Boneless Turkey Breast with Herb Butter
Make everyone happy at your next Thanksgiving dinner with this savory and juicy, roasted Boneless Turkey Breast with Herb Butter! It’s actually perfect year-round, and especially for the holidays as a simpler alternative to a whole turkey. With Lemon Herb Butter tucked under the skin and smeared all over the surface of the breast so that it drips down and bastes the turkey while it roasts, the crispy skin is loaded with flavor and the flesh is wonderfully juicy and moist.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 boneless turkey breast, about 3 pounds
- Pinch salt and black pepper
- ½-¾ cup Lemon Herb Butter, about 3.5 ounces, softened at room temperature (See separate recipe.)
- ⅓ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as sage, marjoram, thyme, flat-leaf parsley and/or rosemary
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Make the Lemon Herb Butter. This can be done several days in advance and held in either the freezer or refrigerator.
- If the turkey has been wet-brined, remove it from the brine, rinse it and then let it dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours prior to prepping it for roasting. Also, bring the turkey to room temperature before roasting as it will result in more even cooking.
- Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels, and sprinkle the surface with salt and black pepper. Then, carefully loosen the skin of the turkey breast, taking care not to tear it. Spread half the Lemon Herb Butter underneath the skin. Slather the other half of butter around the surface of the breast. Sprinkle the surface a second time with salt and black pepper.
- Then, press the chopped mixed herbs into the herb butter all over the top surface (skin side) of the breast. Spray it lightly with a little olive oil, then place the seasoned turkey breast on a rack in either a rimmed sheet pan or baking dish. Using a rack will allow hot air to circulate all around the breast for more even cooking.
- Roast the turkey breast uncovered until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. This could take anywhere from 90 to 150 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the turkey breast. It is recommended to take the internal temperature of the breast after one hour to closely monitor its progress. Rotate the sheet pan or baking dish a couple of times during the cooking process.
- Once it is ready, remove the turkey breast from the oven, cover it with foil and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the carryover-cooking to raise the internal temperature to 165°F (the FDA’s recommended safe internal temperature for poultry). Then, carve it into thick slices and serve. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- To take the temperature properly, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
