This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is the perfect easy dinner centerpiece. It’s tender and juicy in the middle with a perfectly crisped, buttery, and deliciously seasoned exterior. Enjoy straight out of the oven with any of your favorite side dishes!
Turkey dinner doesn’t have to just be around the holidays! This Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is perfect all year round.
Tender and juicy, simple to make, and versatile enough to be enjoyed with so many of your favorite side dishes. This is a recipe you’ll want to keep around!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Super simple ingredients – Just turkey, butter, and a simple blend of seasonings. Easy as pie…or…turkey, rather.
- Perfect texture – Roasted to tender and juicy perfection with deliciously crispy skin. This recipe yields the best turkey every time.
- Versatile – Enjoy as the centerpiece of your meal OR use leftovers for another recipe entirely.
Recipe Notes
This Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep for a family friendly dinner.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to Cook Turkey Breast in the Oven to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Turkey – I use bone-in for better texture and flavor.
- Butter
- Turkey Seasoning – Our spice blend is a flavorful combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme leaves, oregano, black pepper, and salt.
Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to Cook Turkey Breast in the Oven.
- In a small bowl, mix together all of your seasonings. Crema together with the butter until well combined.
2. Pat the turkey dry, then gently work your hand under the skin to separate from the breast. Rub half of the seasoned butter under the skin, then rub the rest over over the top of the turkey breast.
3. Place into a roasting pan or baking dish, then place in the middle to lower middle rack of the oven.
4. Bake for 15 minutes per pound of turkey. Once browned perfectly, tent foil over the turkey breast and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Rest for 10 minutes, then serve!
Recipe Tips
- Use bone-in turkey – Bone-in turkey stays more moist and juicy as it roasts, and the flavor is better!
- Bring the turkey to room temperature – Before roasting, let the turkey sit out on the counter for 20 minutes or so to bring it to room temp. This helps it cook more evenly in the oven.
- Cover with foil after 60 minutes – Once the exterior of the turkey is browned to your liking, make sure you cover it with foil while it continues to cook. This allows the inside to get nice and tender without burning the exterior.
- Check the temp – Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey before serving. It should be 165ºF!
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Pre-mix the spices – You can mix up your seasoning blend anytime and store it in an airtight container. That way it’s ready to go whenever a turkey dinner is calling your name!
- Make ahead and store – Roasted turkey can be stored in the fridge or the freezer! Get ahead by prepping it from start to finish, letting it cool, then storing it for later. See below for storage instructions!
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Freeze Roasted Turkey Breast After Cooking
- Let the turkey cool completely (no more than 2 hours), then pack into a freezer bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to re-serve, let the turkey thaw in the fridge, then warm covered in the oven until the internal temperature is 165ºF.
What to Serve with Roasted Turkey Breast
Since this protein based entree is flavorful but versatile, it will pair well with many of your favorite side dishes.
Choose one or several of these side dishes to create a wholesome, well-rounded dinner. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Herb Roasted Potatoes – These Herb Roasted Potatoes are soft and fluffy in the middle, crispy on the edges, and perfect alognside a juicy cut of turkey breast.
- White Cheddar Broccoli Mac and Cheese – Make this the most comforting, mouthwatering meal with a side of White Cheddar Broccoli Mac and Cheese—elbow macaroni noodles smothered in a velvety cheese sauce and loaded up with tender pieces of broccoli. Delicious!
- Easy No Yeast Dinner Rolls – These Easy No Yeast Dinner Rolls are a 20 minute side dish that pairs deliciously with roasted turkey and a veggie or salad. They’re softy, fluffy, buttery, and require just 5 minutes of hands on time!
- Oven Roasted Vegetables – Simply pop these Easy Oven Roasted Veggies in the oven while your turkey rests for a delicious and nutritious pairing.
Turkey Breast Recipe Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to 3 months
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Easy Turkey Salad – Use diced up oven roasted turkey leftovers to make the best Easy Turkey Salad, packed full of tender bites of turkey, crunchy celery, and onion in a creamy and tangy mayo-based dressing.
- Turkey Club Sliders – These Turkey Club Sliders are the perfect way to use up leftover roasted turkey. Simply cut it up into slices and layer on a Hawaiian roll with bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce.
- Baked Ziti with Turkey– Dice leftovers up and use them in place of the ground turkey in this Baked Ziti with Ground Turkey. Tender ziti pasta tossed in spaghetti sauce and loaded up with three kinds of cheese!
Recipe FAQ’s
How do you cook turkey breast without drying it out?
There are a few things we’re doing to be sure we’re keeping our turkey juicy and moist even as it roasts in the oven:
1. Using bone-in turkey. The bone helps prevent the meat from overcooking and keeps the flavor rich and delicious.
2. Covering after an hour! The first hour of cooking crisps the exterior of the turkey breast. Once that’s done, we’ll cover it with foil to allow the inside to keep cooking without drying out the outside.
3. Not over-cooking. Once the turkey reaches 165ºF internally, then it’s done. Extra time in the oven after that will just dry it out.
How long should you cook turkey breast in the oven?
As a general rule, turkey should roast in the oven for 15 minutes per every pound of turkey.
Do I cover my turkey breast when baking?
Yes! But not until the outside of the turkey breast is browned just right. Once it’s crisped and browned, you’ll tent with foil to prevent burning while the inside of the turkey continues to heat.
More EASY Turkey Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite turkey recipes below.
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 bone in turkey breast, (6-8 pounds is average)
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
Turkey Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
- Cream the butter and all seasonings together until well combined.
- Remove the turkey breast from the packaging and pat dry all around. Then gently work your hand under the skin to separate it from the breast.
- Rub half of the seasoned butter under the skin and spread it out as much as possible. Then rub the remaining butter over the top of the skin all around the turkey breast.
- Place in a roasting pan or large baking dish and place in the middle to lower middle rack of the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes per pound. At 60 minutes, and each 15 min there after, check to see the level of browning and if it is perfect, tent foil over the turkey breast to protect from further browning while it finishes cooking.Total cooking time will likely be between 90 minutes to 2 hours. Turkey is done cooking when it reaches 165˚F in the deepest part of the breast.
- Once done, let rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.
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