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!
This post may contain affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policyfor more info. Follow WonkyWonderful on Pinterestto stay up to date on all of the new recipes!
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.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
357
Pin
Share
Tweet
Share
Previous Post: « Rocky Road Fudge Recipe
Next Post: Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Dessert Cheese Ball »
Reader Interactions
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?
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.
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.
In general, you'll want to cook a bone-in turkey breast for about 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), or until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
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.
Cooking a turkey upside down allows the juices to trickle down during the roasting process for extra moist and juicy breast meat. Plus, since the dark meat is closer to the heat source, it cooks faster than it does with the traditional method. It's a win-win!
(Our turkey took about an hour.) If that temperature seems low, read our post about poultry temperatures! If you wait to pull the turkey at 165°F (74°C), the breasts will be overcooked and dry.
Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.
you test by inserting a very sharp knife or skewer in the thickest part of the leg (drumstick) and if it runs clear it should be cooked. Twist the leg bone and prick the breast with a fork. If the leg bone rotates easily and if juices from the breast run clear, the bird is almost certainly done.
The Centers for Disease Control suggests never washing your poultry before cooking. The reason why: "Washing raw turkey can spread germs to other food.
Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.
The light, tender breast meat is prone to overcooking, while dark meat portions of the bird needs extra time. A simple solution is to flip the bird over and roast the turkey upside down. This technique protects the white meat from drying out, and cooks the thigh meat faster.
If you cook the bird breast down, the turkey skin over the breast will not brown well. If you want browning on the breast, you'll need to turn the turkey over in the pan and to brown it in the last few minutes of cooking.
Because dark meat has more connective tissues, it takes longer to break down, so if you cook the turkey whole, by time the legs and thighs are done, the breasts are overcooked and dry. The solution: Carve your turkey before you cook it.
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.
For a 10–13-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2–2 1/4 hr. For a 14–23-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2–3 hr.
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.
The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°. That works out to approximately 3 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird (a 12-pound turkey is pretty standard).
Address: Suite 153 582 Lubowitz Walks, Port Alfredoborough, IN 72879-2838
Phone: +128413562823324
Job: IT Strategist
Hobby: Video gaming, Basketball, Web surfing, Book restoration, Jogging, Shooting, Fishing
Introduction: My name is Rev. Porsche Oberbrunner, I am a zany, graceful, talented, witty, determined, shiny, enchanting person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.