Perfect Roasted Bone-In Turkey Breast: Your Ultimate Holiday Guide
Transform your holiday feast with this exquisite Roasted Bone-In Turkey Breast. Imagine succulent, incredibly juicy meat that effortlessly pulls away from the bone, all encased in beautifully crispy, golden-brown skin. This recipe isn’t just a meal; it’s a showstopper, promising to impress every guest at your table. Infused with a thoughtful blend of savory herbs and aromatic spices, it achieves a perfect harmony of flavor and texture. This makes it an unforgettable centerpiece for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special gathering, elevating your culinary reputation with minimal effort.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.
Table of Contents
Why Choose Bone-In Turkey Breast for Your Holiday Feast?
When planning a festive meal, especially around Thanksgiving or Christmas, the choice of centerpiece is paramount. A bone-in turkey breast offers numerous advantages that make it a superior choice for many home cooks. Not only does it deliver an exceptionally rich flavor profile, but the bone also plays a crucial role in maintaining the meat’s moisture throughout the roasting process. This results in a consistently tender and juicy product that is far less prone to drying out compared to its boneless counterpart.
Furthermore, a perfectly roasted bone-in turkey breast with its golden, crispy skin presents an impressive visual display, making it a natural focal point for any holiday table. It strikes a balance between the grandeur of a whole turkey and the simplicity of cooking a smaller portion, making it ideal for smaller gatherings or when you want to focus on quality over quantity. The savory aromas that fill your kitchen as it roasts will instantly set a warm, inviting atmosphere, signaling the start of a truly special occasion.
Key Ingredients for a Superb Roasted Turkey Breast
Crafting a truly memorable roasted turkey breast begins with understanding the role of each primary ingredient. While the recipe itself is straightforward, selecting quality components is key to unlocking the best possible flavor and texture.
- Bone-in Turkey Breast: The star of our dish. Opt for a fresh, high-quality turkey breast from a reputable source. The bone not only contributes to flavor and moisture but also helps the meat cook more evenly. Ensure it is fully thawed if frozen before you begin cooking.
- Unsalted Butter: This is our secret weapon for both flavor and moisture. Butter melts into the meat as it roasts, keeping it incredibly tender and juicy from the inside out. It also aids in achieving that desirable crispy, golden skin. Using unsalted butter gives you full control over the overall saltiness of your dish.
- Aromatic Spices: A thoughtful blend of spices transforms a simple turkey breast into a flavorful masterpiece. These seasonings penetrate the meat, creating a deep, savory crust and infusing every bite with deliciousness. We’ll dive into specific spice recommendations and how to use them effectively to achieve maximum flavor.
Together, these core ingredients lay the foundation for a perfectly roasted turkey breast that will be the highlight of any meal.
Bone-in vs Boneless Turkey Breast: A Comprehensive Comparison
Choosing between bone-in and boneless turkey breast often comes down to personal preference and the specific needs of your meal. However, understanding their key differences can help you make an informed decision for your next culinary endeavor.
Bone-in turkey breast is renowned for its superior juiciness and depth of flavor. The presence of the bone acts as a natural insulator, slowing down the cooking process slightly and allowing the meat to cook more gently and evenly. More importantly, the bone releases gelatin and marrow during roasting, which infuses the meat with a richer, more complex taste and helps to retain moisture, resulting in a significantly more succulent texture. This natural protection also reduces the risk of overcooking, making it a forgiving option for home cooks.
While bone-in turkey generally offers a more flavorful and moist outcome, boneless turkey, when prepared correctly using techniques like brining or careful basting, can also be quite delicious and tender. Here’s a detailed look at other distinctions:
- Cooking Time: Boneless turkey breast typically cooks much faster than bone-in turkey. Without the bone to heat through, the meat reaches its target internal temperature more quickly, which can be advantageous when you’re short on time.
- Carving: Boneless turkey is undeniably easier to carve. Its uniform shape allows for clean, even slices with minimal effort, making it ideal for quick serving or meal prepping. Carving a bone-in breast requires a bit more skill to navigate around the bone for neat portions.
- Cost: Due to the additional processing required to remove the bones, boneless turkey breast tends to be more expensive per pound than bone-in. This is a factor to consider, especially when feeding a larger crowd.
- Nutritional Value: Boneless turkey breast often has the skin removed during processing, which generally results in a lower calorie and fat content compared to skin-on bone-in varieties. If dietary considerations are a priority, boneless might be preferred, though the skin can always be removed from a bone-in breast after cooking.
For those prioritizing flavor, moisture, and a traditional presentation, bone-in turkey breast remains the preferred choice, delivering an authentic and rich holiday experience.
Sourcing Your Turkey Breast: Half vs Full Breast
Finding a quality bone-in turkey breast is usually quite straightforward. Most major grocery stores and supermarkets stock them, especially around peak holiday seasons like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many stores, however, also carry them year-round, allowing you to enjoy this delightful dish anytime you wish.
Once you’re at the store, you’ll typically encounter two main options: a half turkey breast or a full turkey breast. Understanding the differences between these cuts will help you select the best option for your specific needs:
- Half Bone-In Turkey Breast: This cut, as its name suggests, is one side of a whole turkey breast, with the breastbone and rib bones still attached. It usually weighs between 3 to 5 pounds and is an excellent choice for smaller family dinners or intimate gatherings, comfortably serving around 4 to 6 people. A half breast minimizes leftovers, making it perfect if you don’t want an abundance of extra turkey. Many cooks find half breasts, like those often available at specialty grocers such as Trader Joe’s, to be of exceptional quality and a manageable size for everyday roasting.
- Full Bone-In Turkey Breast: This is the entire turkey breast, with the breastbone and rib bones fully intact. Considerably larger than a half breast, it typically weighs anywhere from 6 to 10 pounds and can generously feed up to 12 people. A full breast is the ideal choice for larger family gatherings, holiday feasts, or if you specifically desire plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, soups, or other delicious post-holiday meals.
When making your selection, carefully consider the number of guests you plan to feed and your preference for leftovers. Both options offer the rich flavor and moistness characteristic of bone-in turkey, so your decision can be based purely on quantity and convenience.
Crafting the Perfect Flavor Profile: Spices and Seasoning
The right blend of spices and seasonings is what transforms a simple turkey breast into an unforgettable culinary experience. Our core recipe relies on a robust, aromatic mixture to create a deeply savory and wonderfully fragrant crust, enhancing the natural flavors of the turkey.
For this recipe, we use a classic combination designed for maximum impact:
- Poultry Seasoning: This is often a pre-blended mix containing sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and black pepper. It provides a foundational, earthy, and aromatic flavor that is quintessential for turkey.
- Smoked Paprika: While regular paprika is perfectly fine, smoked paprika adds an extra layer of complexity with its slightly smoky, sweet, and peppery notes. It also contributes to the beautiful golden-red hue of the skin.
- Onion Powder: Offers a concentrated, sweet onion flavor without the moisture of fresh onions, ensuring a crispier skin and even seasoning distribution.
- Salt and Black Pepper: These fundamental seasonings are crucial. Salt enhances all other flavors and helps tenderize the meat, while freshly ground black pepper adds a pungent warmth.
Beyond this essential blend, feel free to customize your turkey breast to suit your palate. Here are some additional options to consider, each offering a unique twist:
- Sage: A timeless herb for turkey, sage delivers a warm, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor. Use fresh, finely chopped leaves for a more vibrant taste, or dried for convenience.
- Rosemary: Known for its strong, piney, and slightly citrusy notes. A little goes a long way with fresh or dried rosemary, adding an elegant depth to the turkey.
- Cumin: For a departure from traditional flavors, cumin introduces a warm, earthy, and slightly spicy kick, perfect for a more adventurous palate.
- Cayenne Pepper: If you enjoy a touch of heat, cayenne pepper can be added sparingly to provide a gentle warmth that can be adjusted to your preferred spice level.
- Cajun Seasoning or Creole Seasoning: These blends bring bold, zesty, and often spicy notes, transforming your turkey into a Southern-inspired delight.
- Lemon Pepper: A bright and tangy option, lemon pepper infuses the turkey with a refreshing citrusy zest and a subtle peppery finish, perfect for a lighter flavor profile.
Experiment with these options to find your perfect flavor combination, ensuring your roasted bone-in turkey breast is truly your own culinary masterpiece.
How to Achieve the Best Roasted Bone-In Turkey Breast in the Oven
Roasting a bone-in turkey breast in the oven is a rewarding process that yields tender, flavorful meat and crispy skin. While the recipe card below provides concise steps, understanding the rationale behind each action will ensure perfect results every time. Here’s a detailed walkthrough of the process:
- Preparation is Key (Pat Dry): Before applying any seasonings, it is crucial to thoroughly pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. This step removes excess surface moisture, which is vital for achieving that desirable crispy skin. Moisture on the skin will steam the turkey instead of roasting it, preventing browning and crisping.
- Placement in the Roasting Pan: Position the turkey breast, skin side up, in a sturdy roasting pan or a 9×13 inch baking dish. Using a roasting rack within the pan is highly recommended as it elevates the turkey, allowing hot air to circulate evenly around all sides. This circulation promotes uniform cooking and crispier skin on the bottom of the breast as well.
- Seasoning and Butter Application: In a small bowl, combine your chosen spices (poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper). Generously rub this aromatic blend all over the turkey breast, ensuring all sides are well-coated. Next, cut your unsalted butter into small, thin slices and arrange them evenly over the seasoned skin. As the butter melts, it will baste the turkey, infusing flavor and moisture, and contributing significantly to the golden, crispy skin. For an alternative method, some cooks prefer to gently loosen the skin with their fingers and tuck butter slices or a seasoned butter mixture directly underneath the skin. While this can be effective, it sometimes risks tearing the skin, so placing butter directly on top works wonderfully and is often easier.
- The Roasting Process: Transfer the prepared turkey breast to a preheated oven (usually around 375°F or 190°C). The initial high heat helps to crisp the skin quickly. Throughout the cooking process, the turkey will roast slowly, allowing the flavors to meld and the meat to tenderize. Monitor it, especially as it approaches the estimated cook time, using a reliable meat thermometer to ensure it reaches the safe internal temperature.
- Crucial Resting Period: Once the turkey breast has reached its target internal temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest, uncovered or lightly tented with foil, for at least 10-15 minutes before carving. This resting period is critical for the juices within the meat to redistribute, ensuring a uniformly moist and tender result. Skipping this step often leads to dry turkey.
- Carve and Serve: After resting, the turkey is ready to be carved. Follow our detailed carving instructions for clean, even slices. Arrange the beautifully roasted slices on a platter, perhaps with a drizzle of homemade gravy, and serve immediately alongside your favorite holiday accompaniments.
By following these steps, you’ll master the art of roasting a bone-in turkey breast, creating a truly magnificent dish that will be remembered long after the meal is over.
Brining Your Turkey Breast: Is It Necessary?
Brining is a popular technique often debated among home cooks when preparing turkey. It involves soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution, often enhanced with herbs, spices, and aromatics, for several hours or even overnight. The primary goal of brining is to infuse the meat with moisture and flavor before cooking.
The science behind brining is fascinating: the salt in the solution causes some of the muscle proteins in the turkey to denature, or unravel. This allows the meat cells to absorb more water and flavor, resulting in a significantly juicier and more tender turkey. It acts as a safeguard against drying out, especially if there’s a slight error in cooking time.
So, do you *have* to brine your bone-in turkey breast? The short answer is no. While brining can certainly elevate the juiciness and flavor, you can still achieve a remarkably delicious and moist turkey without it, particularly when using a bone-in cut. The bones naturally help retain moisture, and strategic use of fat, like butter in this recipe, works wonders.
In this recipe, we rely on generous seasoning and butter to keep the turkey tender and succulent. As the butter melts and penetrates the meat during roasting, it creates a protective, flavorful layer that helps prevent dryness. This method is simpler, less time-consuming, and requires less refrigerator space, making it a convenient alternative to brining.
However, if you’re aiming for the absolute juiciest and most deeply seasoned turkey, or if you’re new to turkey roasting and want an extra layer of protection against dryness, brining is an excellent option to explore. For those interested in trying it, resources like this guide on How to Brine Turkey offer comprehensive instructions.
Determining the Ideal Cook Time for Your Bone-In Turkey Breast
One of the most common questions when roasting any turkey is, “How long will it take?” The cook time for a bone-in turkey breast is not an exact science, as it depends on several factors, including the precise size and shape of your breast, your oven’s calibration, and even the starting temperature of the meat. However, a good general rule of thumb is to plan for approximately 20 minutes of roasting time per pound of turkey at 375°F (190°C).
Here’s an estimated guide based on typical turkey breast sizes:
- 3-4 pounds: Expect to roast for about 1 to 2 hours.
- 4-6 pounds: The cooking time will likely be around 2 to 2.5 hours.
- 6-8 pounds: Plan for approximately 2.5 to 3 hours of roasting.
These are just estimates. The most critical factor for ensuring a perfectly cooked and safe turkey is to rely on an accurate meat thermometer. Always remember that the turkey is done when it reaches the correct internal temperature, not just when the timer goes off. Factors like opening the oven door frequently or starting with a very cold turkey can extend cooking times, so constant vigilance with your thermometer is essential for optimal results.
Knowing When Your Turkey Is Perfectly Done
Achieving a safe and perfectly cooked turkey breast means reaching the correct internal temperature. Visual cues alone, like skin browning, are not reliable indicators of doneness. To ensure your bone-in turkey breast is both safe to eat and wonderfully juicy, a reliable meat thermometer is your most indispensable tool.
The USDA recommends cooking turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). To get an accurate reading, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast, being careful to avoid touching the bone. The bone conducts heat differently than the meat, and a reading taken too close to it might be misleading.
It’s a good practice to start checking the temperature about 30 minutes before your estimated cook time. If the temperature hasn’t reached 165°F, return the turkey to the oven and continue cooking, checking every 10-15 minutes until it’s done. Remember that the temperature will continue to rise slightly after the turkey is removed from the oven during the resting period, a phenomenon known as carryover cooking. Aiming for 160-162°F (71-72°C) when you pull it from the oven, anticipating a rise to 165°F during rest, can lead to an even juicier result.
The Secret to Irresistibly Crispy Turkey Skin
For many, the crispy, golden skin is just as coveted as the tender meat of a roasted turkey breast. This recipe is designed to deliver beautifully crisp skin, but if you desire an even more pronounced crunch, there are additional steps you can take.
The primary keys to crispy skin are dryness and fat. Ensuring the turkey breast is thoroughly patted dry before seasoning is paramount, as moisture prevents crisping. The butter applied to the skin in this recipe also helps significantly by promoting browning and rendering fat underneath.
If, after the turkey has finished roasting and reached its internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), the skin isn’t quite as crisp as you’d like, you can use your oven’s broiler function. Carefully adjust your oven setting to broil (high is usually best). Place the turkey back into the oven, keeping a very close eye on it. Broiling uses intense direct heat to quickly crisp and brown the surface. This process is very fast – often just 2-5 minutes – and can go from perfectly golden to burnt in an instant, so do not step away from the oven. Rotate the pan if necessary to ensure even crisping across the entire surface.
Once the skin has achieved your desired level of crispness, remove the turkey from the oven immediately. This extra step ensures a truly irresistible, crackling skin that complements the tender meat underneath.
The Importance of Resting Your Roasted Turkey Breast
One of the most crucial, yet often overlooked, steps in preparing a perfectly roasted turkey breast is the resting period after it comes out of the oven. While it may be tempting to immediately carve and serve, patience here is truly a virtue, directly impacting the final juiciness and tenderness of your meat.
When meat cooks, the heat causes its muscle fibers to contract, pushing the internal juices towards the center and surface of the roast. If you cut into the turkey immediately, these juices, which are under pressure, will escape onto your cutting board, leaving you with dry, less flavorful meat. This is particularly true for lean cuts like turkey breast.
By allowing the turkey breast to rest for at least 10-15 minutes after cooking, you give the muscle fibers a chance to relax. As they relax, the internal temperature of the roast stabilizes (known as carryover cooking), and the juices, which have migrated to the center, begin to redistribute evenly throughout the entire piece of meat. This results in a turkey breast that is uniformly moist, tender, and incredibly flavorful from edge to edge.
To rest your turkey, simply remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. You can loosely tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm, but avoid wrapping it tightly, as this can steam the crispy skin and make it soft. This brief pause in your meal preparation makes a significant difference, ensuring every slice of your roasted turkey breast is as delicious as possible.
Expert Tips for Carving Your Bone-In Turkey Breast
Carving a bone-in turkey breast doesn’t have to be intimidating. With a sharp knife and a few simple steps, you can achieve beautiful, even slices ready for your plate. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be discouraged if your first attempt isn’t flawless.
- Prepare for Carving: First, ensure your roasted turkey breast has adequately rested for 10-15 minutes. This is crucial for juiciness. Decide if you wish to keep the skin on or remove it. We love the crispy skin and usually leave it on. Be aware that when slicing, some areas of the skin might peel back, which is perfectly normal.
- Locate the Breastbone: Place the turkey breast on a sturdy carving board. Locate the breastbone, which runs down the center of the breast. This will be your guide for the initial cuts.
- Separate the Meat from the Bone: Using a sharp carving knife or a chef’s knife, make a long, deep cut along one side of the breastbone. Keep the blade as close to the bone as possible, following its contour. Work your way down, gently prying the breast meat away from the rib cage and breastbone until one whole half of the breast is separated. Repeat this process for the other side of the breast.
- Slice Across the Grain: Once both halves of the breast meat are separated from the bone, place one half, skin side up, on the carving board. Slice the meat across the grain into even, thin pieces. Cutting against the grain shortens the muscle fibers, resulting in more tender bites.
- Arrange and Serve: Carefully transfer the beautifully sliced turkey breast onto a warm serving platter. Arrange the slices attractively, ensuring everyone gets a piece of that succulent meat and crispy skin. Serve immediately with your preferred sides and, of course, a generous pour of gravy.
With these steps, you’ll be carving your bone-in turkey breast like a seasoned pro, ready to impress your family and friends.
Enhancing Your Meal with Homemade Gravy
No holiday turkey meal is truly complete without a rich, savory gravy. While your roasted turkey breast is resting, this is the perfect opportunity to create a phenomenal homemade gravy using the flavorful pan drippings. These drippings are liquid gold, packed with all the concentrated flavors of the roasted turkey, herbs, and butter.
To make gravy from drippings, simply pour off the accumulated fat and juices from the roasting pan. Separate the fat, reserving a tablespoon or two. Deglaze the pan with a liquid like chicken or turkey broth, scraping up all the delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan – these are key for flavor. Create a roux with the reserved fat and some flour, then slowly whisk in your deglazing liquid and any additional broth, simmering until thickened and seasoned to perfection.
For detailed, foolproof instructions, be sure to check out our recipes for Turkey Gravy From Drippings and a classic Yellow Gravy. These guides will help you transform those precious pan juices into a velvety, flavorful gravy that perfectly complements every slice of turkey.
Maximizing Leftovers: Turkey Bones for Homemade Stock
After enjoying your magnificent roasted bone-in turkey breast, don’t discard those bones! The leftover turkey carcass and bones are incredibly valuable and can be repurposed to create a rich, flavorful homemade turkey stock or bone broth. This is an excellent way to minimize food waste and extend the delicious flavors of your holiday meal into future dishes.
Homemade stock surpasses store-bought versions in depth of flavor and nutritional value. It’s an ideal base for countless recipes, including soups, stews, risottos, gravies, and sauces. By simmering the bones with aromatic vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery, along with a few herbs, you extract all the remaining savory essence and beneficial collagen, resulting in a gelatinous and deeply satisfying liquid.
For a simple and effective method to utilize your leftover turkey bones, refer to our comprehensive Turkey Bone Broth recipe. It guides you through the process, ensuring you make the most out of every part of your turkey.
Storage and Freezer Tips for Leftover Turkey
One of the many joys of cooking a roasted turkey breast is enjoying the delicious leftovers. Proper storage is key to maintaining freshness, flavor, and food safety. Whether you plan to enjoy it within a few days or save it for future meals, these tips will ensure your leftover turkey remains as delectable as possible.
For refrigeration:
- Cool Quickly: Always cool cooked turkey promptly. Divide large portions into smaller, shallow containers to help them cool down rapidly. Refrigerate within two hours of cooking.
- Airtight Containers: Store sliced or shredded turkey in airtight containers to prevent it from drying out and absorbing odors from other foods in the refrigerator.
- Refrigeration Lifespan: Cooked turkey breast can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
For freezing:
- Portion Control: Cut the turkey into smaller, meal-sized pieces or individual servings that are appropriate for your future needs. This makes it easier to thaw only what you require, preventing waste.
- Prevent Freezer Burn: Wrap the turkey tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. For an extra layer of protection against freezer burn and moisture loss, place the wrapped portions into freezer-safe plastic bags or rigid freezer-safe containers. Press out as much air as possible from bags.
- Label and Date: Always label your frozen turkey with the date it was prepared. This helps you keep track of its freshness.
- Freezer Lifespan: Properly stored, cooked turkey breast can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months without significant loss of quality. While it remains safe to eat beyond this period, its texture and flavor may start to degrade.
- Thawing Instructions: The safest way to thaw frozen turkey is overnight in the refrigerator. Depending on the portion size, this can take 24-48 hours. Avoid thawing at room temperature, which can promote bacterial growth. For quicker thawing, you can use the cold-water method (submerging sealed turkey in cold water, changing water every 30 minutes) or microwave, but these methods require immediate cooking.
By following these simple storage guidelines, you can enjoy the delightful taste of your roasted turkey breast for days or even months to come, making meal planning much easier and more delicious!
Perfect Sides to Complement Your Roasted Turkey Breast
A beautifully roasted bone-in turkey breast deserves an equally impressive array of side dishes. These pairings are designed to create a harmonious and satisfying meal, embodying the essence of comfort food and holiday traditions. Here are some of our top recommendations:
- Southern Soul Food Mac and Cheese: Creamy, rich, and utterly comforting, this mac and cheese is a classic that perfectly balances the savory turkey.
- Southern Cornbread Dressing: A deeply flavorful and textural side, cornbread dressing (or stuffing) is a quintessential companion, soaking up all the delicious turkey juices and gravy.
- Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey: For a touch of Southern charm and vibrant greens, these collard greens offer a smoky, tangy contrast.
- Southern Mashed Potatoes: Velvety smooth and rich, mashed potatoes are the ideal canvas for gravy and a comforting partner to turkey.
- Slow Cooker Crockpot Cranberry Sauce: The bright, tart sweetness of homemade cranberry sauce cuts through the richness of the turkey, offering a refreshing counterpoint.
Each of these recipes is thoughtfully crafted to complement the robust flavors of your roasted turkey breast, ensuring a complete and unforgettable dining experience.
Discover More Delicious Turkey Breast Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed mastering this roasted bone-in turkey breast, you’ll be delighted to explore other fantastic ways to prepare this versatile cut of poultry. Turkey breast is a lean, flavorful protein that adapts wonderfully to various cooking methods, each offering a unique taste and texture experience. Whether you’re looking for quick weeknight meals, hands-off cooking, or a specific flavor profile, we have a turkey breast recipe for you:
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast: Achieve incredibly crispy skin and juicy meat with minimal oil and time, perfect for a fast and flavorful meal.
- Slow Cooker Crockpot Boneless Turkey Breast: For ultra-tender, fall-apart results with almost no effort, the slow cooker is your best friend. Ideal for meal prep or busy days.
- Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast: Infuse your turkey with a deep, smoky flavor that’s perfect for barbecues or adding a gourmet touch to your plate.
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast: Get juicy, tender turkey breast in a fraction of the time, making it an excellent choice for last-minute meals.
- Boneless Turkey Breast Roast: A straightforward recipe for boneless turkey, focusing on achieving maximum flavor and moisture without the bone.
Additionally, if you specifically prefer the hands-off approach for a bone-in cut, don’t miss our dedicated recipe for Crockpot Slow Cooker Bone-in Turkey Breast. No matter your cooking style or preference, there’s a turkey breast recipe waiting to become your next family favorite.
Bone-In Turkey Breast
Brandi Crawford
Pin Recipe
Want to save this recipe for later?
I’ll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Meat Thermometer
- 2-7 pound bone-in turkey breast Mine weighed 3 ½ pounds
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika Regular paprika is fine.
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Pat the turkey breast dry.
- Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan or 9x 13 inch baking dish with the skin side up.
- Rub the spices into the turkey and season all sides. Cut the butter into small slices and place the slices over the seasoned turkey.
Alternatively, you can place the butter under the skin of the turkey if you wish. You can use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat, being careful not to tear the skin (I find this sometimes difficult to accomplish so I don’t do it). Once you’ve created a pocket, you can place small pieces of butter or a seasoned butter mixture under the skin, spreading it out evenly over the surface of the breast.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Test the thickest part of the turkey with a meat thermometer. You should plan for it to cook for about 20 minutes per pound of turkey. Ultimately, it’s done when it’s done which will vary based on the size you are using.
- Remove the turkey breast from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Slice the turkey breast and serve.
- You can use a whole or split turkey breast, whatever size you prefer.
- Thaw the turkey breast before using.
- Season the turkey however you wish. Feel free to use your favorite rubs!
- You don’t have to place butter under the skin of a turkey breast, but it can help to add flavor and moisture to the meat. Placing butter or another fat under the skin creates a barrier between the meat and the dry heat of the oven, which helps to keep the meat juicy and tender. I find that placing butter on the breast and allowing it to penetrate while it bakes accomplishes the same thing.
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.