This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is quick, easy, and turns out juicy and delicious every single time. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving turkey for a smaller crowd, or if you don’t feel like roasting an entire bird.

If you’re looking for a whole turkey recipe, be sure to try out my oven roasted whole turkey. If you don’t want to cook an entire turkey, you can also try my slow cooker turkey breast too.

A decorative holiday platter with oven roasted turkey breast garnished with grapes and cranberries.

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

If cleaning, dressing, baking, and basting a whole turkey isn’t in the cards for you this holiday season, we have an easy solution: Oven Roasted Turkey Breast.  This easy turkey breast recipe is perfect for holiday dinners that don’t require an entire turkey.  

That’s not the only reason that we love turkey breast.  For one thing, the leftovers will make great sandwiches for the entire week.  Plus, if your family is like ours, they will appreciate all of the extra white meat.  

It definitely doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey, either.  This recipe only takes a few minutes to put together, and you can even prep it up to a day in advance and keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake!

Roasted Turkey Breast Video Tutorial

Key Ingredients

  • Boneless Turkey Breast – these are usually around 4 pounds each.  You can substitute bone-in turkey breast, but keep in mind the roasting time will be a little longer.
  • Butter – you want this to be room temperature so it will spread easily over the turkey breast.
  • Garlic – for the best flavor, use fresh minced.
  • Fresh Herbs – fresh herbs have far more flavor than dried, however dried will work in a pinch.
  • Carrots – these should be peeled and cut into 2” pieces.
  • Onions – we usually use either yellow or white onions, but you can also use red if you’d like.
Raw turkey breast covered with herbed butter, ready to bake in the oven with carrots and onions in a baking dish.

How To Make Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

  1. Prepare the turkey. Place the thawed boneless turkey breast into a 9 x 13″ baking dish or roasting pan, fat or skin side up, then pay it dry using paper towels.  Sprinkle with sea salt on all sides.
  2. Make the herb and garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, onion powder and pepper, then use a fork to mash and combine all of the ingredients. 
  3. Spread the butter. Using a spatula, spread this butter mixture evenly over the top of the turkey breast.
  4. Roast the turkey. Arrange the carrots and onions around the edge of the turkey breast, then stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast and place into the preheated oven. Roast the turkey for about 80-90 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 165 degrees F
  5. Rest. Once the turkey is fully cooked through, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.  Enjoy!

Turkey Gravy From Drippings

One of the best parts about this is the turkey gravy! Be sure to save your drippings and make some easy gravy:

  1. Blend the drippings with onions and broth. Pour turkey drippings into a blender. Add about 1/4 cup of onions, then add enough chicken broth to reach 3 cups of drippings and broth. Blend until smooth.
  2. Season. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the blended drippings and bring to a low boil. Taste your drippings and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder as needed. 
  3. Thicken the gravy. In a small bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of cold water, stirring until combined and smooth. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy while heating and constantly whisking until the gravy thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Note: If your gravy is too thick, thin it with some chicken broth.  If gravy is too thin, make more of the cornstarch/water slurry and thicken gravy more. 
  4. Serve. Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Enjoy!
oven roasted turkey on a white platter with kale, grapes and cooked carrots

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long To Cook Turkey Breast in Oven

Your turkey breast cooking time will depend on how large the turkey breast is, what temperature you roast it at, and even your individual oven.  The only way to ensure that your Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is safely cooked through is to use a thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.

–At 350 degrees, it should take roughly 80-90 minutes for a 4 pound boneless turkey breast, or about 20-23 minutes per pound of meat.
–At 400 degrees, you can expect a 4 pound boneless turkey breast to take roughly 60-80 minutes to cook, or about 15-20 minutes per pound of meat.

Where To Find Boneless Turkey Breast 

Finding boneless turkey breasts can be a little tricky, but it is well worth the search.  You can often find turkey breast at Costco or Walmart in the frozen food section, especially during the holiday season.  You should also be able to find them at your local butcher shop or specialty foods store.

Boneless turkey breast is often sold skin-on at about 4 pounds each with a layer of fat on top that should be kept on to keep the meat moist and juicy.

Herb Crusted Turkey breast sliced and on a white platter

Recipe Tips

  • Be sure to begin thawing your turkey breast 2-3 days ahead of time in the fridge if it was frozen.
  • In a pinch, you can thaw frozen turkey breast in a large bowl filled with warm water. It will still take several hours.
  • This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast will cook more evenly if you let it come to room temperature on the counter before putting it into the oven (about 20 minutes should be enough). It will also reduce the cooking time, and the meat will end up juicer.
  • Always roast skin or fat side up to make sure it is juicy and that the skin (if there is any) is nice and crispy.
  • No matter what, always check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer.  It is finished roasting once it has reached 165 degrees F. in the thickest part.
  • Plan on serving about ½ pound of roasted meat per person. (The weight should be measured in raw meat)
  • Be sure and save your pan drippings to make turkey gravy.   Yum!

Storing And Reheating Instructions

  • Refrigerator: store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: to freeze leftover turkey, place it in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.  Store frozen for up to 1 month.
  • To reheat: to reheat, you can either microwave until warm or rewarm in a 300-degree oven, covered in a shallow dish, for about 30 minutes or until warmed through. If your turkey is a little dry, pour a few tablespoons of chicken broth on your turkey before reheating.
Turkey Breast Recipes, on a platter with fruit and garnish
4.89 from 9 votes

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This herb-crusted turkey breast is quick, easy, and super juicy.  It’s seasoned with butter, fresh herbs, and spices—a perfect Thanksgiving turkey for a smaller crowd or if you don't feel like dressing an entire bird.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yields8 people

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pound turkey breast, boneless
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced (plus 1 teaspoon for the veggies)
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, fresh minced
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary, fresh minced
  • 1 teaspoon sage, fresh minced
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
  • 3 whole carrots, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil

Turkey Gravy

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water, cold

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the thawed boneless turkey breast into a 9" x 13" baking dish, fat or skin side up, and pat it dry using paper towels. Sprinkle with salt on all sides.
  • In a small bowl, combine the room temperature butter, 2 tablespoons of the garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, onion powder, and pepper, then use a fork to mash and combine all of the ingredients. Using a spatula, spread this butter mixture evenly over the top of the turkey breast. 
  • In another small bowl, add the onions, carrots, a couple of tablespoons of avocado oil, and a teaspoon of minced garlic. Stir until coated.
  • Arrange the carrots and onions around the edge of the turkey breast, then stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Place uncovered into the preheated oven.
  • Roast the turkey for about 80-90 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 165 degrees F. If the skin or top of the turkey is browning too quickly and the turkey hasn't reached 165 degrees yet, cover the turkey with foil until it's done. Or, if the turkey isn't golden brown on top, broil in the oven for a minute or two or until golden.
  • Once cooked, remove the turkey breast from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving with turkey gravy. Enjoy!

Turkey Gravy From Drippings

  • Pour turkey drippings into a blender. Add about 1/4 cup of the cooked onions and enough chicken broth to reach 3 cups of drippings and broth. Blend until smooth.
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the blended drippings and bring to a low simmer. Taste your drippings and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder as needed. 
  • In a small bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of cold water, stirring until combined and smooth. Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the gravy while heating and constantly whisking until the gravy thickens and coats the back of a spoon. 
  • Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Storing leftovers: store leftover turkey breast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Reheating: to reheat, you can either microwave until warm or rewarm in a 300-degree oven, covered in a shallow dish, for about 30 minutes or until warmed through. If your turkey is a little dry, pour a few tablespoons of chicken broth on your turkey before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 926mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 357IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is simply seasoned with butter, fresh herbs and salt and pepper, and makes the perfect Thanksgiving turkey solution for serving a smaller crowd.  It’s quick, easy and turns out juicy and flavorful every time. 

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Welcome! I'm so glad you're here!! My name is Jill Baird at The Carefree Kitchen. I love food, nearly all food, and love to celebrate every day with food and the people I love! I love being creative in the kitchen and discovering new ways to switch up old favorites and coming up with new favorites. My hope is that you will find recipes you love on my site and maybe even find some inspiration to create something new! Have fun in the kitchen!

4.89 from 9 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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One Comment

  1. This recipe was great!! I made 2 for Thanksgiving and everyone likes it better than a whole turkey. Thank you

    Reply

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