By: Becky - The Cookie Rookie
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This oven-roasted Thanksgiving Turkey Breast is the ideal entrée to make when you don’t need an entire bird! It’s made flavorful with a homemade turkey rub, butter, lemons, and plenty of aromatic fresh herbs. You’ll love that it’s got plenty of flavor in every tender, juicy bite!
Table of Contents
What’s in this Turkey Breast Recipe for Thanksgiving?
We like to keep things simple, yet mouthwatering when it comes to seasoning the meat. Our favorite turkey rub is just perfect, and the medley of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme finishes it nicely.
- Turkey Breast: Use a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast for the most tender and juicy result.
- Turkey Rub: A savory blend of salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder adds that classic Thanksgiving flavor to this turkey.
- Unsalted Butter: Helps the seasoning stick to the bird and adds moisture and flavor.
- Lemons: Infuse the turkey with a light, citrus flavor as it roasts.
- Fresh Herbs: Sage, rosemary, and thyme give the turkey a fresh and aromatic flavor.
Pro Tip: Roast the turkey skin-side-up to allow it to crisp.
Variations on Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving
Instead of turkey rub, you could use an equal amount of chicken seasoning, Creole seasoning, Italian seasoning, blackened seasoning, or herbs de Provence.
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Is turkey breast good for Thanksgiving?
Yes! It’s the perfect choice for a moist, delicious main at a smaller Thanksgiving table.
How much turkey breast do I need per person?
Generally, you want to cook about ¾-1 pound of turkey per person. A 6-7 pound turkey breast will feed 6-8 people.
How long does it take to defrost a frozen turkey breast?
Turkey takes about 1 day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost. Defrost the turkey breast in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days, depending upon the size of your breast.
How many hours per pound do you cook a turkey breast?
A turkey breast takes about 15-20 minutes per pound to bake. If boneless, it will take about 10-12 minutes per pound. For a 6-7 pound breast, it should take about 1½-2 hours to cook.
What is the internal temperature of a cooked turkey breast?
The internal temperature of a properly cooked turkey breast is 165°F.
How do I keep a turkey breast from drying out?
This turkey breast is extra moist due to the lower oven temperature. However, if you’re really worried about it drying out, cover the breast with foil while cooking, then remove the foil in the last 30 minutes to crisp up the skin.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Thanksgiving turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the turkey in a baking pan with some turkey stock or pan drippings and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze Thanksgiving turkey breast in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
For smaller gatherings, this Thanksgiving Turkey Breast always hits the spot. It pairs perfectly with all of your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! Smother it in some turkey gravy and serve it with classics, like creamy mashed potatoes, Parker House rolls, stuffing, green bean casserole, creamed corn, cranberry sauce, honey glazed carrots, and candied sweet potatoes.
Recipe
Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Recipe
5 from 5 votes
Author: Becky – The Cookie Rookie
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
Total: 2 hours hours
Serves6
Print Rate
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Looking for a small-scale turkey recipe that will wow at your Thanksgiving table? Look no further! Tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned!
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Ingredients
- 1 (6-7 pound) bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
- ½ batch turkey rub (click for recipe)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (½ stick)
- 1-2 lemons sliced
- Fresh sage sprigs
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Place the turkey, skin side up, in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
1 (6-7 pound) bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Mix together the butter and spice rub until uniform.
½ batch turkey rub, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Rub the butter and spice rub all over the turkey, including under the skin.
Arrange the lemon slices and pieces of fresh herbs around the turkey.
1-2 lemons, Fresh sage sprigs, Fresh rosemary sprigs, Fresh thyme sprigs
Roast the turkey for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until 165°F at the thickest point. Check the turkey a couple times throughout cooking. If the skin is becoming too brown, loosely cover it with tin foil.
Loosely cover the turkey with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Adjust the final cooking time based on the weight of your turkey; increase or reduce by 15-20 minutes per pound.
- Roast the turkey skin-side-up to allow it to crisp.
- Properly cooked turkey breast is 165°F internally.
- Tent the turkey with foil while resting to seal in the juices.
- Use the leftover pan drippings to make turkey gravy!
Storage:Store Thanksgiving turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1pound Calories: 639kcal (32%) Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) Protein: 90g (180%) Fat: 30g (46%) Saturated Fat: 12g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g Monounsaturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0.3g Cholesterol: 262mg (87%) Sodium: 1986mg (86%) Potassium: 59mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 0.2g Vitamin A: 865IU (17%) Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) Calcium: 32mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!
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