This oven roasted turkey breast is so crispy-skinned, so tender and super moist on the inside that it usually gets devoured within 15 minutes in our family. Depending on the breast size, of course. It’s also very flavorful throughout, thanks to the brine it spends a few hours in. There is nothing worse than biting into tasteless, dry flesh. Well, it’s not the case here. Not by a long shot. This recipe is also very easy to make and practically impossible to mess up. If you want to impress your friends and family this coming Thanksgiving, this turkey breast recipe will definitely fit the bill.
The best way to cook a turkey breast
Being a huge a turkey breast aficionado, I love turkey breasts and cook them at least once a month. I stock up when they are on sale and my freezer always has a few on stand by. I like them roasted, marinated, smoked, grilled and cranberry-glazed just to name a few. These are, no doubt, all great ways to cook a turkey breast. However, there is nothing like a tender, juicy, flavorful turkey breast under a crispy, ridiculously tasty, deep golden brown skin. This goodness is achieved by three easy steps: Every time I make it I get a ton of compliments. I am not surprised as this recipe is an adaptation of my very popular Crispy Oven Roasted Chicken Breast recipe.
Brining and seasoning
Brining a turkey breast is a must. If haven’t done it before, brining may sound a little intimidating, but it’s very easy. Just don’t over-do it or else the breast will be a little too salty. I use a flavored brine, this makes the meat all the way inside the breast perfectly salted and seasoned. Brining also adds a ton of delicious moisture to the super lean turkey breast meat. Just look at the picture below, do you see how juicy the meat is? Yummmm! That’s the magic of brining. It will also save the breast if you happen to overcook it a little. I use surface seasonings sparsely in this recipe. You don’t need too much to get a very flavorful final product. I don’t add dry herbs as they tend to burn during high heat pan frying and ruin the flavor and the appearance.
Roasting
Searing and roasting in the same skillet makes it a much easier task and results in less cleaning afterwards. Just make sure that you are using an oven-safe skillet. If you don’t have one, roast on a baking sheet lined with foil. You can also fit the baking sheet with a cooling rack to let the oil and skin fat drip down.
Turkey breast cooking time
In my experience, 2-3 lb half-breasts need about 40 minutes at 400F to reach 160F internal temperature. For every extra pound of weight add about 15 minutes of roasting time. Keep in mind that these cooking times are just an approximation and should be used only as a guide. For best results, nothing beats a BBQ thermometer. That’s right, a BBQ thermometer. You see, instant read and regular meat thermometers have a huge drawback – they don’t alert you when the turkey is done. As such, you are very likely to miss the ideal temperature of 160F. Don’t worry, the meat will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven, so no need to wait until 165F. A BBQ thermometer, on the other hand, will be monitoring the temperature throughout the entire cook and will alert you when the turkey breast is cooked. Do yourself a favor and get one of these very popular and very good ThermoPro TP07 single probe or the ThermoPro TP08 dual probe thermometers. No need to run back and forth with an instant read thermometer to catch the right temperature and let the heat out every time you check. There is overcooked or burned meat with a BBQ thermometer. Looking for more great turkey breast recipes? Check these out:
Marinated Turkey Breast Roasted Turkey Breast with Herb Infused Butter Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast
