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.
This came out really well. I don’t usually cook just a turkey breast but this year I did I was so afraid it would be dry, but it was tender and juicy and delicious. I only cooked it a little less than recommended because it reached temperature.
I loved this recipe! My turkey breasts came our si flavorful and moist.
I made this tonight exactly as written and it was delicious.
I prepared this turkey breast recipe (4 lb. turkey breast) for our Thanksgiving dinner and it was excellent. I only omitted the oregano due to preference, as well as added melted butter. The flavor was delicious. I will use this again in the future. Thank you for sharing!
Excellent flavor! Thought there would be more juice so next time might add some water to the pan so can make enough gravy. Will use this recipe again
The premise was excellent, however I didn’t know to debone first…it was a challenge to wrangle it boneless…also, I could not tell how to cut the meat properly, as it was difficult to find the direction for best cuts….the ribs are very smartly positioned for the turkey, but cooked, it was a tough job…and BTW, the meat was mostly tender and juicy… great easy recipe…thanks It would have been 5 stars if I’d known how tedious and messy to debone… : )
Oh goodness! You definitely don’t have to debone your turkey breast. This recipe works with bone-in and boneless turkey breasts.
Followed the recipe and watched the video. The steps were easy to follow and clearly presented. I’ve been making turkey for years, but feel intimated every year. The turkey was delicious! I don’t see a reason to try any other recipes. I will use it again and again.
This turkey was AMAZING. I do not enjoy cooking, but offered to host Thanksgiving this year. I used 2, 3lb Butterball boneless “all breast meat” turkeys. I did take the netting off so that I could season under/over the skin as the recipe suggests. I put each in separate oven bags (put vent holes) with a splash of chicken broth, then put them together in a disposable foil roasting dish (I put that on a cookie sheet just for ease of removing from the oven). They were very slightly thawed when I put them in the oven. On convection at 350, it took two hours. Perfectly seasoned and juicy. All my guests loved the turkey. I was impressed. It was easy and quick, even for a novice like me. HIGHLY recommended!
This is my go-to recipe for preparing turkey breast. The meat is full of flavor and moist. This year there was a lot of juice in the pan, so I followed your tips for making turkey gravy, which was also delicious! I have been cooking for many years, but enjoy your recipes very much!
Great ingredients and easinstructions.
Thank you.
I followed the recipe and the breast came out moist and tasty. I did add a teaspoon of chicken rub to the mix. Instead of putting the breast on a rack I put it on some sliced apples. The apples gave it some extra flavoring. When the turkey was done the apples made a healthy snack.