Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast

Well-seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, and thyme, this easy 8-ingredient recipe yields impressive results. No doubt, there’s something festive about serving - and carving - an entire turkey at the table. 🦃 But for intimate Thanksgiving (or Christmas) gatherings, cooking just the breast is the ideal solution. It’s the perfect size for four people. Another advantage of roasting just the breast: When you bake it by itself it’s easier to make sure it comes out juicy. When you roast the whole bird, despite your best intentions, the white meat often turns out too dry.

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

Avocado oil spray: This neutral-tasting oil is very suitable for high-heat cooking.To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme.Boneless turkey breast half: I typically use a boneless, skin-on, breast half because I find it easy to slice and eat. But bone-in is fine too. And on occasion, I roast a whole breast as shown in the photo below.Melted butter: Unsalted or salted, doesn’t make much of a difference, so use whatever you have on hand. I tend to use salted butter in this recipe.

Instructions

Roasting a boneless turkey breast is truly easy. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

First, brush the turkey with melted butter and sprinkle it with spices.Now, place it on a greased rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet and spray it with oil. The extra layer of oil helps the spices stay moist.Bake the turkey initially for 20 minutes, to nicely brown the skin. Then, loosely cover the turkey with foil to prevent the top from scorching, and then continue roasting until it’s cooked through.The total cooking time will be 45-60 minutes. See the detailed discussion below.

Expert tip

It’s really important to let the meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing it. This prevents juices from escaping and helps ensure juiciness.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:

You can try different spice combinations. Onion powder is a nice addition. You can also try using smoked paprika instead of regular paprika.Instead of butter, you can rub the meat with olive oil. However, make sure to use light olive oil which can withstand a high cooking temperature. You can also use avocado oil, but that’s not as flavorful.

Serving suggestions

I typically make this recipe for Thanksgiving, so I serve it with cranberry sauce, gravy, and any of these sides:

Cheesy green beans casseroleCauliflower stuffingRoasted Brussels sproutsCreamy mashed pumpkinMashed cauliflower

Storing leftovers

The leftovers keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Although the skin does lose its crispness. I don’t like to reheat the leftovers, as they tend to dry out. I usually make a platter of cold leftover turkey slices, alongside some Dijon mustard, fresh-cut veggies, and pickles. Needless to say, if you eat bread (or would like to try this wonderful almond flour bread), you can use the leftovers to make tasty sandwiches!

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