Let's talk Roasted Turkey Breast!
Hands down one of the MOST frequent questions I got last week on our Thanksgiving Q+A on IG was how to do a turkey or turkey breast. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I know that roasting an entire turkey can be a little bit intimidating (especially if this is your first time!) and maybe not even entirely necessary this year! So with everyone celebrating the holidays with smaller groups and mostly immediate family this year, turkey meatballs or a turkey breast are the perfect alternative to the entire bird.
How long does it take to roast a turkey breast? It's way faster than a whole bird!! A turkey breast takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours and takes up less space in your oven!
How much Turkey Breast do I need per person? I go with about 1 lb per person. There are so many sides, let's be honest, those are where the real servings come into play!
What sides go with a roasted turkey breast? the usual Thanksgiving side dishes are perfect! The best mashed potatoes and a baked mac and cheese or a cauliflower gratin! Here are my favorites.
Should I still brine a turkey breast? yes - absolutely!! Wet or dry brine is great and if you opt for a wet brine, you won't need as big of a vessel to store the turkey in so it's an overall win! You can reduce the water in the wet brine by ½.
Can you make gravy with a Roasted Turkey Breast? sure can! Just follow my recipe here!
Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 ½ to 7 pounds
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine (sauv blanc)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes // Recipe adapted from the queen - Ina Garten!
I don't have any wine, can you just use water or what other option do you recommend, also we don't like sage, we use savoʻry, same amount as sage or do you recommend another amount?
Thank you
Hi Gaby - I'm roasting two turkey breasts - using your dry brine recipe - and following this recipe for roasting. Question - do you recommend selecting Convection or Roasting option on oven? and, if roasting two breasts, would cook time be the same - or do I need to allow additional time because there are two in the oven? Thanks!
probably additional time. I would do roast option. And best bet would be to have a meat thermometer to be extra exact
Thank you for the turkey breast and gravy recipes - I know my Thanksgiving this year will be fantastic!!!!!!!! Thank you so much.
Would you recommend still doing the dry brine and also following this recipe? If doing a 6-9lb breast would you cut the brine recipe in half?
yes and yes
Made this last year for my Book Group’s Friendsgiving and got a request to make it again. So good! Used Gaby’s dry brine 1 day before baking.
I bought 1/2 of a turkey breast with skin and bones. Do I just halve everything in order to cook it? Do you carve it from top to bottom as if it was still on the rest of the carcass?
YUP! that's exactly right on all fronts
Recipe looks good
Just to be clear, if I’m dry brining, after a day I wipe all that off, and do this paste for roasting?
yes!
Hi Gaby! The show was so much fun to watch and I noticed you basted the turkey (which isn't mentioned here.) Assume it would just be fine not to but can you give the measurements and what you basted it with just in case? Thanks.
basted it with 1/2 cup melted butter on the show!
My girlfriend is also named Gaby and she makes two turkey filets, skinless and bonelss. She coats them in mayonnaise and dips them in seasoned breadcrumbs and roasts them in her toaster oven. She says they turn out delicious! There are just the two of them for Thanksgiving. They are retired and living in Florida.
Any tips on adjusting for a convection oven?
Hi Gaby, I am going to use this recipe to roast two 6 lb bone-in turkey breasts. Is there anything I need to do differently? My roasting pan is large enough to fit them side-by-side. Thanks in advance for your help.
you can totally do them side by side!! just double the seasonings
Hello Gaby,
I really love your recipes. I was thinking about making this for Christmas dinner, but I am hitting a bit of a roadblock. I don't know why, but in Germany (or maybe just in my area) it is quite problematic to buy a turkey breast with the skin on. So my question is, do you think that I could make the recipe without the skin and is there anything that I should take into consideration when doing so? Thanks in advance!
I would drape it with a butter soaked cheese cloth so the outside doesn't dry out while roasting! And baste it regularly!
I just wanted to say thank you this way, it worked out perfectly. It was the easiest way I ever made a turkey breast and it turned out so tender and tasty.