Bone-In Roasted Turkey Breast
This Bone-In Roasted Turkey Breast is an easy alternative to roasting a whole turkey. A homemade garlic-herb butter goes under and over the skin to season the meat, keep it juicy, and help the skin brown as it roasts. It’s an easy holiday centerpiece for smaller Thanksgiving dinners.
Servings: 8
Calories:
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 5 lb turkey breast whole breast, bone-in, skin-on, fully thawed, not brined
- ½ cup Butter unsalted, softened
- 6 cloves Garlic finely minced
- 2 tbsp Poultry seasoning click for my recipe
- 2 teaspoons Natural Ancient Sea Salt see recipe note for larger turkey breasts
- 1 ½ cups Chicken Broth divided
- 1 Yellow Onion quartered
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil as needed for browning
Instructions
- Prep the turkey: Set the fully thawed turkey breast on the counter for about 30 minutes. Pat it very dry with paper towels so the skin can brown properly. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Make the seasoned butter: Mix the softened butter, garlic, poultry seasoning, and sea salt until evenly combined.
- Prepare the roasting pan: Pour 1 cup of chicken broth into the bottom of a roasting pan. Add half of the onion, rosemary, and thyme. Set a roasting rack in the pan, if using.
- Season underneath the skin: Gently loosen the turkey skin from the breast meat without tearing it. Spread about two-thirds of the seasoned butter underneath the skin and evenly over the breast meat.
- Season the outside: Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the turkey. Place the turkey skin-side up on the roasting rack. If you do not have a rack, rest it on top of the onion. If the breast does not sit securely upright, position it naturally on one side.
- Add the aromatics: Place the remaining onion, rosemary, and thyme inside the ribcage.
- Roast: Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting until the thickest part of the breast reaches about 160°F, checking without touching the bone. Start checking after about 1 hour, then every 30 minutes as needed. Note: If the skin reaches your desired level of browning before the turkey is done, loosely tent it with foil. If the liquid in the pan begins to evaporate, add some or all of the reserved ½ cup chicken broth directly to the bottom of the pan rather than over the turkey.
- Crisp the skin, if needed: If the turkey is cooked but the skin needs more browning, lightly brush it with olive oil and broil for 3–4 minutes. Watch closely and skip this step if the skin is already crisp and golden enough for you.
- Rest: Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and loosely tent it with foil. Rest for about 15 minutes. The internal temperature should continue rising from about 160°F toward 165°F.
- Serve: Carve the turkey and transfer it to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh herbs or lemon slices, if desired, and serve with turkey gravy.
Notes
- Salt by turkey weight: Two tablespoons of my poultry seasoning contain about ½ teaspoon of salt. For a turkey breast that has not been brined or injected with a salt solution, use 2 teaspoons additional fine sea salt for a 5-lb breast, 2½ teaspoons for a 6-lb breast, or 3 teaspoons for a 7-lb breast. Reduce the added salt if your turkey already contains a salt solution.
- Cooking time & doneness: Turkey breasts vary in size, thickness, and shape, so use the internal temperature rather than cooking time alone to determine when yours is ready. Start checking after about 1 hour. Remove the turkey at about 160°F in the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone, then allow the temperature to rise toward 165°F while it rests.
