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Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
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Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

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I’ve said this many times: I really can’t stand turkey for Thanksgiving. But honestly, this insanely juicy roast turkey breast has sort of changed my mind about it all. I’m used to a boring, flavorless bird where the breast meat is often dry and I’m sure many folks can relate!

This recipe changes all of that and it honestly blew me away with how good it was. Not only does it cook faster than a whole bird, but the skin is gloriously crispy, and the meat is tender and juicy. This is such a great option for Thanksgiving gatherings this year which are likely to be much more intimate.

roast turkey breast

Dry brine vs. Wet brine

Okay, one, I’m sure you’re wondering what a brine is and what it actually does, right? A normal wet brine is a solution of water, salt, and a little sugar, along with some herbs and spices, that raw meat is soaked in to season the meat and add moisture. When you season a piece of meat, you’re seasoning the outside and the inside doesn’t really get the opportunity to absorb that flavor.

However, with brine, you’re actually seasoning the inside of the meat as it absorbs the brine through osmosis. A wet brine is often great for lean meats that tend to dry out as it adds extra moisture. I love brining chicken breasts, thick pork chops, and now roast turkey breast before cooking!

A dry brine is all of that (salt, sugar, herbs, spices), without the water. I love dry brine because there is no mess and fuss with trying to find a container large enough for the brine and meat. A dry brine is also referred to as pre-salting because you’re honestly just pre-salting the meat a day in advance. Not only does this break down the muscle tissue in the meat to make it more tender, but it allows the skin to get crispier. Let’s be honest, the crispy skin is the best part!

How to select the right Turkey Breast

Well, before you can cook the turkey, you really need to know how much roast turkey breast to make, right? In this recipe, I used a 6.5 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast. This yielded probably 4.5-5 lbs of meat before cooking once you subtract the weight of the bones.

A good rule of thumb is 3/4 lb of turkey breast per guest (especially since you will likely have a bunch of sides!). Now, the real question: boneless or bone-in? It’s honestly up to you! I will always prefer bone-in because I just honestly believe that it’s more flavorful.

Bone-in breasts are easier to find, less expensive, and you can use the leftover roasted bones in a wonderful broth or stock. I found that a 6.5 lb bone-in turkey breast can comfortably feed 4-6 (maybe 6-8 if you have a lot of sides!).

How to dry brine Turkey Breast

A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 5 lbs of meat. Since the bone weight in my turkey breast accounted for about 1.5 lbs or so, I used 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of ground sage. Adding the paprika and sage gave the turkey the most amazing flavor!

That being said, feel free to play with your favorite spices! Some great options would be dried herb blends like herbs de Provence, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, ground mustard, etc. Once you’ve decided on your spice blend, you’re going to rub the whole turkey breast with it, underside and all.

I like to even pull the skin away from the meat a bit and really get in there with the spices, in doing so you make sure that the bird is really well-seasoned all over. You’ll throw the breast onto a rimmed baking sheet and leave it in the fridge, uncovered, for 24 hours. Before roasting, remove it from the fridge and let it hang out for about 30 minutes.

roast turkey breast

Tools needed to make Roast Turkey Breast

You don’t need many tools to make this delicious roast turkey breast, but you do need a couple essential ones!

  • a good probe thermometer. A thermometer is essential in making sure that your turkey is cooked all the way through and not overcooked. This thermometer from amazon is the one I use and I simply insert it into the thickest part of the breast, set the temperature to 160 F, leave the display on the counter, and shut the oven. The timer goes off when the meat has reached the right temp!
  • a roasting pan. You need a roasting pan or skillet large enough to hold the turkey breast (and potatoes). This all-clad roasting pan is my absolute favorite and it’s large enough to roast a full turkey for next year!

And that’s it! These are all the tools you need to make a beautifully juicy roast turkey breast this year.

How to cook roast turkey breast

Now that you know all about dry brine and what size turkey breast to select, how do you cook it? Easy! The whole thing goes into the oven at 350 degrees F for about 2 hours. For the last 15 minutes, you’ll crank the heat up to 375 F to really get some color on the turkey skin.

Before placing my turkey breast in the roasting pan: I tossed 3 lbs of fingerling potatoes with olive oil, whole garlic cloves, sliced shallots, diced bacon, salt, pepper, rosemary, and fresh thyme. The potatoes are honestly amazing and they absorb the fat from the bacon and turkey skin as it renders. Honestly, the easiest thanksgiving recipe you could ever make!

More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try

5-ingredient stovetop mac n’ cheese
the fluffiest dinner rolls ever
salted chocolate pecan pie
bourbon apple cider fizz cocktail

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.

Main Dishes

Juicy Roast Turkey Breast

Juicy Roast Turkey Breast is the perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you're feeding a smaller crowd. It's easy, takes almost no time at all and it's so flavorful!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Makes: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Dry Brine:

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Roast Turkey Breast:

  • 6.5-7 lb bone-in skin-on, turkey breast
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
  • 3 lbs assorted fingerling potatoes rinsed
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon diced
  • 2 shallots sliced
  • 10 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 3 Sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 Small bunch fresh thyme

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix the dry brine ingredients together. Place your turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish. Gently pull the skin away from the meat to create a little space between the skin and meat. Sprinkle the dry brine liberally all over the turkey breast, including under the skin and on the underside. Gently rub the brine into the meat until it's well coated. Transfer the turkey to the fridge uncovered for 24 hours.
  • Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • In a large roasting pan, toss together the potatoes, shallots, garlic, bacon, oil, salt, and pepper until well-combined. Evenly spread the sprigs of rosemary and fresh thyme over the potatoes. Place the turkey breast on top of the potatoes, and smear the skin with the softened butter all over.
  • Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Leaving the display portion of the thermometer on the kitchen counter (or near the oven), place the roasting pan in the oven. Roast for about an hour and 45 minutes. After an hour, remove the roasting pan from the oven, toss the potatoes, and then return the roasting pan to the oven. Once the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 150 degrees F, increase the temperature to 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
  • Remove the roasting pan from the oven and gently tent the turkey breast with foil. Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ozCalories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 1.3gProtein: 23gFat: 3.3gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 700mgSugar: 2g

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  1. 5 stars
    I was very nervous to make my first turkey breast, but *as usual* Jenny made everything easy! We used a 5.5lb organic turkey breast, but with our probe thermometer, time was simple to gauge. I love the color and flavor from the brine+butter combo! Mmmm!