Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast in the Oven

Easy boneless skinless turkey breast in the oven: This delicious roast turkey breast recipe is perfectly sized for a smaller Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. 

This boneless skinless turkey breast recipe is the perfect healthier, leaner version of a delicious holiday dinner. Serve the roast with a light and easy-to-make gravy. 

Advantages of roasting a boneless skinless turkey breast

• Perfect for a small family: If a whole bird is too much for your family, roasting just parts of it is the ideal solution. You could also learn How to Cook Turkey Drumsticks or How to Cook Turkey Leg if you are looking for dark meat recipes.

• Healthier: The white meat of the breast is the leanest part of the bird, and if you remove the skin is even leaner. No need for calorie counting. 

• Juicy meat: When roasted by itself, a breast is more succulent than when roasting an entire turkey.

• Easy and quick: The roast will only need about 50 minutes in the oven. 

• Gravy included: The breast is served with a simple homemade sauce.

Try our Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast as well.

Recipe ingredients

There is only one main ingredient and a few other simple ingredients for seasoning the meat and making the gravy.

• Boneless skinless turkey breast: It can be fresh or frozen. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before cooking. 
• You will need about 2 lb/ 1 kg boneless skinless turkey breast to serve four people. 
• Ingredients for the brine: Water, fine sea salt, dried herbs, chili, bay leaves, and apple juice.

• Vegetable oil for rubbing and searing the meat.
• Seasoning: Poultry seasoning of your choice and ground black pepper.
• Gravy: Two tablespoons butter, one small onion, tomato paste, chicken stock, and all-purpose flour. 

Step-by-step instructions

You will need:

Brine the turkey breast:

Make the brine and brine the turkey breast for 12-24 hours.

Dry it well with paper towels.

Rub meat with olive oil and spices.

Sear it on all sides until golden.

• Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C. 
• Roast: Transfer the cast-iron skillet to the oven and roast the boneless skinless turkey breast for about 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F/71°C. Start checking after 45 minutes if your oven runs high. 
• Rest: Remove the skillet from the oven, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 10-15 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature will reach 165°F/74°C.

In the meantime, make the gravy.

Saute the finely chopped onion for about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir well. Add flour and whisk well for another minute.

Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking continuously.

Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.

• Slice the meat on a cutting board and serve immediately with the sauce.

Expert Tips

• The best way of ensuring that the breast is cooked through without being overcooked and dry is to use an instant-read thermometer (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
• The cooking time should be about 50 minutes, but it also depends on the oven and the thickness of the piece. Start checking the internal temperature after 45 minutes.

• Remove from the oven just before it reaches the safe internal temperature. During the resting time, the internal temperature will rise to 165°F/74°C (USDA recommended), and the meat will be juicy and delicious. 

• There will not be any pan juices to make the gravy, but you can still make a delicious sauce using chicken stock, turkey bone broth, or stock. 

Recipe FAQ

How to serve?

Serve the boneless turkey breast roast as the main dish with any of your favorite sides. How about making a festive dinner with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and French-Style Green Beans?

You can also serve it with Crispy Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Sweet Potato Dauphinoise, Sauteed Sweet Potatoes, Simple Buttered Rice with Garlic, or Green Bean Casserole without Soup. 

Use the leftovers to make sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, enchiladas, salads, Leftover Turkey Fricassee, or this Cream of Turkey Soup. 

Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast in the Oven

Easy boneless skinless turkey breast in the oven: This delicious recipe is perfectly sized for a smaller Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering.

4.57 from 23 votes

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Course: Poultry

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  Cast iron skillet or another oven-safe pan, Note 1
• ▢
  Instant-read thermometer
• ▢
  Large bowl

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Ingredients 

Brine:

• ▢ 6 ½ cups water 1.5 liter
• ▢ ½ cup fine sea salt 145 g/ 5 oz
• ▢ 2 teaspoons rosemary
• ▢ 1 teaspoon thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 3 cups apple juice ¾ liter

Turkey breast:

• ▢ 2 lbs boneless skinless turkey breast 1 kg
• ▢ 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning Note 2
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided

Gravy:

• ▢ 1 small onion
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup chicken stock 250 ml
• ▢ fine sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

Brine:

• Make the brine: Measure the water in a pan. Add salt and stir to dissolve. Add dried herbs, chili, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover leaving one crack open, and simmer the brine for 20 minutes.

  6 ½ cups water/ 1½ liter + ½ cup fine sea salt/ 145 g + 2 teaspoons rosemary + 1 teaspoon thyme + 1 teaspoon oregano + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes + 2 bay leaves
• Cool: Remove from the heat and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Add apple juice and stir well.

  3 cups apple juice/ ¾ cup
• Brine turkey breast: Place the turkey breast into a large bowl and add the brine; the meat should be completely submerged in the brine. Brine for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator.

  2 lbs boneless skinless turkey breast/ 1 kg
• Remove the meat from the brine, rinse it under cold running water, and dry it well with paper towels. Let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting.

Turkey breast:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C.
• Season: Rub the turkey breast with one tablespoon of the oil. Sprinkle it with pepper, and poultry seasoning, and rub well to coat.

  1 tablespoon oil + 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sear: Heat the second tablespoon of oil in the cast-iron skillet on high heat. Sear the turkey breast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side, until lightly golden all over.

  1 tablespoon oil
• Roast: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F/71°C. Start checking after 45 minutes already if your oven runs high.
• Rest: Remove the skillet from the oven, cover it loosely with foil and let rest for about 10-15 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature will reach 165°F/74°C.
• Make the gravy while the meat rests.

Gravy:

• Sauté onion: Chop the onion finely. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Cook the onion gently for about 5 minutes or until soft and lightly golden brown.

  2 tablespoons butter + 1 small onion
• Add tomato paste and stir well for about 1 minute. Add flour and whisk well for another minute. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking continuously. Simmer the gravy on low heat for about 5 minutes or until it thickens to your liking. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

  1 tablespoon tomato paste + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 1 cup chicken stock

Notes

1. You will need a cast-iron skillet or another oven-safe heavy-bottomed pan. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, sear the turkey breast in a regular pan, then transfer it to a roasting pan.
2. Check for salt. If the seasoning already contains salt, reduce the amount of salt required by the recipe. The seasoning I used doesn’t contain salt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 5mg

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