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.
I made the turkey breast and love it. no more whole turkey for me.
thank you
I tried this recipe and it was fabulous. I have to admit I’ve never had such a juicy flavorful turkey breast! I will use this recipe forever!
Made a boneless turkey breast roast and used your recipe exactly except my roast was smaller and I didn’t use the whole amount of marinade. I worried it might be too much flavour with all those herbs but it was just plain delicious and the leftovers were amazing and tender the next day. Thanks for the recipe! I will make it again.
This was my first attempt ever making a turkey. It turned out beautifully. My husband has a reputation for being a turkey hater. Often at family dinners, he will take all the sides and not even have a piece of turkey. I have made this recipe twice this month because he LOVED it. He is still going on about how good it was. He had seconds and he says it is better than my moms and his moms. You know a recipe is good when it tops the moms recipes! I also could never ever get gravy to work out properly with my moms lack of instructions. I used Rachel’s gravy recipe to accompany this and it was perfect both times! Thank you so much Rachel!
this turkey was the absolute best turkey we have had !!! my husband loved it. it was juicy crispy and delicious !!!
thank you so very much !
I just made this for Christmas ( to have with the honey baked ham that I bought) and it was delicious – and had a beautiful color and roasted appearance due to the basting and paprika! I was a little hesitant about the thought of having to lift the skin up to baste – with but with disposable gloves it all worked out! Unfortunately I overlooked mine so it was a little dry – not the recipe’s fault – I should have checked it sooner – and also paid attention to the little popper that popped out when it was done. I would definitely make this again!
This made the most moist and delicious turkey breast ever. I did put some butter under the skin along with the spices and it was amazing. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Delicious brine!!! We had a 7lb bone in breast so I tripled the recipe. Will definitely do it again. Thank you!
Turned out great! I would recommend this and will definitely use it again and again.
I tried this recipe today for Christmas dinner for our small family. The olive oil paste is a wonderful combination of herbs and spices. It smells delicious while roasting and the turkey turned out moist and flavorful. Thank you!