This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is a great alternative for small gatherings at Thanksgiving, Christmas or other times of year. This simple recipe made with rich butter and fresh herbs makes a flavorful, tender, juicy turkey breast with perfectly crispy skin.
Usually for Thanksgiving I have a small family gathering four to six people. So it just doesn’t make sense for me to make a whole roasted turkey. A turkey breast like this one is prefect for our small gathering. Served with Southern Style Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Relish, and a Honey Pecan Pie for dessert this Thanksgiving will be delicious and memorable.
How to Roast a Turkey Breast:
(scroll down for full directions at the bottom of the page):
Ingredients:
- Turkey Breast
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Italian Parsley
- Sweet Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Salt and Pepper
Special Equipment:
- 9×13 baking dish
- Aluminum Foil
Instructions:
Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F then spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Step Two: Place the turkey breast, breast side up, into the baking dish. If it wants to fall over, ball up a piece of foil and stick it under the breast cavity to stabilize it.
Step Three: In a small mixing bowl combine the softened butter, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper until it is well combined.
Step Four: Separate the skin from the meat of the breast using your hand. To do this you will place your hand near the neck opening and then gently work your hand all the way down. Be careful that you do not puncture the skin.
Step Five: Reserve a tablespoon of the butter mixture. Then take the butter mixture in your hands and rub it under the skin of the turkey into the meat making sure it is covered and well seasoned.
Step Six: Take the previously reserved butter and spread it across the outside skin of the turkey breast.
Step Seven: Place turning in preheated 350°F oven and bake for about 20 minutes per pound. An 8 pound turkey breast took about 2.5 hours. The turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching the bone, reaches 165°F.
Step Eight: Let the turkey rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Reserve any drippings to make gravy if desired.
<<Collage>>
My Notes and Tips:
- There is no need to baste this turkey breast! Basting will require opening and closing the oven door several times. Opening the oven door will let heat out and can lead to uneven cooking and longer cooking times. Instead let the turkey bake in the oven without interruption for the best results.
- Let the turkey rest so the juices inside can redistribute throughout the meat to prevent it from becoming dry. The turkey will not become cold during this rest period. If you want, you can tent the turkey with foil to hold in the heat and keep the turkey warm.
Substitutions and Variations:
- You can use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary, and sage in place of the fresh herbs.
- Use smoked paprika in place of sweet for a delicious smokey element.
- If you don’t want to use butter you can replace it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Alternatively, you can just use less butter as well and it will still work the same way. Keep all the other seasoning elements the same. However, if you plan to make gravy from the turkey renderings I recommend using butter for additional flavor.
How much turkey per person?
Generally speaking, you should plan to cook about one pound of turkey per person. So if you are having five people to Thanksgiving dinner you will need around a five pound turkey breast. If you want lots of leftovers or to make sure you have plenty of turkey to serve consider purchasing 1.5 pounds or two pounds of turkey per guest. This would mean you will need between eight and ten pounds for 5 guests.
How to thaw a turkey breast:
Refrigerator: Keep the turkey breast in it’s wrapper and place in the fridge breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet or tray.
Allow at least one day of thawing for every four pounds of turkey. For example for an eight pound breast, like the one in the post, allow two days of thawing.
Cold water thawing: Keep turkey in the wrapper and submerge under cold water. You will need to change the water every 30 minutes to make sure it remains cold.
If the turkey cannot be completely covered by the water rotate submerged side every 30 minutes to allow for even thawing.
Allow 30 minutes of thawing time per pound of turkey for this thawing method. For an 8 pound breast it would be four hours of thawing time.
Holidays aren’t about how many people are around your table but about the amount of love that surrounds it. So this year no matter how you celebrate I hope you will find the joy in time well spent with loved ones.
Happy Cooking Y’all!
Susanne
What to serve with a roasted turkey breast:
Roasted Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes
Still hungry? Follow New South Charm on Pinterest! for more recipe ideas!
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 8 pound whole turkey breast or similar size
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley1 chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme1 chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary1 chopped
- ½ tablespoon fresh sage1 chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a 9x13 or larger baking dish with cooking spray.
-
Place the turkey breast, breast side up, into the baking dish. If it wants to fall over, ball up a piece of foil and stick it under the breast cavity to stabilize it.
-
In a small bowl, mix together the butter, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder until well combined.
-
Take your hand and carefully separate the skin away from the meat. You need to place your hand by the neck opening and work it under the skin to do this. Be careful not to puncture the skin.
-
Take the butter mixture and with your hands, place the butter under the skin, reserve about 1 tablespoon of the butter.
-
Use your hands to smooth the butter around the breast meat, so it is well seasoned.
-
Take the remaining butter and smear it all over the outside of the skin.
-
Bake for about 20 minutes per pound (an 8-pound turkey took 2 and ½ hours) or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching the bone, reaches 165°F.
-
Let the turkey rest on the counter for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Reserve any drippings to make gravy if desired.
Recipe Notes
1 You can use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary, and sage in place of the fresh herbs.
2 Nutritional information is estimated. Amounts will vary based on ingredient choices and serving sizes.
This turned out absolutely amazing!