 3 hours I strained the broth, found I had 1-3/4 cups, and it was delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe. PS: When straining the drippings after cooking the breast, I was surprised that there was not much fat considering that 1/2 cup of butter was used on the bird. Was it absorbed by the meat?
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
If the turkey breast won't stay upright in the roasting pan, take two or three feet of aluminum foil, wad it up and partially stuff into the turkey's chest cavity to create a “stand” to keep the breast steady.
The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it's very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.
So, yes, you do want to cover the turkey with foil to give it a chance to roast without getting dry. But then, towards the end of the cook time, remove the foil so the skin—the best part in this writer's opinion—gets a chance to crisp up.
We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.
"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."
2- to 2½-pound bone-in turkey breast half: Roast at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes. 2½- to 3-pound boneless turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes. 4- to 6-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 1½ to 2¼ hours. 6- to 8-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 2¼ to 3¼ hours.
Start in a hot heated oven at 450 degrees F, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F just before you put the turkey in the oven. The initial high heat will help brown the skin, then the lower heat will help cook the turkey breast on the inside without drying it out.
The point of using a rack is to let the heat of the oven circulate around the turkey. You don't need a specially designed rack for your roasting pan, but you need something to lift the bird above the bottom of the pan. Balls of aluminum foil work perfectly well; you can also use upside-down ramekins.
Place your turkey, breast-side up inside the bag. Use the enclosed oven-safe tie to secure the bag at the top. Snip six 1/2-inch-long slits in the bag with scissors – be sure to put one near a breast and a thigh, that way you can sneak your thermometer in to check the temperature.
Place turkey breast-side-up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep.Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place. (Tucking the wings will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving) Brush or spray skin lightly with vegetable or cooking oil for best appearance.
First, allow your cooked turkey to sit for about 20 minutes before starting to carve. Beginning halfway up the breast, slice straight down with an even stroke. When the knife reaches the cut above the wing joint, the slice should fall free on its own.
Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.
Creating a loose tent of aluminum foil over your turkey can keep the bird moist and avoid over-browning the skin. If you're concerned about over-cooking, start roasting the bird with the foil for the first hour, then remove it for the remainder of the cooking time.
Plan on between 2 and 2 ½ hours total for a 14- to 16-pound bird. Start at a high temperature (450°F for 45 minutes), then reduce to 325 degrees F. Let the turkey rest (30 minutes). Cover the turkey with aluminum foil to help it retain heat.
2- to 2½-pound bone-in turkey breast half: Roast at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes. 2½- to 3-pound boneless turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes. 4- to 6-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 1½ to 2¼ hours. 6- to 8-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 2¼ to 3¼ hours.
You don't need a roasting rack, but it helps to keep your turkey raised. It might come out a little stewed otherwise. You can use a wire cooling rack if you have one. If not, you can twist up some aluminum foil or cover the bottom of the pan with a chunky layer of coarsely chopped veggies.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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