How to Make THE BEST Roast Turkey Breast
The best roast turkey breast is cooked in the oven with wine, lemon, and butter for a moist and juicy turkey breast every time. Roast turkey breast can easily be cooked any time of year for healthy meals, meal prep, and of course, added to your Thanksgiving meal for the many white turkey meat lovers.
Servings 4
Calories 105kcal
Ingredients
- 1 3 pound bone-in turkey breast with skin on
- 2 tablespoons butter softened at room temperature
- ½ lemon
- ½ head of garlic sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 cup white wine
- 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. With your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the turkey meat and spread the softened butter under the skin.
- Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the wine over the breast, then juice the lemon over the breast. Season with the kosher salt and pepper then scatter the garlic cloves and thyme in the wine.
- Roast the turkey for 30 minutes for boneless breasts or 45-60 minutes for bone-in breasts or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast reaches 150-155°F. If needed, add more wine or water to the pan as the turkey cooks so the aromatics don't burn.
- Cover with foil and rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, the internal temperature will rise to 160°F as it rests. Reserve pan drippings for gravy if desired.
Notes
Boneless Turkey Breast Cooking Time
Cooking split, boneless turkey breasts at 400°F, I estimate about 12 minutes cooking time per pound for boneless turkey where two 1 ½ pound cutlets should cook in 30 minutes or when it registers 150-155°F internal temperature when tested with a meat thermometer.
If cooking a rolled turkey breast with skin on (shaped and tied into a roast) allow 20 minutes cooking time per pound. Tied into a roast, the meat is more dense and takes longer to cook. Begin checking the temperature at about 45 minutes, knowing it may take 1 hour to cook.
Bone-in Turkey Breast Cooking Time
For a single, 3 pound bone-in turkey breast, I give it 17-20 minutes per pound, or 45-60 minutes until the thickest part of the meat registers 150-155°F. Begin checking the temperature for doneness at about 45 minutes. Again, two split bone-in breasts that total 3 pounds will cook faster than a single 3 pound bone-in breast. Tent the bird with aluminum foil if the skin begins to brown too much.