Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast - Tender & juicy with a savory garlic & lemon-infused herb butter that is easy to make and so delicious.
This savory turkey recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to roast in the oven. Have all the traditional flavors in a fraction of the time it takes to make a whole turkey.
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It's the perfect holiday dinner recipe to make for a small family Thanksgiving. And delicious served along with traditional Thanksgiving side dish recipes like our tasty fried corn recipe, and creamy mashed potatoes and gravy.
How To Make It
- turkey breast - This simple recipe works with bone-in turkey breast or boneless turkey breast. The breast is the white meat on a whole bird. For dark meat, you should choose leg and thigh meat instead.
- butter - Helps makes tasty, crispy skin. We recommend using salted butter for its flavor. However, you may use unsalted butter instead.
Substitution Suggestion - May substitute olive oil for butter. - dried herbs - Use traditional dried herbs for turkey, such as, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, and oregano.
Substitution Suggestion - For extra flavor, substitute a few sprigs of fresh herbs for dried. - kosher salt - Kosher salt has a courser grain than regular table salt. For this recipe, we used Morton's Kosher Salt. If using table salt, decrease the amount of salt by half.
- ground black pepper
- lemon - Enhances flavor and provides moisture. Be sure to zest the lemon before slicing it for this recipe with a microplane like this one we use from OXO.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Pro Tips
- Choose the Correct Size Pan. We recommend preparing this savory recipe in a cast iron skillet or a small baking dish like the ones linked here.
Choose a pan that is just big enough to fit the meat and does not leave too much extra room. If the pan is too large, the juices released during cooking will spread out over the bottom of the pan and evaporate, leaving the meat dry and very little pan juices left for making gravy.
You want all the juices kept up close to the meat where they can keep keep it moist. - Using A Meat Thermometer - Check the internal temperature of the turkey with an instant-read thermometer that has been inserted into the thickest part of the breast. It is ready to be removed from the oven when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.
We recommend using a fast & accurate instant read thermometer like this Thermapen One. It's the one we rely on every day here at Seanna's Kitchen.
Tips For Brining Turkey
Wet Brine. (Optional) For extra tender & juicy turkey, place the breast in a large bowl and cover it with cold water and ¼ cup of salt. Place in the refrigerator and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Resealable plastic bags are great for brining and marinating small quantities of meat. A brining bag and food-grade bucket work better for wet brining large quantities.
Dry Meat After Brining. Remove the meat from the brine and dry it off with paper towels before prepping it for the oven.
Step by Step Instructions
This simple oven-roasted turkey recipe can be ready for the oven in just a few minutes of prep time.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wet Brine (Optional Step). Soak the raw meat in a large bowl for 30 minutes in cold, salty water. This will ensure extra tender & juicy meat. See brining tips section above for details.
- Herb Butter. In a small bowl, mix together room temperature (softened) butter, chopped fresh herbs (may sub dried herbs), garlic, and lemon zest. This can be done easily with a fork, a hand mixer, or mini food processor.
- Prep Turkey. Dry the meat off with some paper towels. Then set it in a cast iron skillet or baking pan. Cover the entire breast with the herb butter and add sliced lemons to the pan.
- Bake for 45 Minutes. Place the skillet in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
Check to see if the skin is browning evenly. If necessary, turn the small baking dish to ensure even browning.
Continue cooking for 15 minutes or so until the internal temperature reads 165°F as measured by an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest and Slice. Remove the cooked turkey from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve. Serve the juicy meat with a quick pan gravy made from the drippings.
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Recipe FAQS
Bone-In - Roast bone-In turkey breast in the oven for 15 minutes per pound at 400°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees f.
Boneless - Decrease cooking time for boneless turkey breast.
The best way to ensure a moist, juicy result is to wet brine it for at least 30 minutes before roasting. It's easy to do.
Wet Brine - Place the raw meat in a large bowl and cover it with cold water and ¼ cup of salt. Let that soak in the brine for 30 minutes. Be sure to dry the it off with paper towels before prepping it for the oven.
Covering the roasting pan with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time will also help to keep it moist.
There is no need to baste a turkey breast. It cooks pretty fast in the oven and will not release enough juices for basting. Simply cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil during the last 15-20 minutes and trapped steam will keep it moist and delicious.
For crispy skin, follow these simple steps:
1. Dry the skin thoroughly with paper towel.
2. Rub butter or olive oil over the skin. We recommend using a garlic herb butter.
3. Roast uncovered until the skin is a beautiful golden brown. If the skin is browning unevenly, turn the roasting pan so that it browns evenly and the skin gets crispy on all sides.
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📖 Recipe
Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turkey breast bone-in
- 4 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 tablespoon garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt kosher
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 teaspoon parsley ground
- 1 teaspoon rosemary ground
- ½ teaspoon thyme ground
- 1 lemon sliced & zested
Instructions
Pre-Heat Oven to 400°F.
- Wet Brine (Optional Step). Soak the raw breast for 30 minutes in a large bowl in cold, salty water. This will ensure extra tender & juicy meat. See note below for details.2 lbs turkey breast
- Make Herb Butter. Mix together room temperature (softened) butter, fresh or dried herbs, garlic, and lemon zest. This can be done easily with a fork, a hand mixer, or mini food processor. Note: Remember to zest the lemon before slicing it!4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon thyme
- Prep Turkey. Dry the meat off with some paper towels. Then set it in a cast iron skillet or baking pan. Cover the skin with the herb butter and add sliced lemons to the pan.1 lemon
- Bake for 45 Minutes. Place the skillet in the oven on the middle rack. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Check to see if skin is browning evenly. If necessary, turn the small baking dish to ensure even browning. Continue cooking for 15 minutes or so until the internal temperature reads 165°F. See note on meat thermometer.
- Rest and Slice. Remove the cooked turkey from the oven and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve. Serve the juicy meat with a quick pan gravy made from the drippings.
Joe Samual
My mouth is watering thinking about this turkey!!
Seanna Borrows
Thanks Joe!
Evonne Simoff
Great recipe!!
Seanna Borrows
Thank you, Evonne! 😊
Hannah
Looks great!
Seanna Borrows
Thanks so much, Hannah! 😊
Jessica Robinson
This turkey breast was incredible easy to make, so flavorful and completely juicy! It's perfect for our small family for Thanksgiving or Sunday dinners. Loved that you gave so many incredible tips on making it!
Seanna Borrows
Thank you so much, Jessica! 😊
Megan
This looks soooo good! I would love to eat this over salad greens. Literally thinking about lunch even though it’s 8 am now!
Seanna Borrows
Thanks Megan! It's great sliced for lunch meat, too!
Russ B
Great quick dinner!
Seanna Borrows
It's SO quick and easy! 😊
Kathy
Such a great idea vs wasting a whole turkey we don’t eat! Love the cleat directions and pics too!
Seanna Borrows
Thank you so much, Kathy!