Herb Roasted Turkey Breast is an easy bone-in turkey breast recipe with juicy meat and rich herb flavor that's perfect when you don't need a whole turkey. A simple brine helps the breast retain moisture, while seasoned herb butter under and over the skin adds flavor as it roasts.
For more holiday favorites, pair it with our Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Cheddar Chive Biscuits.
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast at a Glance 🔎
- 🕒 Prep Time: About 6 hours and 15 minutes (includes brining)
- ⏱️ Cook Time: About 1 to 1¼ hours
- 👥 Servings: 4
- 🔥 Cook Method: Brine and Roast
- 🍽️ Cuisine (or General Category): American
- 👩🍳 Pair With: Sourdough Stuffing or dressing, Roasted Fall Vegetables
- ⭐ Difficulty Level: Easy to Moderate
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Brining the breast for just 4 to 6 hours has worked best for us. Serve it sliced with the warm pan drippings spooned over the top. ~Jami
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Juicy Turkey Breast: A short 4-6-hour brine seasons the meat and helps protect lean turkey breast from drying out as it roasts.
- Plenty of Herb Flavor: Thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic, and smoked paprika go into the butter rather than the brine, putting the flavor where you'll notice it most.
- Perfect for a Smaller Gathering: A turkey breast gives you the classic roast turkey experience without committing to a large whole bird. We also enjoy this Herb Roasted Chicken.
- Flavorful Pan Drippings: Roasting the turkey over carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and broth creates savory drippings you can spoon over the sliced turkey or use for gravy.
Key Ingredients
- Bone-In Turkey Breast: Look for a fresh, skin-on turkey breast that hasn't been injected, enhanced, self-basted, or packaged in a salt solution. That's especially important because we're brining the turkey ourselves. A pre-salted breast can become overly salty after brining.
- Kosher Salt: Other brands can have a different density, so substituting the same volume of another kosher salt may make the brine saltier.
- Brown Sugar: A small amount balances the salt in the brine without making the turkey noticeably sweet. Dissolve it with the salt in warm water before adding the remaining cold water.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter carries the herbs and seasonings and helps them stay in contact with the turkey. Putting some underneath the skin seasons the breast meat directly instead of leaving all the flavor on the exterior.
- Thyme, Sage, and Rosemary: Thyme and sage give the turkey familiar holiday flavor, while a smaller amount of rosemary keeps it from taking over. Finely chopping or crushing the herbs distributes them more evenly throughout the butter.
- Carrot, Celery, and Onion: These vegetables create a simple roasting base and flavor the drippings as they cook. Keep the pieces fairly large so they can withstand the roasting time without breaking down too much.
- Unsalted Broth: A small amount of broth keeps flavorful liquid beneath the turkey and combines with the vegetables and turkey drippings. Stick with unsalted broth because the turkey has already been brined.
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Fresh Herbs: Dried herbs can be substituted when needed, but use less because dried herbs are more concentrated.
- Flavor: Add an extra smashed garlic clove to the vegetable base for stronger garlic flavor in the pan drippings.
- Holiday Platter: Arrange the carved turkey on a platter and garnish with fresh thyme or sage for Thanksgiving or another holiday meal.
How To Make Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
STEP ONE: Brine and Dry the Turkey
Dissolve the kosher salt and brown sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Stir in the remaining cold water and refrigerate the brine until it reaches 40°F (4°C) or below.
Add the turkey, making sure it is fully submerged, and keep refrigerated throughout the brining time.
Discard the brine and pat the turkey thoroughly dry without rinsing it.
Pay particular attention to the skin. Any moisture left on the surface works against the browning you're trying to get in the oven.
STEP TWO: Prepare the Roasting Pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Scatter the carrot, celery, onion, and smashed garlic across the bottom of a medium baking dish. Pour in the unsalted broth and place the turkey breast skin-side up over the vegetables.
The goal isn't to submerge the turkey. You just want a shallow amount of broth underneath it to catch the drippings and pick up flavor from the vegetables as everything roasts.
STEP THREE: Add the Herb Butter
Mix the softened butter with the olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, sage, and rosemary.
Carefully loosen the turkey skin with your fingers without tearing it. Spread about half of the herb butter directly over the breast meat underneath the skin, then rub the remaining butter over the outside.
Do not add additional salt. The turkey has already been seasoned during brining.
STEP FOUR: Roast and Rest
Roast the turkey uncovered at 350°F and begin checking the internal temperature at about 50 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone.
A 2-pound bone-in breast will generally need about 1 to 1¼ hours, but thickness matters more than weight alone. Treat the cooking time as a guide and use temperature to determine when it's actually done.
If the skin is getting sufficiently browned before the center is finished, loosely tent it with foil.
Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving. Slice across the grain and spoon the pan drippings over the meat or strain them to use for gravy.
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Expert Tips for Success
👩🍳Jami's Pro Tips: Want to take this recipe to the next level? Check out my expert tips below for the best flavor, texture, and meal prep hacks!
✔️ DO Brine the turkey for 4 to 6 hours rather than overnight.
✔️ DO Pat the skin very dry after brining.
✔️ DO Rest the turkey for 15 minutes before slicing.
❌ DO NOT Brine a turkey labeled enhanced, injected, self-basted, or packed in a salt solution.
❌ DO NOT Rely on roasting time alone to determine doneness.
Storage
Store leftover roasted turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze sliced turkey in a freezer-safe container with a little of the pan juice to help keep it moist. Reheat gently, covered, with a spoonful of broth or drippings until heated through.
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe FAQs
A short brine, moderate oven temperature, and careful temperature monitoring help keep roasted turkey breast juicy. Check the thickest portion of the breast with an instant-read thermometer so you don't keep roasting it longer than necessary.
Roast the turkey breast uncovered at 350°F to help the skin turn golden brown. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Continue roasting until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
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📖 Recipe
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Medium Staub baking dish or similar oven-safe baking dish
- Container or large zip-top bag for brining
- Small Mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Carving knife
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Aluminum foil, if needed
Ingredients
Turkey
- 1 (2 to 2½pound) bone-in, skin-on fresh turkey breast half Use a turkey breast that has not been injected, enhanced, self-basted, or packaged in a salt solution.
Brine
- 4 cups water divided
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Herb Butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary lightly crushed
Vegetable Base
- 1 large carrot cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 1 large celery rib cut into 1½-inch chunks
- ½ medium onion cut into wedges
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves smashed
- ½ cup unsalted chicken or turkey broth
Instructions
- Heat 1 cup of the water until warm. Stir in the kosher salt and brown sugar until completely dissolved.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of cold water. Refrigerate the brine until it reaches 40°F or below before adding the turkey.
- Place the turkey breast in a container or large zip-top bag and pour the cold brine over it. The breast should be fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Do not rinse the turkey. Pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels, especially the skin.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the carrot, celery, onion, and smashed garlic over the bottom of a medium baking dish. Pour in the unsalted broth. Place the turkey breast skin-side up over the vegetables.
- Combine the softened butter, olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, sage, and rosemary.
- Carefully loosen the skin without tearing it. Spread about half of the herb butter directly over the breast meat underneath the skin. Rub the remaining herb butter over the outside of the skin.
- Roast the turkey uncovered at 350°F. Begin checking the internal temperature after about 50 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone.
- Continue roasting until safely cooked through at 165°F. If the skin becomes sufficiently browned before the center is done, loosely tent it with foil.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Slice the breast across the grain. Spoon the pan drippings over the turkey or strain them to use in gravy or dressing.
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Notes
- Use a turkey breast that hasn't been enhanced, injected, self-basted, or packaged in a salt solution.
- Spread half of the herb butter underneath the skin so the seasoning sits directly against the meat.
- Pat the turkey very dry after brining to help the skin brown.
- Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Jami Powell says
This works really well for a weeknight dinner in fall, or a Thansgiving dinner for two.