Simple Roasted Bone-In Turkey Breast

This delicious recipe from The Real Food Dietitians features a super simple method so easy that you’ll feel like a turkey roasting pro in no time. This no-baste method results in perfectly moist, tender, and juicy turkey breast meat that is crispy and golden brown on the outside. Plus, it’s so much faster and easier than roasting a whole bird.

8-10 Servings
15 mins Prep Time
2 hrs - 2 hrs 30 mins Total Time

Ingredients

1 (8-9 lb.) bone-in turkey breast
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened*
2 garlic cloves, finely minced (1 ½ teaspoons)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon (5-6 leaves) finely minced fresh sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
¾ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the lower ⅓ of the oven and remove any upper rack.
Step 2

Using paper towels, pat the turkey breast (inside and out) until it is as dry as possible; set aside.
Step 3

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Mash and stir together to form a compound butter.
Step 4

Using clean hands, carefully lift and gently pull up on the skin on top of the breast to make space between the skin and breast meat. Insert your fingers under the skin while carefully moving your hand over the meat (and under the skin) to loosen all of the skin without tearing it. Leave the skin attached along the breast bone.
Step 5

Still using your hands, rub half of the butter mixture onto the breast meat beneath the skin.
Step 6

Then, spread the remainder of the butter mixture over the outside of the skin all over the turkey.
Step 7

Place the turkey breast side up in a metal roasting pan.
Step 8

Place the roasting pan in the oven and, if you have one, insert an oven-safe wireless temperature probe into the thickest part of the breast. It’s OK if you don’t have one - you can use any reliable digital meat thermometer to test the breast meat temperature after 90 minutes.
Step 9

Cook the turkey breast until it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, which will take 1½ to 2 hours (90 to 120 minutes). Do not baste during cooking time.**
Step 10

Check on the turkey at about 65 to 75 minutes. If the skin is becoming too dark at this point, loosely tent a large piece of aluminum foil over the breast. You do not need to cover it tightly or completely; just lightly press the foil over the top to prevent further browning. Continue to cook until the breast reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
Step 11

Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Step 12

Store turkey leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Step 13

Notes: *Set the butter at room temperature to soften at least a few hours or overnight. It should be the consistency of frosting. **There’s no need to baste this turkey because the compound butter, which gets rubbed under and over the skin, creates perfectly moist turkey meat. Sometimes basting can actually make the skin more rubbery, so just skip that step and enjoy turkey that is nicely browned and golden on the outside and juicy-tender on the inside.