This oven-roasted turkey breast is a perfect alternative to a full-size turkey if your family is on the smaller side. It’s also a great choice if you just want white meat! With its crispy and perfectly seasoned skin and tender, juicy meat, your whole family will love how this turns out!
For a whole turkey, try my Spatchcock Turkey or my Juiciest Turkey Recipe Ever.
Why My Recipe
- A perfect alternative for smaller families who don’t need a whole turkey at Thanksgiving.
- One of the simplest ways to cook turkey, no matter what your skill level is.
- My spice mix not only creates a deliciously crispy skin but also lends amazing flavor to the juicy turkey meat.
Never feel pressured to roast a whole turkey again! This turkey breast doesn’t compromise on flavor, and it will be so much simpler if you need turkey for a smaller group. Roasting a whole turkey can be a huge task, but this turkey breast recipe will cut down on cooking and prep time, and is incredibly juicy and delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey Breast: You can purchase turkey breasts bone-in or boneless. Boneless breasts are often sold netted or tied and cook more quickly, making them easier to carve and serve. Choose the style that best fits your time, presentation, and how many people you’re serving.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasoning stick and promotes browning.
- Paprika, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, and Salt: A simple mix of spices and herbs that delivers classic holiday flavor without requiring a brine.
Boneless or Bone-In Turkey Breast
A bone-in breast usually comes as either a single breast half or a full split breast with two halves still attached. Bone-in tend to stay juicier and have a more traditional look once roasted, which is why I have a strong preference for it.
Boneless turkey breasts just usually have one breast, making them much smaller. Boneless breasts are often sold netted or tied and cook more quickly, making them easier to carve and serve.
Choose whichever size you prefer, but just remember that the larger the breast, the longer it will take to cook!
| Style | What you Get | Pros | Things to Know | Cook Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone-In | One breast half or a full split breast (two halves) | Juicier meat, classic holiday presentation | Larger size, takes longer to cook | About 18–20 minutes per pound at 375°F |
| Boneless | Netted or tied breast, no bones | Faster cooking, easier to carve, smaller size | Can be leaner, benefits from careful temp monitoring | About 25–30 minutes per pound at 375°F |
Turkey Skin
We love cooking meat that has the bone in and skin on it, since those both make the meat more flavorful. We also can’t say no to the delicious crispy skin! However, if you are avoiding excess fat for dietary reasons, or just aren’t a fan of the skin, you can always remove the skin before roasting. You can also leave it on while it roasts and then take it off when you are carving the turkey.
Planning Notes
Serving: Plan ½ pound boneless or ¾ pound bone-in per person.
Thawing: Allow 24 hours in the fridge per 5 pounds of turkey breast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Figure on about ½ pound per person if using boneless or ¾ pound per person for bone-in. If you want leftovers, go ahead and add a little extra.
Both work! Bone-in tends to stay juicier and looks traditional on the table (which is my preference), while boneless cooks a bit faster and is easier to slice. Your cooking chart will help guide you with either cut.
Pull the turkey breast from the oven when it reaches 160°F in the thickest part. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Carryover cooking will bring it right up to 165°F, which is the USDA’s safe temperature for poultry.
Not necessarily. A good rub under the skin combined with the natural fat in the turkey keeps it moist. If you do brine, just be sure to pat it dry before roasting so the skin gets nice and crisp.
That happens a lot with turkey breasts. About halfway through roasting, add 1 cup of broth and a splash of white wine to the pan to create flavorful juices you can simmer into gravy. Another option is to make a simple gravy ahead of time with turkey or chicken stock so you’ll have plenty on hand.
How to Carve
Carving a turkey breast is simpler than a whole bird, but a couple of tricks make it look restaurant-quality:
- Remove the breast from the bone.
Place the turkey on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut down one side of the breastbone, following the curve of the ribs to free the whole breast half. Repeat on the other side if you cooked a double breast. - Trim and steady.
Set the breast flat-side down. This gives you a stable surface for slicing. - Slice across the grain.
Cut crosswise into even slices about ½ inch thick. Slicing against the grain keeps the meat tender and juicy.
Tip: Use a long, sharp carving knife for the cleanest slices. If you want a picture-perfect platter, fan the slices out slightly and spoon warm pan juices over the top.
To Baste or Not to Baste?
Many recipes suggest basting the turkey while it bakes, but we actually suggest you don’t for this recipe! Basting requires you to open the oven door repeatedly, which makes your oven lose a ton of heat. You don’t need to baste in order to keep this turkey moist, so you can just sit back and relax as your turkey roasts!
Roasting Tips
If you don’t have a roasting pan, you can also use a lightly greased 9×13 pan, and that will work perfectly fine too!
If your oven runs hot and you notice that the skin is browning faster than you’d like, you can get some aluminum foil and tent it over the turkey to prevent it from browning. Once you take it out of the oven, you can just leave that aluminum foil over the turkey during the resting period, and then you’ll be all set to eat!
Cooking Times by Weight
Every oven runs a little differently, so always trust your thermometer over the clock. Still, a time guide helps you know when to start checking:
| Style | Weight | Approx. Cook Times |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless | 2 pounds | 50 to 60 minutes |
| 2.5 pounds | 65 to 75 minutes | |
| 3 pounds | 75 to 90 minutes | |
| Bone-In | 5 pounds | 90 to 100 minutes |
| 6 pounds | 100 to 120 minutes | |
| 7 pounds | 120 to 140 minutes |
Start checking with a thermometer about 15 minutes before the earliest time listed. Pull the turkey at 160°F, then let it rest to reach 165°F.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover turkey breast makes excellent turkey salad, creamy turkey tetrazzini, or piled into sandwiches. Store in the fridge up to 4 days or freeze slices for up to 3 months.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can use any leftover turkey to make delicious turkey sandwiches or turkey soup!
Freeze leftover portions in an airtight container or resealable plastic freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat portions in the microwave on high in 30-second increments.
Round out your meal with these traditional sides…
Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
Recipe needs to be more specific for boneless vs bone-in. Here’s hoping I don’t overcook it.
Hi Paul! Don’t worry, you should be fine. As noted above in the section about bone-in and boneless, this recipe works for both. Boneless may require a slightly shorter cooking time, but as always, use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
Perfect! Really an excellent recipe, I will use this again and pass it on to my family and friends.
I have never before roasted a turkey breast rather than a whole stuffed turkey. We were truly astounded how delicious and juicy this turkey turned out. My friend has said at every meal, hot meal or a sandwich, that he has never had such flavorful juicy turkey. I used a modification suggested by another reviewer and added some melted butter to the mixture. Also, it was prepared Christmas day and I had no rosemary or oregano, so made do with the remaining ingredients. I know it would have been even better with the added herbs. I also accidentally let it go to 170 degrees in the oven and it was still the juiciest turkey ever. It’s making me a convert to white meat! I will look no further for another recipe.
My picky eater ate this, that alone is worth 5 stars. It was super easy, came out great without pulling out my big roasting pan (7.5 pound turkey breast) – based on other comments, I started checking after 90 minutes and ended up finishing it at 350 for about 40 minutes while I baked dressing.
Other modifications: I didn’t really measure out the spices and herbs for the rub, but I like using the olive oil to make the paste. I also put onion chunks and some carrots into the breast cavity.
We made this for Thanksgiving and are making it again for Christmas. The spices are off-the-chart delicious. We’ve made many holiday meals…full blown huge turkey….and now, ironically, we are mostly plant based and don’t eat meat so the breast is perfect… but these seasonings are a tad different from we would normally use and they are exceptional…. this is our ONE meat treat/year..and it’s because of this sensational recipe. Thank you
The turkey was fine and none of my family of 12 complained. I guess I just personally prefer plain turkey. However, there were leftovers that were in small pieces and so I used McCormick’s Taco Seasoning packet to make taco meat. My husband and I thought it was very good and a great way to provide variety for the leftover turkey.
This recipe worked out great for my daughter and I. Just 2 of us and we had a great scaled down dinner. No arguments (except for the board games after, and that was fun!).
Single Mom family.
63 years old and I have never made a turkey in my life but I made this for my small family gathering this year and they LOVED it. The spice mix is the winner! I was so sure I was going to poison my family….Ha! My 8-pound turkey breast was bone in and after 3 days in the fridge was STILL not thawed out so I had to do the cold-water bath method a few times before I could get started. I cooked the night before so on the day I sliced it up, put it in the crockpot on low with some chicken stock to keep it moist and it was great. No leftovers. Lessons learned – buy a boneless turkey breast next time. Also, Check the bird! I calculated the time to cook and mine was actually done much earlier. I actually want to do this again next year! Hahaha Thank you so much.
Love your post! I’m 62 and the recipe got me out of the kitchen so I could enjoy a movie with my daughter!
I tried this for the first time this Thanksgiving. The combination of spices were very good but it was done 45 minutes early & could have been juicier. Afterwards I read that 375° is too high of a temp for a turkey breast so next time I’ll roast it at 350°.
I think it might be because I used a roasting oven appliance instead of cooking it in the oven.
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.