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This garlic lemon butter Roast Turkey Breast recipe makes flavorful, juicy, and finger-licking delicious turkey! The breast is coated with garlicky lemon juice plus a savory spice rub that results in the most perfectly seasoned and tender turkey breast.
If you’re looking for a whole roasted turkey recipe, try my recipe for juicy roast turkey with maple gravy or this recipe for rosemary lemon roasted turkey.
With this turkey breast recipe, you can start saying goodbye to dry turkey meat instantly. Roast turkey breast is an easy way to enjoy turkey without preparing a whole bird, and one whole turkey breast makes more than enough for a crowd of 6 to 8 people. This recipe is slathered with a delicious spice rub and a garlic lemon butter marinade to get the most perfect, succulent meat with golden brown crispy skin.
Why I Love This Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
- Perfect for Smaller Groups: A roast turkey breast is ideal when you’re cooking for a smaller group. It’s just the right amount of juicy, flavorful turkey without the leftovers overload. But if you love leftovers, make my fabulous leftover turkey soup!
- Quick and Easy: This turkey breast recipe is much quicker to prepare than roasting an entire bird, making it a convenient option for special occasions or weeknight dinners.
- Versatile with Side Dishes: Pairing a roast turkey breast with your favorite side dishes is a breeze. Whether it’s crockpot mashed potatoes, apple stuffing, or maple glazed carrots, this dish allows for endless combinations.
- Great for Special Occasions: When you want all the deliciousness of a turkey dinner without the hassle, a roasted turkey breast recipe is a fantastic choice. It’s still impressive enough for holidays or special gatherings, but more manageable!
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this easy roasted turkey breast, grab the below listed ingredients that pack tons of flavor. Fresh herbs, garlic, and a few pantry staples are the best way to ensure your turkey breast turns out perfectly juicy and delicious.
For the Turkey
- Bone-in, skin-on turkey breast: I recommend an 8-pound whole bone-in turkey breast, thawed. The bone and skin help keep the meat tender while roasting. If you don’t have bone-in, a boneless turkey breast will work, though it will cook faster.
For the Garlic Lemon Butter
- Butter: Adds richness and helps the skin crisp up while infusing the turkey with flavor.
- Lemon juice: Adds brightness and tang to the sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: Minced garlic infuses the sauce with max flavor. Garlic powder can be substituted in a pinch.
- Fresh rosemary & fresh thyme: If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried herbs are the best alternative.
Spice Rub
- Sweet or smoked paprika: Adds color and a hint of sweetness or smokiness. Regular paprika will work if you don’t have sweet or smoked.
- Chili powder: To add a mild kick of heat. For a more subtle flavor, reduce the amount or skip it altogether.
- Garlic powder: Provides a garlic flavor to the dish.
- Onion powder: Adds a mild onion flavor.
- Dried thyme & rosemary: These will layer in additional flavor to complement the fresh herbs. If you’re out, you can omit or substitute with oregano or sage.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Essential for bringing out all the flavors and seasoning the meat thoroughly.
- Olive oil: Helps the dry rub stick to the turkey and adds moisture. Any cooking oil can be substituted if needed.
How To Roast Turkey Breast
With a simple dry brine and the right roasting techniques, you’ll get a perfectly juicy and flavorful oven-roasted turkey breast every time. Let’s walk through the steps to make this delicious bird!
- Brine the turkey breast for 12 hours using my recipe for how to brine a turkey.
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels before cooking.
- Mix melted butter with lemon juice, minced garlic, and chopped herbs.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to separate the skin from the meat without tearing it.
- Pour the marinade under the turkey’s skin and massage it around the meat.
- Combine the spices, herbs, and olive oil into a paste and apply it all over the turkey.
- In a skillet or small roasting pan, arrange a layer of celery, garlic, onions, and thyme and set the turkey breast on top. At this time, if prepping ahead, you can cover the pan and refrigerate the turkey for up to 24 hours, letting it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
- Pour a cup of chicken broth or wine into the pan.
- Roast for about 2.5 hours at 425˚F, checking for doneness with a instant-read thermometer. If the turkey browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
- After removing it from the oven, let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
- Don’t discard the pan drippings! Use them to make this fantastic turkey gravy.
Cooking Time For A Turkey Breast
For bone-in turkey breast, it’s 16 to 18 minutes per pound at 425˚F or until the thickest part of the meat registers at 155°F. It’s very important to use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking. Turkey will continue to cook as it rests. Please do not cut into it immediately; let it rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Fresh or Frozen. Whether you’re working with a fresh or frozen turkey breast, just be sure to thaw it completely before roasting. This helps the meat cook evenly.
- Check the Temperature. For best results, always use a meat thermometer to check that the thickest part of the breast hits 165°F before serving—it’s the key to perfectly cooked turkey.
- Adjust the Cooking Time. If your turkey breast is a different size (whole breast or half breast), than the recipe suggests, just adjust the cooking time. A good rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound.
Serving Suggestions
Serving a roasted turkey breast offers the opportunity to pair it with my freezer mashed potatoes, this delicious traditional stuffing, and my honey garlic butter roasted carrots.
You could also serve it with cranberry sauce, of course, a side of my green goddess salad, and this Christmas sangria to wash it all down. Sweeten the deal and serve these easy cranberry brie pinwheels, too!
How To Store Leftovers
- Store turkey breast leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Use them to make turkey salad sandwiches or turkey noodle soup.
- You can also freeze leftover turkey meat, but remove it from the bone, first, then transfer it to ziploc freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftover Turkey Recipes
- Turkey Wild Rice Casserole
- Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
- Turkey Corn Chowder
- Turkey Tetrazzini with Fettuccine
- Cranberry Turkey Quesadillas
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Roast Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 8 pound whole bone-in skin on brined turkey breast, thawed
For the Garlic Lemon Butter
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- juice of 1 whole lemon
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
For the Spice Rub
- 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Roasting Pan
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 4 wedges
- 2 celery ribs, cut into about 3-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 cup chicken broth, you can also use white wine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
- Pat dry turkey breast with paper towels. If you didn't brine it and are just taking the turkey out, please remember to take out the giblets and make sure that the turkey breast is completely thawed out.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully and gently separate the skin from the turkey meat, moving downwards with the spoon’s handle. Loosen the skin from both sides of the turkey breast. You can also just use your fingers to do this, but I find it easier with the spoon. Set aside.
- Melt the butter and whisk in the lemon juice, minced garlic, and chopped herbs.
- Slowly pour the marinade inside the turkey’s skin and use your hands to massage it all around. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl combine paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and fresh ground pepper; pour in olive oil and mix until well incorporated.
- Slather the spice rub all over the turkey breast on the outside.
- Add onion wedges, celery, garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs to a small roasting pan.
- Top with turkey breast, skin side up. If making ahead, stop here; cover the turkey with aluminum foil and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge 1 hour before cooking.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pan. Transfer to the oven and reduce oven heat to 325˚F. Do not cover the turkey breast.
- Roast the turkey for 2 to 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 155˚F. You want to cook the turkey breast for around 18 to 20 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- If you want crispier skin, baste the turkey breast every 30 minutes.
- If the top of the turkey breast starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent a piece of foil over the turkey breast and continue to roast.
- When done, remove the roasted turkey breast from the oven and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use a completely thawed turkey breast.
- Use herbs of choice; I always like to use thyme and rosemary, but you can add some sage and parsley.
- If using the brine method, which I recommend 1000%, remember that some frozen turkey breasts sold in supermarkets are already brined – check for this information on the packaging. Do not brine it twice.
- If you want crispier skin, baste the turkey breast every 30 minutes while roasting.
- If the top of the turkey breast starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent a piece of foil over the turkey breast and continue to roast.
- Do not forget to use your meat thermometer; it’s the best and only way to ensure a thoroughly cooked turkey. And not overcooked, chewy, dry turkey.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
My oven sucks. If I want to roast this at 375 degrees how long should I roast it?
No worries if your oven canโt reach 425หF. The 425หF step is mainly for preheating and giving the turkey some initial browning, but the roasting happens at 325หF. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for detailed instructions.
If your oven only gets to 375หF, you can preheat it to that temperature, then lower it to 325หF for roasting. You might need to add a few extra minutes, but the most important thing is to use a meat thermometer. Pull the turkey out of the oven when the internal temperature reaches 155หF, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
If I brined in water, salt, and lemon do I need to add more salt?
Hi! If youโve brined the turkey in water, salt, and lemon, you likely wonโt need to add much (or any) extra salt. The brining process seasons the turkey by infusing it with salt and flavor, so I recommend being cautious with additional salt. Once the turkey is cooked, taste it and adjust the seasoning as neededโyou can always add a little salt at the end if necessary.
This had the be the best tasting turkey Iโve ever had. I even made it a second time about 3 weeks later.
Thanks so much!!!
Loved it. Dear hubby and I celebrated alone this year so we had boneless turkey breast.Turned out great.
I’m very glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Will the drippings from this make a nice gravy? Of course, I’d take out the vegetables and add a roux. I’m really asking more about the flavor.
Very flavorful, moist turkey recipe. I used the recipe on a small boneless turkey breast. Everyone enjoyed it. Our new go to. Goodbye huge fry turkeys. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe.
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐