How to Cook a Bone-In Turkey Breast
This Oven Roasted Bone-In Turkey Breast recipe is juicy and perfectly seasoned with golden brown, crispy skin, and takes just minutes to prep. An impressive main dish for smaller holiday gatherings or Sunday dinners when you want leftovers for the week. Serve with Garlic Redskin Mashed Potatoes and Wild Rice Stuffing for a cozy, satisfying meal.
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If your Thanksgiving dinner is for a smaller group this year, an Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast is the perfect choice. It cooks faster than a whole bird, the skin is golden brown and crispy, and your house still smells like a home-cooked holiday meal. You even get a carcass for a pot of turkey soup!
I like to use this easy Turkey Injection Marinade for even more buttery, savory flavor, but that's totally optional.
❤️You're Going to Love This
- Perfect Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey for intimate gatherings
- Satisfying Sunday dinner with leftovers for weekday lunches
- Soft, tender white meat that's full of flavor.
- Simple recipe with 4 ingredients
- Roasts in about 2 hours
🦃Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Whole Turkey Breast, bone-in, thawed. Thaw in the fridge for at least one day per 4 lbs. of turkey meat.
- Butter. Let the butter soften to room temperature so it spreads easily on top of the skin.
🌿Variations or Substitutions
- Olive oil. Lightly brush the skin with olive oil instead of butter.
- Herbs and spices. Make an herb butter. In a small bowl, stir dried or fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage, or poultry seasoning into the softened butter before spreading it onto the turkey. Or add a little paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, or Cajun seasoning.
- Aromatics. Add lemon halves, celery, onion, or garlic cloves to the cavity for extra flavor.
🥣How to Cook a Bone-In Turkey Breast
Step 1. Pat turkey breast dry with paper towels. Rub softened butter over the entire turkey breast, then season with salt and black pepper.
Place the turkey breast into a roasting pan with a rack. Insert wired probe thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast.
Step 2. Roast in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast registers 150-155 degrees F.
Let the turkey rest loosely tented with foil for 20 minutes, then carve.
👉Helpful Hint: For crispy skin, store it uncovered in the bottom shelf of the fridge for up to 24 hours.
🔪How to Carve a Bone-In Turkey Breast
Step 1. Use a sharp knife to slice along the side of the breastbone and release the entire breast half. Repeat on the other side.
Step 2. Place the chicken breast halves, skin side up, on a cutting board. Slice each breast half across the grain into even pieces.
✅Top Tips
- To avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands after touching raw poultry, before touching anything else.
- Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels to help the butter and seasonings adhere.
- A wired probe thermometer is the best way to prevent overcooking.
- Let the meat rest after roasting to let the juices redistribute.
🍗How to Roast Turkey without a Roasting Pan or Rack
You don't need a special roasting pan or rack to roast a turkey. Try these easy alternatives instead!
- Roasting Pan Substitutes: Try a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, Dutch oven, casserole dish, cast iron skillet, or disposable foil pan from the grocery store. You just need a baking dish with sides high enough to catch the pan juices.
- DIY Roasting Rack Ideas: Place halved onions or large pieces of celery or carrots in the bottom of the pan. You can also coil aluminum foil to lift the turkey off the bottom.
🎁Storage
- Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
🍲Serving Suggestions
- Pair your turkey breast with turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, and classic holiday sides like Southern Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole.
- Serve with roasted vegetables such as Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes or Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots.
- Toss a fresh green salad, such as Caprese Spinach and Arugula Salad, for a simple, light meal.
- Make sandwiches, wraps, or turkey salad with leftovers for easy lunches during the week.
- Use the carcass to make homemade turkey soup for a cozy next-day dinner.
❓FAQs
Roast the turkey breast for 13-15 minutes per pound. A 7 pound breast typically takes 1 hour 45 minutes at 350°F. Always rely on temperature, not time.
Remove it from the oven at 150 to 155°F. It will rise to a safe 165°F during the resting period.
No. Basting can soften the skin of the turkey breast and reduce browning.
Uncovered. Covering the turkey will trap steam and prevent the skin from browning. Only cover it with foil, as needed, to prevent over-browning.
No. Adding water to the pan will create steam, which will keep the skin from getting crispy.
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📖 Recipe
How to Cook a Bone In Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 6-8 lb. bone-in turkey breast, thawed
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- salt and pepper
- turkey injection marinade, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lower the oven rack to the bottom ⅓ of the oven.
- Place the turkey breast onto a sheet pan and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Rub the softened butter over the entire turkey breast. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in a roaster pan (see notes if you don't have a rack). Optional and highly recommended: insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Otherwise, use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Cook the turkey breast for 13-15 minutes per pound. Do not baste. This 7-pound turkey breast took 1 hr. 45 min. Roast until the thermometer registers 150-155. If the skin becomes too dark during roasting, loosely tent it with foil.
- Remove the turkey breast from the oven, loosely tent it with a large piece of aluminum foil, and let it rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.To carve, slice along the side of the breastbone to release the entire breast half. Repeat on the other side. Place the chicken breast halves skin-side up on a cutting board. Slice each breast half across the grain into even pieces.
Notes
- To avoid cross-contamination, wash your hands after touching raw poultry, before touching anything else.
- Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels to help the butter and seasonings adhere.
- For crispy skin, store it uncovered in the bottom shelf of the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- For a DIY roasting rack, form lengths of aluminum foil into coils and place them at the bottom of the pan.
- A wired probe thermometer is the best way to prevent overcooking.
- Let the meat rest after roasting to let the juices redistribute.
