This Roasted Turkey Breast recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions. This oven roasted turkey breast is basted in garlic butter for a real flavor explosion! It’s simple to prep and it’s a real show-stopper. The skin is perfectly crispy and the meat is so succulent and flavorful!
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Why We Love This Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
When I first started cooking homemade turkey for our family on Thanksgiving, I started out with roasted turkey breast. It’s a little more fool-proof (and quicker!), and just as juicy and delicious. This recipe is my go-to for simple holiday cooking.
- Easy. With only 20 minutes of prep, you’ve got 2 hours of free time to make sides!
- Juicy. Roasting the turkey skin-side up yields crispy skin and juicy meat.
- Flavorful. It’s filled with the flavor of garlic (40 cloves of garlic!) and lots of herbs.
Variations on Oven Roast Turkey Breast
Instead of the garlic butter rub, you could use an equal amount of turkey rub, Creole seasoning, Italian seasoning, blackened seasoning, or herbs de Provence.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover roast turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the turkey in a baking pan with some turkey stock or pan drippings and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze roast turkey breast in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious oven roasted turkey breast next to all of your favorite holiday side dishes. If you need a little inspiration, I love it with cauliflower au gratin, cacio e pepe roasted potatoes, creamy garlic mushrooms, or sauteed carrots with scallions. And don’t forget the turkey gravy!
Generally, you want to cook about ¾-1 pound of turkey per person. A 5-7 pound turkey breast will feed 6-8 people.
Turkey takes about 1 day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost. Defrost the turkey breast in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days, depending upon the size of your breast.
A turkey breast takes about 15-20 minutes per pound to bake. If boneless, it will take about 10-12 minutes per pound. For a 5-7 pound breast, it should take about 1½-2 hours to cook. Use this turkey roasting time chart to help you plan.
I do not cover my turkey breast unless I notice it is starting to brown too much in the oven.
The internal temperature of a properly cooked turkey breast is 165°F.
This turkey breast is extra moist due to the lower oven temperature. However, if you’re really worried about it drying out, cover the breast with foil while cooking, then remove the foil in the last 30 minutes to crisp up the skin.
More Turkey Breast Recipes We Love
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Deep Fried Turkey Breast
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Grilled Huli Huli Turkey Breast
- Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Thanksgiving Turkey Breast
5-Star Review
“This recipe is a garlic lovers dream turkey!! So moist and delcious too!.” – Cheryl S
Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
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Ingredients
- 5-7 pounds skin-on turkey breast boneless or bone-in; natural and un-brined
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 4 heads garlic divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Recommended Equipment
- Roasting Pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a large roasting pan with foil. Spray both sides of a wire rack with nonstick spray, and place the wire rack over the pan.
- Pat the turkey breast dry, inside and out, with paper towels and set it, skin side up, on the wire rack.5-7 pounds skin-on turkey breast
- Mince 20 cloves (about 2 heads) of garlic and cut the other 2 heads of garlic in half.4 heads garlic
- In a small bowl, mix the butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest together.16 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 heads garlic, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves, 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 lemon
- Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the breast meat.
- Smear ⅓ of the garlic butter underneath the skin and directly over the meat on each side of the breasts. Use the remaining ⅓ garlic butter to coat the outer skin of the breasts.
- Use 2-3 toothpicks per each half of the breasts to secure the skin to the breasts. This will keep the skin from shrinking too much during roasting.
- Pour the wine and broth into the bottom of the roasting pan, and set the garlic halves in the roasting pan.½ cup dry white wine, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Roast the turkey at in the preheated oven for 1½-2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 162°F-163°F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the meatiest part of the breast. If the skin is darkening too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and tent snugly with foil for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Taste the pan juices and, if desired season. Serve the turkey with the pan juices.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- If frozen, let the turkey thaw properly before cooking.
- Adjust the final cooking time based on the weight of your turkey; increase or reduce by 15-20 minutes per pound.
- The turkey is cooked when the internal temperature registers 162°F-163°F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the meatiest part of the breast.
- If the skin is darkening too quickly during cooking, tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
- Be sure to let the turkey breast rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- Watch the video to see the step by step recipe!
Nutrition Information
How to Make Roast Turkey Breast Step by Step
Prep the Turkey: Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a large roasting pan with foil. Spray both sides of a wire rack with nonstick spray, and place the rack over the pan. Pat a 5-7 pound skin-on turkey breast dry, inside and out, with paper towels, and set it skin side up on the wire rack.
Make the Butter: Mince 20 cloves (about 2 heads) of garlic and mix with 16 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary leaves, 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh sage leaves, 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and the juice and zest of 1 lemon.
Coat the Turkey: Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the breast meat. Smear ⅓ of the garlic butter underneath the skin and directly over the meat on each side of the breasts. Use the remaining ⅓ garlic butter to coat the outer skin of the breasts.
Secure the Skin: Use 2-3 toothpicks per each half of the breasts to secure the skin to the breasts. This will keep the skin from shrinking too much during roasting.
Add the Liquid: Pour ½ cup dry white wine and 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Halve the remaining 2 heads of garlic and set them in the roasting pan.
Roast and Serve: Roast the turkey in the preheated oven for 1½-2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 162°F-163°F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the meatiest part of the breast. If the skin is darkening too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Remove the turkey from the oven and tent snugly with foil for 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the pan juices.
Could you give a Quantity of Garlic by a measurable amount? hate the vague 20 cloves, I have giant cloves, so a cup? or 1/4 cup or???
Hi Deb, this recipe uses 4 full heads of garlic (that’s all of the cloves still attached together). Any size works!
Can this be made in a slow cooker? last few minutes in oven to crisp skin? is that doable?
I have a slow cooker recipe as well! https://thecookierookiecom.bigscoots-staging.com/crockpot-turkey-breast-recipe/