This oven roasted turkey breast is so crispy-skinned, so tender, and super moist on the inside that it usually gets devoured within 15 minutes in our family. Depending on the breast size, of course. It's also very flavorful throughout, thanks to the brine it spends a few hours in. There is nothing worse than biting into tasteless, dry flesh. Well, that's not the case here. Not by a long shot. This recipe is also very easy to make and practically impossible to mess up. If you want to impress your friends and family this Thanksgiving, this turkey breast recipe will fit the bill.
The best way to cook a turkey breast
I love turkey breasts and cook them at least once a month. I stock up when they are on sale, and my freezer always has a few on standby. I like them roasted, marinated, smoked, grilled, and cranberry-glazed, to name a few. These are undoubtedly all great ways to cook a turkey breast. However, there is nothing like a tender, juicy, flavorful turkey breast under a crispy, ridiculously tasty, deep golden brown skin. Three easy steps to achieve this goodness:
- Brining
- Pan-searing
- Finishing by roasting in the oven
Every time I make it, I get a ton of compliments. I am unsurprised as this recipe is an adaptation of my top-rated Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Breast recipe.
Brining and seasoning
Brining a turkey breast is a must. If you haven't done it before, brining may sound a little intimidating, but it's very easy. Just don't overdo it, or else the breast will be a little too salty. I use a flavored brine; this makes the meat all the way inside the breast perfectly salted and seasoned. Brining also adds a ton of delicious moisture to the super lean turkey breast meat. Just look at the picture below. Do you see how juicy the meat is? Yum! That's the magic of brining. It will also save the breast if you happen to overcook it a little.
I use surface seasonings sparsely in this recipe. You don’t need too much to get a very flavorful final product. I don’t add dry herbs as they tend to burn during high-heat pan frying and ruin the flavor and the appearance.
Roasting
Searing and roasting in the same skillet makes it a much easier task and results in less cleaning afterward. Just make sure that you are using an oven-safe skillet. If you don't have one, roast on a baking sheet lined with foil. You can also fit the baking sheet with a cooling rack to let the oil and skin fat drip down.
Turkey breast cooking time
In my experience, 2-3 lb half-breasts need about 40 minutes at 400F to reach 160F internal temperature. Add about 15 minutes of roasting time for every extra pound of weight. Remember that these cooking times are just an approximation and should be used only as a guide. For best results, nothing beats a BBQ thermometer. That's right, a BBQ thermometer. You see, instant-read and regular meat thermometers have a huge drawback - they don't alert you when the turkey is done. As such, you will likely miss the ideal temperature of 160F. Don't worry; the meat will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven, so there is no need to wait until 165F.
A BBQ thermometer, on the other hand, will monitor the temperature throughout the entire cook and will alert you when the turkey breast is cooked. Do yourself a favor and get one of these very popular and very good ThermoPro TP07 single probe or the ThermoPro TP08 dual probe thermometers. No need to run back and forth with an instant-read thermometer to catch the right temperature and let the heat out every time you check. There is overcooked or burned meat with a BBQ thermometer.
Looking for more great turkey breast recipes? Check these out:
- Marinated Turkey Breast
- Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb Infused Butter
- Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in turkey breast
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp granulated onion
- 1 tsp dark chili powder
For the turkey brine:
- 1/2 gallon ice cold water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 carrot (cut in half, then into 2 inch pieces)
- 3 cloves garlic (cut in halves)
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 yellow onion (cut into quarters)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley (optional)
- A few bay leaves
Instructions
- To prepare turkey brine, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove the pot from heat, add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and let cool to room temperature. If pressed for time, let the vegetables and spices steep for 10 minutes, then cool down with ice. Remember to account for the extra ice.Combine with the rest of the water and set aside.
- Put the turkey breast in the brine, and refrigerate for two hours for a small breast, 3 hours for a medium and 4 hours for a large turkey breast. Make sure that the breast is fully covered in brine. You can use a bowl or a Ziploc bag.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Dry the breast with a paper towel and rub with olive oil. Season with salt and spices on all sides and gently pat to make the seasonings stick.
- Heat 1/2 cup of cooking oil (you can use olive oil or any other oil you prefer) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the turkey breast skin side down on the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Carefully pour out or wipe off with paper towels all the oil from the pan. Put the breast back in the skillet, bone side down.
- Now put the skillet with the turkey breast in the oven and roast at 400F for about 45 - 75 minutes, depending on the breast size, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160F.Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
Cindy says
I ended up brining this for 4 days. This was a nice golden brown. It was so moist. I shared this with others. I will definitely make this again
Paula says
Great recipe! My new favorite way to cook turkey breast! Used peanut oil for a fabulous fried turkey taste without the fuss. I had a little bit of trouble splitting through the breast bone though. I would definitely brine it a bit longer for my taste. I used paprika instead of chili powder for a more traditional thanksgiving taste but I can’t wait to try the chili powder for cooking on the grill! Thank you!
victor says
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Debdeb says
i have an 8 lb turkey breast . Would brining overnight be too much ? Shall I give an ice bath to the turkey after brining like a do with a whole Turkey ?( I left it sit in ice water for 15 minutes before roasting ) Thanks !
victor says
Deb, 4-8 hours is recommended for a turkey breast. An 8-pounder, I'd say 8 hours would be fine. This refers to the brine that I use. No need to soak afterwars. Good luck!
Aletha Madena says
Hi! I simply would like to give you a huge thumbs up for the great recipe. I will be coming back to your website for more soon.
victor says
Thank you. Enjoy!
Sharon says
Can you prepare the Brine ahead of time before using it?
victor says
Yes, you can.
ally says
Turkey breast was super tender and juicy. I got a ThermoPro thermometer and what an amazing difference in the tenderness of the meat and no more stress about the internal temp check by opening the oven door. I went to their blog like you suggested and tried the dry brining instead https://blog.thermoworks.com/turkey/how-to-dry-brine-a-turkey/ I didn't have enough room in my fridge for the wet brine option and was running short on prep time. This was the best turkey I have had in ages and your pan seared chicken breast is now my absolute favorite!!!! Keep the recipes coming:) You really are gifted.
victor says
Glad to hear it, Ally. Thank you for the kind words. Happy cooking!
sarah says
Could you please provide cooking time for the same recipe, yet for a boneless turkey breast? Thank you!
victor says
Sarah, skin and bone provide quite a bit of protection for the meat so you have to be carefull... To cook boneless and skinless chicken/turkey breasts I roast them at 325F for about 40 - 75 minutes depending on the breast size. I add a 1/4 cup of broth to keep the meat moist. A must for skinless breasts. I use a BBQ thermometer which alerts me when the internal temperature reaches 160F and I pull it out of the oven right away, rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Sondra says
Best turkey recipe ever! So full of flavor and the juiciest meat! Followed the directions step by step. Just had to add some chicken broth to the pan towards the end.
Emily says
I made this Sunday for my family and followed your recipe step by step and it turned out delicious! Thank you so much!
victor says
You are very welcome!
Mia says
I love this! So delicious and moist. Why did I never think of browning the skin first??? It seems so obvious now. I think I will be cooking turkey breast more often. Thanks
victor says
Glad to hear that. We cook turkey breast quite often. It's lean, healthy and delicious. I have a few other great turkey breast recipes on the blog, check them out.
Linda Hall says
Do you just discard the vegetables that were in the brine? Too salty to eat????
I love roasted turkey breast and this sound delicious; I've never brined one. It's too soon after Thanksgiving for me to make this so I haven't tried the recipe, yet!
victor says
Yes, I always discard them. There isn't that much there. Try brining chicken breasts, or legs, or thighs... you will immediately see how much more flavorful they are. Especially lean breast meat. Start with 1-2 hours of brining and see how you like it. Under-bined is definitely better than over-brined (too salty). Tastes differ, some like it saltier some less salty. I've always liked less salty food.
Audry says
Do you put foil on the turkey when you put it in the oven?
victor says
Hi Audry, not I don't. It's not needed to be honest and I am sure you will appreciate the crispy skin.