Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is the perfect alternative to a full size turkey for small families. With its crispy skin and tender, juicy meat, your whole family is going to love this one!
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and dreams of cranberry sauce, pie, and turkey are dancing through our heads. Thanksgiving is the feast of all feasts, a time for family gatherings, a chance to rest and recharge, and what’s not to love about that? We know that the thought of a large Thanksgiving meal can be daunting, stressful, and, well…the opposite of restful. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Has anyone else ever felt pressured to roast a whole turkey just for tradition’s sake? We are here to tell you that you do NOT have to roast a whole turkey. Turkey breasts are totally satisfying and delicious with their crispy skin and juicy meat. Pair this with your favorite mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving to remember!
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Can I use an oven bag to roast a turkey breast?
There is some debate on oven bags vs. traditional roasting. The idea behind an oven bag is that it should lock in moisture and flavor. Your turkey will also cook faster, you don’t have to worry about basting, and cleanup is a breeze! There are a lot of benefits to roasting in a bag, however if you prefer to roast a bird the traditional way sans bag, more power to you. It’s really just about personal preference.
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Turkey Skin: Optional?
We are big proponents of always cooking with bone in and skin on meat. The flavor can’t be beat, and there’s nothing quite as delicious as crispy skin. If you avoid excess fat for dietary reasons, or just aren’t a fan of the skin, you can always remove the skin before roasting.
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To Baste or Not to Baste:
Basting requires you to open the oven door repeatedly, losing a ton of heat! You do not need to baste, and we actually recommend not basting with this recipe. If you do decide to baste, you will need to plan on some additional cooking time.
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Boneless or Bone-in Turkey Breast
Turkey breasts are sold both boneless, and bone-in. Bone-in turkey breasts tend to be larger and contain both sides of the breast, while boneless turkey breasts are generally just one breast. This recipe will work with either, though a single boneless turkey breast will require a shorter cooking time.
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What should I do with leftover Oven Roasted Turkey Breast?
Leftover turkey is one of the best things about Thanksgiving! We doubt you’ll be able to stop yourself from eating this whole turkey breast with your family. However, if somehow you end up with leftovers, you should always use them in a sandwich the next day with some cranberry sauce, provolone cheese, and your favorite leafy greens. Mmmmm!
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Thanksgiving inspired recipes:
Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
Just making it tonight!
Thank you for this recipe!! I can smell those spices roasting into my turkey from the living room! Can hardly wait till it’s done!! This recipe is a keeper 🙂
This is a great recipe. I used a turkey breast and it came out tender and moist.
AMAZINGLY FLAVORFUL! I loved this recipe and will definitely be making it again. It was so moist and delicious. Thank you!
I have never left a recipe review, but felt that I needed to this time.
I’ve cooked a lot of turkeys in my life that were really good. However I have never cooked one that was AMAZING!
This recipe was so simple and the results were so good that my family devoured a whole 7 pound turkey breast in one night.
I actually had to pull another out of the freezer to cook the next day because they were crying about not having turkey sandwiches the next day.
I will never use any other recipe but this one when baking turkey.
The flavor was so rich, the mat so moist there are no words.
The only thing I added was a little extra olive oil to get the right consistency for the rub.
If you try this ,You will not be disappointed.
Thank you for a great recipe! My first time cooking a turkey breast and it came out delicious. We all loved the seasoning. I can not wait to make it again!
This recipe was delicious.
I combined fresh herbs using parsley, thyme, oregano and sage on a 7 lb turkey breast.
The herb rub on top of the skin came out a bit dark but not burned-maybe because they were fresh herbs?
I am not sure how to prevent this because the flavor was scrumptious. I thought to tent it with aluminum foil but I wanted it to roast the turkey breast and not steam it.
Just to confirm, you did not use a turkey bag? I have never cooked a turkey breast without a bag.
Simple & To the point Recipe!
I used different spices but got the jist!
Thank you 🙏
Wish we could taste each others! lol 😂
Tried this delicious Roasted Turkey Breast recipe for Easter dinner. Fabulous flavor and the drippings made a wonderful savory gravy! Kudos and a big thank you!
Best Turkey we’ve ever had!
Everyone said save this recipe and repeat!