Description
This Roast Turkey Breast recipe features a juicy, flavorful bone-in, skin-on turkey breast seasoned with a herb butter mixture and roasted to perfection. The dish is complemented with a homemade gravy made from the pan drippings, perfect for a classic American main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Herb Butter
- 6 lb. bone-in skin-on turkey breast, fresh or frozen and fully thawed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh sage or parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetables for Roasting
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
Gravy
- 1/3 cup purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably homemade, plus more to thin as desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the oven rack to one level below the center position to ensure even cooking.
- Prepare Turkey Skin: Carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast using a large spoon or wooden spoon handle, leaving the outer edges intact to trap the butter underneath.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter with minced garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary, sage or parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Mix well to create a flavorful herb butter.
- Apply Herb Butter: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Rub about half of the herb butter mixture underneath the skin over the breast meat, then rub the remaining butter mixture over the outside skin. Season the entire turkey evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to a medium roasting pan. If you have a roasting rack, place it over the vegetables; otherwise, place the turkey directly on the vegetables.
- Roast Turkey: Position the turkey breast skin side up on the roasting rack or vegetables. Roast in the preheated oven until the thickest portion registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 2 to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Rest Turkey: Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on a carving board, tented loosely with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Make Gravy: Discard the roasted vegetables. Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator or liquid measuring cup. Measure out 1/3 cup of the fat drippings and heat them in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to form a roux.
- Finish Gravy: While whisking, gradually pour in the chicken broth and any remaining turkey drippings. Continue to cook and whisk constantly until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin with extra chicken broth if desired.
Notes
- Plan on 36 to 48 hours to fully thaw the turkey breast in the refrigerator for a 6 lb. bird; never cook from frozen.
- If the skin starts to over-brown near the end of cooking, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Using a roasting rack helps the heat circulate evenly and keeps the turkey from sitting in the juices for a crisper skin.
- Herb butter can be prepared a day ahead to deepen flavors.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the turkey is perfectly cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit for food safety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
