Description
This roast turkey breast recipe offers a succulent, flavorful main course perfect for special occasions or a comforting family dinner. The turkey is seasoned with fresh herbs and garlic butter under the skin, then roasted to juicy perfection. A rich homemade gravy is made from the pan drippings, perfect for serving alongside the tender meat.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Seasoning
- 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
- 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 all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably homemade, plus more to thin as desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and position the oven rack one level below the center for optimal roasting.
- Prepare Turkey Skin: Carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast using a large spoon or handle of a wooden spoon while keeping the outer edges intact to prevent the butter from leaking out.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter with minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage or parsley. Season the mixture lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Apply Herb Butter: Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Spread about half of the herb butter mixture under the skin over the turkey breast, then rub the remaining half on top of the skin. Season the entire turkey with salt and pepper.
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Place the chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a medium roasting pan. Use a roasting rack over the vegetables if available; otherwise, place the turkey directly on the vegetables.
- Roast Turkey: Position the turkey skin side up on the rack or vegetables and roast in the preheated oven. Roast until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours.
- Rest Turkey: Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on a carving board tented with foil for about 10 minutes before carving to retain juices.
- Make Gravy: Discard the vegetables from the roasting pan. Pour the turkey drippings into a fat separator or liquid measuring cup and measure out 1/3 cup of fat drippings. Heat the fat drippings in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and remaining turkey drippings gradually, continuing to whisk until thickened. Season with salt and pepper as needed and thin with additional broth if desired.
Notes
- For a 6 lb. turkey breast, allow 36 to 48 hours in the refrigerator to fully thaw; never cook from frozen.
- If the skin begins to brown too much near the end of cooking, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Using fresh herbs can enhance the flavor, but dried herbs can be used in a pinch, reducing quantity by half.
- Resting the turkey after roasting ensures juices redistribute for moist meat.
- Using a roasting rack helps air circulate around the turkey for even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
