Food

Turkey Breast Recipe: How to Make Roasted Turkey Breast

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Apr 28, 2024 • 4 min read

While you can find whole turkeys at supermarkets during the holidays, turkey breast is available year-round and works well in a variety of easy dishes. This roast turkey breast recipe yields crispy skin and herb-infused meat that you can slice and serve hot with your favorite vegetable sides, shredded into a brothy soup or diced for a hearty turkey salad.

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What Is Turkey Breast?

Turkey breast is a lean cut of white meat from the chest of a turkey. Much larger than a chicken breast but with a similar flavor, turkey breast responds well to techniques such as roasting, poaching, or even roulade (stuffed and rolled). The recipe below will show you how to sear the turkey in a pan before transferring to the oven for even roasting, resulting in a juicy, tender turkey breast with crispy skin—no roasting pan or basting required. If using a bone-in turkey breast, adjust the cook time accordingly, as bone-in meat takes a bit longer to cook. For a boneless turkey breast, take extra care not to overcook as the meat may dry out.

5 Ways to Serve Turkey Breast

Here are some ideas for what to do with oven-roasted turkey breast.

  1. 1. Turkey with mashed potatoes: For a hearty, classic meal, pair turkey breast with mashed potatoes, turkey gravy made from the pan drippings, and steamed veggies.
  2. 2. Turkey noodle soup: Add shredded leftover turkey breast and noodles to chicken stock or turkey stock for a quick turkey soup.
  3. 3. Turkey salad: Turkey salad comes together easily with diced turkey breast, mayo, celery, shallots, and lemon zest. Serve over a bed of crunchy romaine and juicy tomatoes for a diner classic.
  4. 4. Turkey enchiladas: Shredded turkey breast is a perfect filling for enchiladas. Simply fill tortillas with the turkey meat mixed with a bit of your favorite enchilada sauce, arrange in a baking dish, and pour more sauce over top. Sprinkle generously with cheese and bake until bubbling.
  5. 5. Turkey sandwiches: A turkey reuben is a fun take on a deli staple. Layer sliced turkey breast with sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing between two slices of buttered rye bread, then grill on each side until the cheese has melted and the bread is nicely toasted.

4 Tips for Cooking Turkey Breast

Here’s how to get the juiciest roast turkey breast at home.

  1. 1. Temper the meat. Cooking the turkey directly from the refrigerator will cool the hot pan and create steam, causing meat to cook unevenly. About thirty minutes before cooking the turkey, pull it from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature. If using frozen turkey meat, thaw completely in the refrigerator and then temper. (This is a good practice for cooking whole turkey and other cuts of meat as well.)
  2. 2. Season generously. Turkey breast is thick compared to a chicken breast, and even seasoning is a crucial step in getting the best tasting turkey, so generously coat the bird with salt and pepper before cooking so the seasoning can permeate the meat.
  3. 3. Cook directly on top of the herbs. Using a bed of whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary while cooking the turkey will perfume the meat while it cooks for that classic herb-roasted flavor.
  4. 4. Use a meat thermometer. Turkey breast can easily dry out if overcooked. To prevent this, periodically insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. As soon as it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove from the oven and let the meat rest. The residual heat will continue cooking it to 165 (the proper temperature for cooking poultry) without drying it out.

Turkey Breast Recipe

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makes

1 turkey breast

prep time

5 min

total time

1 hr 15 min

cook time

30 min

Ingredients

Note that total time includes 40 minutes of tempering and rest time.

  1. 1

    Pull the turkey from the fridge and let it temper for 30 minutes.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

  3. 3

    Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for a full minute or longer to get the pan nice and hot.

  4. 4

    Pat the turkey meat dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.

  5. 5

    Add oil to the pan and wait for it to shimmer without smoking, about 15 seconds.

  6. 6

    Place the turkey skin-side down in the center of the pan.

  7. 7

    Sear until the skin is deeply golden brown and crisp, about 12–15 minutes, checking for color once about halfway through.

  8. 8

    Add thyme, rosemary, sage, whole garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the pan and flip the turkey over, setting the meat directly onto the fresh herbs, skin-side up.

  9. 9

    Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, about 15 minutes more. Insert an instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to test for doneness.

  10. 10

    Once cooked, let the turkey rest on a sheet pan, cutting board, or platter for 10 minutes.

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