If you ask me, roasted turkey breast is one of the most underrated things you can make, whether it's November or the middle of July. It's faster than roasting a whole bird, it feeds a crowd without the chaos, and the results are absolutely stunning every single time. I've been leaning on this method for years, and I honestly think it's the move whenever you want something impressive without the all-day commitment. If you're newer to cooking turkey in general, my Gaby's Guide to Turkey is the perfect place to start before you dive in. And if you end up with leftovers (lucky you), I have a full roundup of 15 Leftover Turkey Recipes that will keep you eating well all week long. For sides, I'm a big fan of pairing this with something like Cacio e Pepe Roasted Potatoes because the flavors are just completely perfect together.
Roasted Turkey Breast at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 6 people
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: American
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Herb-crusted and golden on the outside with juicy, tender meat infused with garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon, and dry white wine.
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy-free, gluten-free. Contains no common allergens beyond the recipe ingredients as listed.
- 📦 Storage Notes: Store leftover turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This roasted turkey breast is the ultimate solution for smaller holiday gatherings where a whole bird feels like too much. It comes together in a fraction of the time and still delivers all that classic Thanksgiving flavor you love. The herb and garlic paste rubbed directly onto the meat means every single bite is packed with flavor. Honestly, once you try it this way, you might never go back to the whole bird.
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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!! This delicious turkey 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!
Tips & Tricks for the Best Roasted Turkey Breast
All the Thanksgiving flavor, none of the full-bird stress.
- Brine the breast before you do anything else. A wet brine seasons the meat all the way through and helps it retain moisture during roasting. Even a 12-hour brine makes a noticeable difference in juiciness and flavor.
- Pat the turkey breast completely dry before applying the herb paste. Surface moisture creates steam in the oven, which prevents the skin from crisping up. A dry surface means you get that deep golden brown skin instead of a pale, flabby one.
- Smear half the paste directly onto the meat under the skin, not just on top. The skin acts as a barrier and the fat in it can prevent flavors from penetrating the meat. Getting the paste directly onto the flesh means every bite is seasoned, not just the outside.
- Use a roasting rack inside your pan. Elevating the breast allows hot air to circulate underneath the meat so it cooks evenly. Without a rack, the bottom sits in the pan drippings and steams instead of roasts.
- Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan before it goes into the oven. The wine creates a steamy, flavorful environment in the oven that helps keep the breast moist. It also builds the base of your pan drippings for spooning over the turkey at serving time.
- Choose a dry, high-acid white wine like Sauvignon Blanc for the pan. High-acid wines cut through the richness of the turkey drippings and keep the pan sauce bright. A sweeter wine will make the drippings taste flat and one-dimensional.
- Roast at 325 degrees F the entire time, no blasting at high heat. A steady, moderate temperature gives the breast time to cook through without drying out the exterior before the interior is done. High heat is much more likely to produce chalky, overcooked meat on a lean cut like this.
- Use an instant-read thermometer and pull the breast at exactly 165 degrees F. Turkey breast has very little fat and goes from perfectly juicy to dry and grainy within just a few degrees of overcooking. A thermometer is the only reliable way to hit the target.
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching bone. Bone conducts heat faster than meat and will give you a falsely high reading. Always push the probe into the densest area of flesh for an accurate temperature.
- Tent the breast loosely with foil if the skin starts browning before the interior is cooked through. Foil reflects heat away from the skin surface while still allowing the interior to continue cooking. Removing the foil for the last 10 minutes will re-crisp the skin if needed.
- Rest the turkey for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Resting allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb the juices that were pushed toward the center during cooking. Cut into it too soon and those juices run straight onto the cutting board.
- Spoon the pan drippings over each slice right before serving. The drippings are concentrated with wine, herb paste, and turkey fat and they act as an instant sauce. This step takes five seconds and makes a significant difference in how the finished dish tastes.
Roasted Turkey Breast FAQs
What is roasted turkey breast?
Roasted turkey breast is a streamlined American holiday main course built around a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast rubbed with a paste of garlic, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, olive oil, and lemon juice, then slow-roasted with dry white wine until the skin is golden and the meat hits 165 degrees F. It delivers the centerpiece flavor of a full Thanksgiving turkey in roughly half the oven time and at a fraction of the size. It is the ideal choice for smaller gatherings where roasting an entire bird is unnecessary.
How long does it take to roast a turkey breast?
A 6.5 to 7 pound bone-in turkey breast roasts at 325 degrees F for 1.5 to 2 hours. Pull it when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 165 degrees F. Rest it under foil for 15 minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute.
Should I brine the turkey breast before roasting?
Yes. Brining makes a meaningful difference in moisture and seasoning all the way through the meat, not just at the surface. A wet brine works well for a single breast, and you can reduce the water quantity by half compared to a whole-bird brine since the vessel needed is much smaller. Dry brine works too if you prefer less fuss.
Why do you put the herb paste under and on top of the skin?
Spreading half the paste directly onto the meat under the skin ensures the garlic and herbs season the turkey flesh itself, not just the exterior. The paste on top of the skin crisps and browns as it roasts, creating a deeply savory crust. Skipping the under-skin layer leaves the meat under-seasoned no matter how much you apply to the outside.
What do I do if the skin is browning too fast?
Tent the breast loosely with aluminum foil about 20 minutes early if the skin is darkening before the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the foil for the last few minutes if you want to re-crisp the skin before pulling the pan. Do not wrap it tightly or the trapped steam will soften the crust you just built.
How much turkey breast do I need per person?
Plan on roughly 1 pound of bone-in turkey breast per person. A 6.5 to 7 pound breast feeds 6 to 7 people comfortably when paired with a full spread of Thanksgiving sides. If you are serving a lighter lineup of accompaniments, bump that estimate up slightly.
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 (estimated)
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling by Stephanie Hanes // Recipe adapted from the queen - Ina Garten!
Hi I really wanted to try this but I can't find the video link for the brine. And I have never done it before. What am I doing with the water? Using it to rinse? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Check out this guide to brine! http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/holidays/guide-to-turkey/brine-cook
Hi Gaby
How much orange peel do you suggest I add to the brine.
1 orange peel would do the trick!!
Amazing. I like what you did.
This is a new comment. Nice!
My turkey breast is a double one. Not sure I can brine it because I don't have a big enought pan to do the brine in. Any suggestions?
Can you use a zip top extra large bag to brine?? Those big ones they sell at the market would probably be big enough
Hello from an American expat in Finland! Your recipe looks excellent and perfect for our smaller European ovens. Turkey breasts come pre-skinned here so I was wondering how you think this might affect this recipe. They are also pricy and I'm preparing for a large crowd so I can't afford to mess it up! Thanks!
Hi Monique!
I've never tried it without the skin so I'm not sure how it will affect the turkey. But I dont see why you can do it without the skin. I roast chicken breasts without the skin and they are great. I'd just be sure to add a healthy amount of butter or oil on top so the turkey stays moist while it's roasting.
Thanks. It's mostly the moisture I'm concerned about too since the skin does such an excellent job trapping the juices inside. I wonder if cooking it covered for the first hour would help with that at all...
This was fabulous! I cut som slits to put butter in and cooked this covered. It was moist and delicious!
I read somewhere that you shouldn't brine a frozen turkey breast, only fresh. Is that true?
I do hope it is a type o when you say 2tbsp sea salt I used less than that and it tasted like I was licking a salt block. Had to scrap it all off the turkey other than that the turkey breast was wonderful, very moist.
Thanks Gaby!!
Followed your instructions and mine is brining as I type 🙂 Can't wait to try it tomorrow!!! Thank You and Happy Holidays!!
Hey Gaby,
New to all things turkey and brining. I'm super excited to try your easy looking recipe for Christmas. Question though... What do you do with all that water?
Teresa
Hi Teresa!
Thanks for catching that typo! The water goes into the bag with the salt and brown sugar as the brine!!
Thanks 🙂
Gaby
I always do a turkey breast for Thanksgiving - in fact, I have the butcher bone it, so that when it comes out of the oven all I have to do is slice and serve. I haven't brined in the past but I am definitely going to try that next year. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions, Gaby. Love the video - you always look so confident on camera! How do you do it????
Just wanted to let you know that I made this today for Thanksgiving and the turkey was absolutely fantastic. So juicy and flavorful. I used half the amount of salt on the skin though and the skin was still pretty salty, but the meat was perfect.
This looks so good. I am combining ideas from several sources (yours included) to make boneless skinless turkey breasts in the slow cooker today. So excited for supper tonight!
I'm in charge of Thanksigivng with my in-laws (we just lost my mother in law) so this seems perfect. I'm trying to make the day special but not be 'over the top'. You mentioned that there is a must have gravy? Does the turkey breast produce enough drippings to make gravy? Do you have a recipie listed anywhere for how to make it?
Thank you~
Hi Andrea!
Yes - the turkey will produce enough drippings for Gravy! I don't have a recipe listed anywhere on the site yet but all I do is remove the turkey breast from the pan, put the pan over medium high heat with the drippings. Add 3 tbsp of flour and whisk it into the drippings and then add turkey or chicken stock until it comes to a consistency that I like!! Hope you enjoy! And Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I am going to make this tomorrow! My mom insists on doing Thanksgiving every year so my bf and I have a tradition to make an alternative Thanksgiving every year, I get to try some less traditional dishes and a breast is the perfect size for us, plus leftovers- thanks for the great tips, hope mine turns out as well as yours!!!