Once you've tried roasting your own turkey breast, you may never buy it prepackaged again. It takes shockingly little effort. Though more importantly, nothing compares to a sandwich made with freshly roasted turkey. And that is just the beginning...the potential uses for roasted turkey breast are simply too numerous to list here. Suffice it to say, however, that I doubt you will have any trouble finding them both plentiful and delicious.
Roasted turkey is a fundamental component of the legendary Hot Brown sandwich, and cooking it yourself offers the very important advantage of making sure that it is fresh and properly thick sliced.
Ingredients for Roasted Turkey Breast
- 2½ to 3 pound turkey breast (bone-in with skin)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by removing the turkey breast from the refrigerator and letting it sit for at least 30 minutes, in order to come closer to room temperature, while you heat the oven to 425℉. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place it on a metal baking sheet.
In the meantime, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Brush a light coating of the melted butter on the underside of the turkey breast, and then turn it over and loosen the skin. Next brush the butter both under and over the skin across the breast. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over both sides of the turkey breast.
Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325℉. Bake around 75 to 90 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads an internal temperature of 165°F.
Hint: It is commonly advised that turkey breast be placed on a metal rack for roasting. But when cooking a small one, I find that you can dispense with the hassle and not really notice any difference in the final result. And after all, who needs one more fiddly thing to wash?
Variations
- Seasonings - Sage, thyme, rosemary, or parsley could each be wonderful seasoning additions, depending on what you plan to do with your roasted turkey when it's done. (Either fresh and finely chopped or dried.)
- Larger Size - For a larger turkey breast, simply adjust the cooking time upwards as necessary in order to reach the correct internal temperature.
Equipment
A half sheet baking pan like the one pictured here is really handy for roasting a small turkey breast.
Storage
Roasted turkey breast can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2½ to 3 pound turkey breast bone-in with skin
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to come closer to room temperature before you begin.
- Heat the oven to 425℉. In the meantime, thoroughly pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place it on a metal baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. First brush a light coating on the underside of the turkey breast, and then turn it over and loosen the skin. Brush the butter both under and over the skin across the breast.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over both sides of the turkey breast.
- Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 325℉. Bake around 75 to 90 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads an internal temperature of 165°F.
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