Boneless turkey breast turns out fabulously juicy and crispy-skinned when roasted for a short time at a high temperature. Well-seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, and thyme, this easy recipe yields impressive results.
There's something festive about serving and carving an entire turkey at the table, but cooking just one part of the bird (such as turkey breast, turkey legs, or turkey wings) is ideal for intimate holiday gatherings. Turkey breast is the perfect size for four people, and when you cook just this part, it's easier to keep it juicy. When you roast the entire bird, the white meat is often too dry.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Avocado oil spray: This neutral-tasting oil is suitable for high-heat cooking.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme. You can add a teaspoon of onion powder or use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.
- Boneless turkey breast: I typically use a halved breast, but occasionally, I roast a whole one.
- Melted butter: Unsalted or salted - it doesn't make much of a difference, so use whatever you have on hand. I typically use salted butter.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Brush the turkey with melted butter and sprinkle it with spices. Place it on a greased rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet and spray it with oil. The extra layer of oil helps the spices stay moist.
Bake the turkey uncovered for 20 minutes to brown the skin. Loosely cover it with foil to prevent the top from scorching, and continue roasting for about 30 more minutes, until it's cooked through. The total cooking time will be about 50-60 minutes for a 2-pound turkey breast. Check with a thermometer to make sure the thickest part has reached 165°F. Look how gorgeous the turkey is when it emerges from the oven!
Let it rest before slicing and serving.
The BEST way to cook a turkey breast!!! We made three of these to serve the families at Ronald McDonald House. They were so flavorful and juicy and a huge hit with the parents. They said it was such a treat with having to be away from home. ❤️
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Adjusting This Recipe
This recipe was written for a 2-pound half turkey breast, as shown below:
A whole breast (as shown in the photo below) or a larger half-breast will need more time in the oven.
As a general rule, roast it for 20 minutes in a 450°F oven to brown the skin, then loosely cover it in foil and keep roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F.
This should take 15-20 additional minutes per pound after the first 20 minutes. So, a 3-pound turkey breast will need to spend a total of 65-80 minutes in the 450°F oven (loosely covered after the first 20). A 4-pound breast should be cooked for 80-100 minutes at 450°F (loosely covered after the first 20 minutes). I don't recommend using this high-heat recipe for a turkey breast larger than 4 pounds.
The only way to make sure the turkey is done is to use an oven-safe meat thermometer that beeps to alert you when it's ready, as shown in the photo below. This is especially important when roasting a whole breast, as its center can be quite cold after thawing.
The photo below shows a 4-pound whole turkey breast that was cooked for 100 minutes in a 450°F oven (loosely covered in foil after the first 20 minutes). I sliced it after a 20-minute rest, and as you can see, it came out perfectly cooked, with crispy skin and juicy meat:
Recipe Tips
- The turkey should be fully thawed before cooking. Keep in mind that a 4-pound whole breast can take as long as two days to thaw in the fridge.
- Increase the butter and spices for a larger turkey. Increase them by 50% for a 3-pound piece and double them for a 4-pound one.
- It's important to let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before slicing it. This prevents juices from escaping and helps ensure juiciness. If you cut into it immediately, the juices will escape, leaving you with dry meat.
- I often use a rimmed sheet pan fitted with a wire rack to make this recipe. A roasting pan isn't mandatory.
- If your turkey is wrapped in food-grade netting, as shown in the photo below, you can leave it on, as it helps the meat keep its shape. This type of netting should withstand a temperature of 450°F, although, in my experience, it darkens quite a bit in the hot oven.
Serving Suggestions
I typically make this recipe for Thanksgiving, so I serve it with cranberry sauce, gravy, and any of these sides:
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They are tasty, but the skin does lose its crispness. I don't like to reheat them, as they tend to dry out. I usually make a platter of cold leftover turkey slices, Dijon mustard or sriracha mayo, fresh-cut veggies, and quick pickles.
If you eat bread (or would like to try this almond flour bread), you can use the leftovers to make delicious sandwiches. You can also remove the skin, cube or shred the meat, and use it in recipes such as:
- Turkey salad
- Turkey curry
- Turkey patties
- Turkey chili
- Turkey hash
- Turkey carcass soup
- Turkey stir-fry
Recipe Card
Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast
Video
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 boneless turkey breast - I use a skin-on split breast, about 2 pounds. If bought frozen, it should be fully thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Fit a rimmed roasting pan or baking sheet with a rack and spray the rack with avocado oil.
- In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme.
- Place the turkey breast on a work surface such as a cutting board. Pat it dry with paper towels. Brush it on both sides with the melted butter, then rub it on both sides with the spices.
- Place the turkey skin side up on the prepared roasting rack. Spray its top with avocado oil. This helps protect the spies from burning.
- Roast the turkey for 20 minutes. Loosely cover it with foil to protect the top from scorching, and continue roasting until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, 30-40 more minutes. For a 2-pound split breast, the total roasting time will be 50-60 minutes (see notes below).
- Remove the turkey from the oven. Allow it to rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This recipe was written for a 2-pound split turkey breast. A whole breast or a larger split breast will need more time in the oven. As a general rule, roast it for 20 minutes in a 450°F oven to brown the skin, then loosely cover it in foil and keep roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F. This should take 15-20 additional minutes per pound after the first 20 minutes. So, a 3-pound turkey breast will need to spend a total of 65-80 minutes in the 450°F oven (loosely covered after the first 20). A 4-pound breast will need to be cooked for 80-100 minutes at 450°F (loosely covered after the first 20 minutes). I don't recommend using this high-heat recipe for breasts larger than 4 pounds.
- The only way to make sure the turkey is done is to use an oven-safe meat thermometer that beeps to alert you when the turkey reaches 165°F.
- The turkey should be fully thawed before cooking. A 4-pound whole breast can take as long as two days to thaw in the fridge.
- If your turkey is wrapped in food-grade netting, you can leave it on, as it helps the meat keep its shape. These nettings should withstand a temperature of 450°F, although, in my experience, they darken quite a bit in the hot oven.
- Increase the butter and spices for a larger turkey. Increase them by 50% for a 3-pound breast and double them for a 4-pound breast.
- It's important to let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before slicing it. This prevents juices from escaping and helps ensure juiciness.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They are tasty, but the skin does lose its crispness.
Nutrition per Serving
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Sharon says
this is my go-to turkey breast recipe. Never fails. Delish.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you like it, Sharon! Thank you very much for the review.
Vicki Miller says
Loved this! Easy enough for a plain old weeknight but definitely worthy of Thanksgiving for a small family. I’m saving this for my holiday recipe collection!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Vicki! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Rosana says
Hi! Can I throw this in the crockpot?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Rosana,
This recipe isn't suitable for a slow cooker.
Alana says
I have a question. if you don't have avocado oil, can you use a vegetable oil spray?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Alana,
Sure, if you're OK with using seed oils.
Shakers & Bakers says
The BEST way to cook a turkey breast!!! we made three of these to serve the families at RMcD house. They were so flavorful and juicy and huge hit with the parents. Roasted red potatoes and cream cheese sweet corn. They said it was such a treat with having to be away from home. ❤️
Vered DeLeeuw says
How wonderful! I'm so glad this was a success. That meal sounds amazing.