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Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

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Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast recipe – the only recipe you need to make a juicy, delicious bone-in turkey breast with perfectly crispy skin. The gravy is simple yet flavorful!

Serve this delicious turkey breast with Classic Sweet Potato Casserole and Green Bean Casserole from Scratch.

oven roasted turkey breast 3 Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Last year, I made a turkey breast for our holiday dinners and I decided right then that it’s the best way to prepare the bird. You get the best meat for half the price and time of cooking. It’s a win-win if you ask me. Follow my easy recipe to make the best, juicy turkey with crispy and delicious skin! While last year I cooked it in my Instant Pot, this year I will show you how to roast it perfectly in the oven.

This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is very easy to prepare and the result is juicy meat with crispy skin. The turkey breast cooks in half the time as a whole turkey since it’s usually half the size, yet you get the best meat from the bird. No need to tie the legs and struggle to fold the wings under the bird to set it on the roaster. Turkey breast is easier and faster to prepare.

How to roast turkey breast in the oven?

  • Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare your roaster pan.
  • For the best results, wash the turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels. Do not season while it’s wet. Mix oil and seasoning in a small bowl and brush all over the turkey breast. Place half the vegetables inside the turkey cavity. Arrange the rest around the breast on pan.
  • Roast turkey for 20 minutes per pound. For my 7 lb turkey breast, the timing was 140 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes). For a perfectly juicy turkey with crispy skin, baste the turkey breast with pan juices every 20 minutes or so. You can take the skin off before slicing if you want to cut down on calories.
  • After the turkey is done, use the pan drippings to make the gravy: measure out 2 cups of liquid, add 1/4 cup of water mixed with cornstarch and simmer the mixture together in a saucepan until it thickens.

oven roasted turkey breast 1 Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

How to thaw turkey breast?

To thaw a frozen turkey breast properly, you need to plan to pull it out of the freezer at least 24 hours before cooking.  Big turkeys may take even 2 days to thaw. Place the frozen turkey breast in the bottom of your fridge and let it thaw. This is the safest way and it’s recommended by the USDA.

oven roasted turkey breast 2 Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

How long to cook turkey breast in the oven?

All turkeys you buy in the store will have a guide on the back of the packaging. It’s good to follow it, but you have to remember to check it before you cut it to get the turkey out. The general rule is to roast the turkey breast for 20 minutes per pound. So, if my turkey breast weighs 7 lbs, I will cook it for 140 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes). When the time is up, check the breast in the meatiest place to make sure it reads 165 degrees F. To get the crispy skin and juicy meat, you should baste the turkey breast with pan juices every 20 minutes or so. Just carefully spoon the juices from the bottom of the pan and pour all over the turkey.

oven roasted turkey breast 5 Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

What to Serve with Turkey Breast?

Everything! Ha! Here is a list of my favorite side dishes to serve with turkey and turkey breast:

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Best Sweet Potato Casserole 

Hashbrown Casserole

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER TURKEY?

My go-to recipe is my One-Pot Turkey Tetrazzini. It’s quick and the clean up afterward is minimal since the whole dish cooks in one pot. Another great way to use it is to make turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches or sliders AND toss it in place of chicken to make my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

pin it button Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

4.92 from 23 votes
oven roasted turkey breast A 150x150 Easy Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
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Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
 

The only recipe you need to make a juicy, delicious bone-in turkey breast with perfectly crispy skin. The gravy is simple yet flavorful!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: oven-roasted turkey breast
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 918 kcal
Author: Anna
Ingredients
  • 7 lb bone-in skin-on turkey breast
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp chopped poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage and thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 medium onion chopped into large slices
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 celery stalks
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare your roaster pan.
  2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix oil, paprika, herb mix, salt and pepper.

  3. Wash the turkey breast, remove gravy pocket. Wash and pat dry. Brush turkey breast with olive oil mixture. Place one chopped celery stalk, 2 garlic cloves and half of the onion inside the turkey. Place remaining veggies around the breast on pan. Add stock to the bottom of the pan.

  4. Place the turkey in the oven and cook for 20 minutes per pound. I cooked my 7 lb turkey breast for 140 minutes (2 hours and 20 minutes). Baste the turkey breast with pan juices every 20 minutes or so.

  5. If you want the skin crispier, place the turkey under broiler set to 440 degrees F. Broil until skin is golden and crispy, watching the turkey the whole time. You may have to rotate the pan during broiling.
  6. To make the gravy, drain the pan drippings through a sieve to catch the onions and garlic. You can also press them through it to get all the flavor into the gravy. Measure out two cups of the liquid and place in a saucepan. Add a mixture of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water and whisk well. Bring the mixture to boil and simmer until thickens.
Recipe Notes

To thaw a frozen turkey breast properly, you need to plan to pull it out of the freezer at least 24 hours before cooking.  Big turkeys may take even 2 days to thaw. Place the frozen turkey breast in the bottom of your fridge and let it thaw. This is the safest way and it's recommended by the USDA.

When the roasting time is up, check the breast in the meatiest place to make sure it reads 165 degrees F.

Nutrition Facts
Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
Amount Per Serving
Calories 918 Calories from Fat 405
% Daily Value*
Fat 45g69%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 343mg114%
Sodium 998mg43%
Potassium 1606mg46%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 117g234%
Vitamin A 235IU5%
Vitamin C 7.8mg9%
Calcium 91mg9%
Iron 6.8mg38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Melinda Foster says

    I don’t know why some others had trouble with this recipe. I followed it exactly (was a little skeptical about the high heat for the entire time but kept it there). The turkey breast was perfectly cooked. When I took it out the internal temperature was a perfect 180 degrees. The skin was dark and crispy. The meat was moist and soft. My husband raved at how good it was.
    The gravy was yummy. I cooked an organic butterball 6.75 lb. breast.

    Reply

  4. Kate says

    Hi! I’m making this recipe for Christmas. Do you put the breast on a rack inside the roasting pan or just in the roasting pan? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Norma Johnson says

      I always use a rack to set the breast on while it roasts. This prevents turkey from setting in grease and allows skin to get crispy.

      Reply

  5. Evie says

    Hi! I’m planning on making this for Christmas, what exactly is “2 tsp chopped poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage and thyme”? – is the mix only the rosemary, sage and thyme and is called ‘chopped poultry fresh herb mix’? If so, are they equal parts? Help please! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Kelly Parker says

      I put it on a rack. It doesn’t sit well just in the pan. Plus- you need to turn down the temp while cooking to 325
      I’m trying this for the first time too, but have cooked many turkeys in the past- can’t wait to see how this turns out! Don’t forget to turn down the temp or the turkey will be dry- also- I cover in tin foil for the first hour

      Reply

  6. John says

    This is a follow up: Although it cooked hot and we had to keep adding broth, the aroma was wonderful. In the end, the taste was very good, but dry. We’ll do the recipe again, but do something to keep it moist- maybe reduce the temperature as stated previously.

    Reply

  7. John says

    This is the first time for an inexperienced person to cook a Turkey breast and with this recipe. I followed it exactly and set the oven temperature for 425 degrees. I used 2 cups of broth in the pan. Within one hour all the borsht was gone and the bottom of the pan was burnt. I added more broth and continued. Within another hour all the broth was again cooked away and the bottom of the pan was black, I added more broth and will continue cooking g the seven and half pound turkey for 2 hrs and 20 minutes. At this point I have used 8 cups fo broth and I suspect that when I take it out, there will be no broth left. At this point I looked in Joy of Cooking. It said to preheat to 450 and then turn dow to 325 and cook the same time as you say. No where do you say to turn down the temperature. I have looked multiple times. Also, in reading the comments I noticed that one person put the turkey breast on a rack in the pan. Had I read all these comments I would have also used a rack (we had one), but no where in the instructions did it say to use a rack or to consider that as an option.
    Thank you,

    Reply

  8. Kara says

    Good but would not have used chicken broth for the gravy because it made the gravy taste like chicken gravy rather than turkey gravy. I would have cooked it a while longer too. Parts were not completely cooked and my oven temp was correct.

    Reply

  9. Kerri says

    I followed your recipe, and I have to say this is by far the BEST turkey I’ve ever eaten. It turned out perfect! I’ll be cooking my turkeys this way from now on. The only thing I’m wondering is the calorie count. Turkey is low fat, so I’m assuming it’s a misprint.
    Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe that I’ll be enjoying for many years.

    Reply

  10. Melissa says

    Made this for our four adults for Thanksgiving. So easy and delicious! I did tent foil over turkey breast since I noticed it was browning faster than expected. It was easy to remove to continue basting which I think is key. I had an almost 6lb turkey breast that was cooked in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. I didn’t use a rack but did use some foil balls to keep the turkey breast centered and upright in the roasting pan.

    Reply

  11. Monica Cariker says

    First time making Thanksgiving dinner and WOW. My guest loved it. Simple yet tasty. Looking forward to making this again next year. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

  13. Kerry says

    This came out super good! I had an 8lb turkey and it took just over 2 hours. (Yes, I used a meat thermometer to be sure). Perhaps because I have an electric oven? Either way it was cooked just perfect and so flavorful! Will be using again! Thank you so much for sharing this!

    Reply

  16. Sara Lynn says

    Hi there…this looks amazing! Thank you…how long do I wait, after roasting, before carving? …and also…first off…do you use a rack??…thanks so much!

    Reply

  17. Courtney says

    Hello! I’m a little confused when you say 2 tsp chopped poultry fresh herb mix rosemary, sage and thyme. Is it 2 tsp of each? Im a new cook and not to sure what you mean. Can you explain for me please?

    Reply

  18. Barbara says

    I will be trying this recipe out for Thanksgiving! Would I need adjust this at all for a convection oven? Also, my bone-in breast is weirdly large – nearly 10lbs?! Would that also impact using this method? This is my first turkey so I’m a little nervous. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Carrie Bracken says

      I would think add prob another teaspoon of seasoning and adjust cooking time, keeping it at 20 min per pound.

      Reply

    • Stacey says

      You would only need to adjust cooking time. The recipe says 20 min per pound so if you have three extra pounds of Turkey you need to cook it an extra 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of meat says 165 degrees.

      Reply

  22. Betsy says

    Wonderful spice mix! Delicious flavor palatte. 🙂 I love how crispy the skin turns out but the inside is still moist and flavorful! This will be perfect for my Thanksgiving this year!

    Reply

      • Anna says

        Hi Karissa! I did not but if your turkey breast is browning too fast (it will all depend on your oven), you can cover it lightly with foil. I hope this helps!

        Reply

    • Emily McDuffie says

      How would the cooking time be affected per your 20min/lb rule for two breasts? I have two that are each about 5lbs. Should I cook them for about 1hr40 or for 3 hours using the combined 10lbs? I’m going to assume the latter and keep an eye on the temp around the 1hr40 mark. Hopefully this turns out 🙏🏼

      Reply

  23. Kathleen says

    I am hoping to make this very soon. I can’t understand how the calorie content can be so high. It’s turkey…white meat. That can’t be correct, can it? I’m still making it. I usually cook a whole turkey because we like both white and dark meat, but with only 3 of us, it’s too much.

    Reply

  26. Fabiana says

    Came out amazing needed more broth for basting but it came out juicy and crispy! Perfection thank you for sharing

    Reply

  28. suhlman says

    I’m attempting this recipe this yr. I don’t cook turkey often and wondered what you meant by “Prepare your roasting pan,” Drag it out of the back of the cabinet and wash it out? 😉

    Also, do I need to uncover it for the last bit to make it crispy?

    Reply

    • Anna says

      Haha! Basically yes. Set it up, maybe line with aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Just have it ready. Step 5 describes how to get crispy skin. Hope this helps!

      Reply

      • LISA says

        thank you, trying it today just always cooked my turkey at 425 for 15 min then 300 to keep it moist but never adventure never gain:) Aslo do you recommend outing the seasoning under the skin? we dont eat the skin so will the flavor carry through to the meat? many thanks,

        My entire dinner is your recipes today:) I’ll let you know how it all turns out.

        Reply

        • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

          Oooh! That’s fantastic! I can’t wait for your feedback! I actually bake chicken breast the same way (high temp) and it’s juicy and delicious! If you are not eating the skin, I would definitely try to get the seasoning under it, also inside the cavity. I hope you love it!

          Reply

  36. Kara says

    That crunchy skin looks amazing! Our family Thanksgiving is at my house this year, so I’ll have to try your method. Yum!

    Reply

  37. Connie says

    I want to roast the turkey breast on top of traditional bread stuffing to enhance the flavor of the stuffing. What to do about basting when roasted this way?

    Reply

  44. Chrissie Baker says

    Wow, this is a great idea for Thanksgiving. This looks amazing! I cannot wait to give it a try. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. YUM!

    Reply

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