Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
This moist, tender and flavorful herb-roasted turkey breast is a great main dish for holidays, other special occasions, or really any night of the week!
Maybe you’re hosting a smaller group for dinner, or maybe you’re too intimidated to roast a whole turkey— whatever reason you have for avoiding a huge bird this Thanksgiving, this herb-roasted turkey breast is the answer.
It’s a lot more manageable, it’ll take up less space in your fridge or freezer, and it’s done in less than 2 hours! Plus, this turkey breast is seasoned with a compound butter spread filled with plenty of herbs, garlic, lemon, and Dijon mustard, and the flavor is fabulous!
Table of Contents
Ingredients you’ll need
- Bone-in turkey breast or half turkey breast
- Butter
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
- Salt and pepper
How to make herb roasted turkey breast
- Prep the turkey. Thaw if necessary, then pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture from the skin as possible. Letting it sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour will take away some of the chill so it will cook more evenly.
- Make herb butter. In a small bowl, combine softened butter with lemon juice, mustard, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Rub over the turkey. Use your hands to loosen the skin away from the meat. Then stuff half of the butter mixture underneath the skin and rub the other half on top of the skin. Season with more salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a roasting pan. Add lemon wedges, more herbs and broth to the pan.
- Roast till golden. Cook in a 325°F oven until cooked through completely, and a thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of the meat reads 160-165°F. This should take about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the breast.
- Rest. Letting the turkey breast sit for at least 30 minutes ensures the meat juices will stay intact when sliced, and also gives the meat time for carryover cooking to take the temperature to 165°F.
- Serve. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
A frozen turkey breast will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw in cold water, so 3-4 hours. You can also thaw it in the fridge for 2 days.
A roasting pan is a tall-sized pan with a rack insert. If you don’t have one, you can set a wire cooling rack inside of a sheet pan and use that.
Yes, roasted turkey breast can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it on the bone, well-wrapped, or slice and store slices in an airtight container in the fridge.Â
The best way to reheat roasted turkey breast is to wrap it in foil and reheat it in a 325°F oven until warmed through. This will help preserve the moisture and flavor of the turkey. If reheating slices, place the slices in a baking dish, pour a little broth over the slices, and cover with foil.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days and you can enjoy them however you like. Make a leftover sandwich, turkey and dumplings soup, turkey mushroom pot pie or stir it into dishes in the same way you would shredded cooked chicken.
Serving suggestions
Serve any of these dishes alongside this herb-roasted turkey breast for a traditional turkey dinner! If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving inspiration, see my complete Thanksgiving recipe archives.
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 6-7 lb bone-in turkey breast
- ¼ cup salted butter , softened to room temperature
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt , divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper , divided
- ¾ cup chicken/turkey broth or water , plus more as needed
Equipment
Instructions
- Let turkey breast sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before roasting. Pat dry with paper towels as much as possible.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, cloves, juice of half the lemon, Dijon mustard, herbs, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
- Use your hands to open up the space between the skin of the turkey and breast. Slide your fingers under the skin and begin moving them back and forth firmly but carefully until the skin is loosened except for where it’s attached at the edges.
- Take half of the butter mixture in your hands and work it under the loosened skin. Rub remaining butter spread on the outside of the skin. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
- Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Cut up remaining lemon half and place in roasting pan. Add chicken/turkey broth or water.
- Roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Start checking at the 1 hour mark. If skin browns too quickly, cover with foil.
- Let turkey breast rest for 20 minutes, then carve and serve.
Notes
- A frozen turkey breast will take about 30 minutes per pound to thaw in cold water, so 3-4 hours. You can also thaw it in the fridge for 2 days.
- You can also roast a half-breast. Cut amounts for butter mixture in half and roast for 45 minutes to an hour.
- If you don’t have a roasting pan, place a wire rack on a rimmed half or quarter sheet pan.
This recipe was originally published November 2018.
It was just my husband and myself for Thanksgiving this year. So I planned on preparing this recipe. Oh my, the flavor was incredible. The fresh herbs and lemon really gave the turkey breast brightness. The best part was the scrumptious gravy. Thanks for this recipe. It was ‘completely delicious’.Â
It looks so good! I can sense the smell of herb from the photos 😀 Thank you for sharing the recipe! Can’t wait to try it.