Name: Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 1 7-9 lb. Whole, Fresh, Bone-in Turkey Breast (for frozen, see notes below); 6 tbsp. Unsalted Butter (softened); 4 cloves Garlic (minced); 1 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped Fresh Sage; 1 tbsp. finely chopped Fresh Thyme; 2 tsp. finely chopped Fresh Rosemary; 2 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt (or 2 tsp. Sea Salt); 1 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper; 1 tsp. Lemon Zest; 2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth; Flaky Sea Salt (for serving)

Servings: 6-8 / Prep Time: 25 minutes / Cook Time: 1.5 – 2 hours

Roasted turkey breast is an amazing alternative to roasting an entire turkey if you’re hosting a smaller crowd for the holidays! My recipe uses a 7-9 pound fresh, whole turkey breast, and a simple combination of butter, fresh herbs, and garlic. It comes together in about three hours total, including a 20-30 minute resting period.

Our holiday gatherings have shrunk to a smaller group over the last couple of years, and we’ve settled into hosting about 6-8 people for Thanksgiving now. I really wanted to lean into a more approachable amount of food this year, and have come up with a Friendsgiving series to make recipes that serve that perfect amount! Since the turkey is the star of the show, this version is classic, easy, and perfect for a slightly smaller gathering.

This roasted turkey recipe is simple, but it does take some time. Luckily, the turkey roasts at 350º F, which is the same temperature as my Classic Stuffing and KC-inspired Cheesy Corn. It’s also a great temperature to reheat sides that people have brought over. Note: This recipe uses a fresh, whole turkey breast. If you’re using a frozen turkey breast, plan to thaw it for at least three days in the refrigerator before making this recipe!

A platter full of sliced golden turkey breast garnished with fresh herbs and laid on a table with flaky sea salt and candles surrounding it.

Ingredients

(1) 7-9 lb. Fresh, Whole, Bone-in Turkey Breast (or frozen – see notes below)
6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly chopped Sage
1 tablespoon freshly chopped Thyme
2 teaspoons freshly chopped Rosemary
2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (or 2 tsp. Sea Salt)
1 teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
Flaky Sea Salt, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Notes & FAQs

Fresh Turkey Breast → Plan on just over one pound of turkey per person (the bone makes up some of this weight!). Fresh, whole turkey breast can be purchased up to 2 days ahead, and stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roast it.

Can I use a frozen turkey breast?
Yes! Plan to thaw it for at least three full days in the refrigerator before roasting. (Four if you want to be super safe!) The typical ratio is one day per 3-4 pounds of turkey.
Do I need to brine it?
Nope! This recipe is designed to be juicy and flavorful without any brining. You can dry brine it overnight with 2–3 tsp. of kosher salt if you want a little extra browning, but it’s totally optional. (The salt draws out a little moisture, which helps the skin gets crispier. Just pat the turkey super dry before applying the herb butter no matter what!)
Can I use a boneless turkey breast?
Sure! Boneless turkey breast cooks faster and tends to be leaner, so I would adjust the roasting time with it. And it’s great, but a bone-in turkey breast will stay juicier. Just know it won’t be quite as juicy.

Unsalted Butter → Can I use salted butter? Absolutely. Just reduce the kosher salt by about 1/4 teaspoon.

Garlic + Herbs → Use as much or as little garlic as you like! I find that four cloves gives a good garlicky flavor without overpowering the herbs, but you could always add more. 🤣 Can I use dried herbs? Absolutely. Use 1 teaspoon each of dried sage and thyme, and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary. Fresh herbs give a more vibrant flavor and leftover whole herbs are great to use for garnish, but dried definitely works!

Chicken Broth → The broth keeps the oven moist while it roasts. Check the turkey about an hour into roasting, and if the broth has evaporated, add another 1/2 cup to the bottom of the pan. Why Low Sodium Broth? If you’re making gravy from the turkey drippings, it can get salty from the salt and butter that drips down from the turkey. Low sodium broth helps keep the salt content down.

What about Gravy? Ok, FULL DISCLOSURE, I am using store-bought turkey gravy from Trader Joe’s this year! 😬 So while I don’t have a recipe for gravy (yet!), I am trusting What’s Gaby Cooking for that part if you want to make your own!

A golden sliced turkey breast resting on a wooden cutting board.

Step-By-Step Recipe Guide

See below for step-by-step photos and directions. These directions are a little more specific, and walk you through the entire process of making this Oven Roasted Turkey Breast.

Directions

First Note: Thaw the turkey if it’s frozen. Allow about one day for every three pounds of turkey. (3-4 days should suffice!)

Step One: Make the Garlic Herb Butter. (This can be done 1-2 days ahead!) In a small bowl, combine 6 tbsp. softened butter, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons finely fresh chopped sage, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 2 teaspoons sea salt), 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest. Use a fork to mash the herbs and seasonings into the butter until evenly combined.

A small ceramic bowl full of softened butter, fresh minced herbs, salt, and garlic with a fork resting in it.

A ceramic bowl full of herbed butter with a fork resting in it.

Step Two: Turn on the Oven + Prep the Turkey. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place a roasting rack (or wire rack) inside of your roasting pan and set aside. Separate the skin from the turkey by gently sliding your hand under the skin and lifting to pull it away from the meat. (Turkey skin is pretty durable, so be gentle, but don’t be scared. 🙂 ). Pat the turkey VERY dry with paper towels (this helps the butter stick!).

A woman's hand sliding beneath the skin of a whole turkey breast as it rests on a cutting board with herbed butter nearby.

Step Three: Spread Butter Everywhere. Spread a little less than half of the garlic herb butter beneath the skin as evenly as possible, then spread the remaining butter over the top and sides of the turkey.

A woman's hands spreading garlic herb butter beneath the skin of a whole turkey breast.

Step Four: Roast the Turkey. Place the turkey into the prepared roasting pan, breast side up. Pour 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey at 350º F for about 20 minutes per pound. Check it around the 1 hour mark; if most of the broth has evaporated, add another 1/2 cup. Once the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF, remove it from the oven (it will continue cooking to 165ºF while it rests). (Note: If the top of the turkey is browning too quickly at the hour mark, gently tent it with aluminum foil and continue roasting.)

A turkey breast covered in herb butter resting on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan.

A golden roasted turkey breast resting on a rack inside a roasting pan.

Step Five: Rest + Carve. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes. Transfer it to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice along the breast bone (located at the top center of the turkey), carefully gliding your knife down the entire side of the turkey to cut off the entire breast. Repeat with the other side. (Note: There will be some turkey left on the bone, which you can slice off separately.)

A whole turkey breast resting on a cutting board and being sliced off.

Step Six: Slice. Lay both breasts cut-side-down on a cutting board. Use your knife to slice each breast crosswise into 1/2″-1″(ish) thick slices at a slight angle. (The angle makes it easier to fan them out on your serving platter).

Step Seven: Serve. Gently slide the knife beneath the center of one sliced turkey breast, lift, and transfer to your serving platter. Fan the slices out evenly (without being obsessive) for a pretty presentation. Repeat with second turkey breast. Sprinkle the slices with a pinch of Flaky Sea Salt, then garnish the platter with whole fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm!

A woman's hands cutting an herbed turkey breast on a wooden cutting board.

Sliced herbed roasted turkey being lifted by a knife.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Don’t skip the resting period. The juices have a chance to soak back in towards the center of the turkey breast, which brings moisture to every slice. 20-30 minutes is plenty of time for this to happen!
Don’t stress the resting period. The turkey will stay warm for a while, so if you’re waiting on some sides to reheat before slicing, don’t stress! You can let it rest longer, about 45 minutes or up to an hour, just keep it tented with foil so it stays warm!
Use herbs and garlic like your heart tells you to. The garlic and herb amounts work so well, but please adjust them if you like! Less garlic? Great! More rosemary, less sage? Do what speaks to you! (This also applies to the lemon zest!)
Add foil if the turkey is browning too quickly. You shouldn’t encounter this problem, but if your turkey happens to be the perfect golden brown before it’s cooked through, just loosely tent it with foil and continue roasting!
A Sharp Knife is Key. To cleanly slice the turkey breasts without tearing the skin in awkward places, sharpen your knife well before slicing.
No roasting pan? Pop a wire baking rack into a 9×13 casserole dish and use that instead!

Ways to Customize this Recipe

Add a Smoky Vibe: Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika to the butter.
Swap the Citrus: Swap in orange zest for lemon for a cozier fall flavor.
Finish with Flavor: Instead of flaky sea salt, sprinkle a flavored salt (like smoked salt, garlic herb salt, or citrus salt) over the slices before serving.

This recipe is part of my Friendsgiving Menu, which is a really fun menu in my Supper Club Series! This series is brand new to the blog, and it’s sooo fun because I share some of my favorite dinner-party-inspired recipes with you! These recipes are specifically designed to make 6-8 servings, which is different than my typical small batch recipes. But you can scale them up or down to fit your needs. 🙂 Just FYI, if you’re into this recipe and would like to see more Supper Club Series recipes, sign up for my monthly newsletter!

How to Store and Reheat

Store:
Let leftovers cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheat Leftovers:

Oven: Place slices in a shallow baking dish, add a splash of broth, cover with foil, and reheat at 300º F for 10-12 minutes until warm.
Microwave: Warm in 20 second bursts until heated through.

More Friendsgiving Recipes

Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Bacon
My family’s favorite Garlic Herb Rolls
The easiest Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Dried Cranberries + Pecans
Classic(ish) Stuffing Recipe
Our favorite Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Fresh Cranberry Relish (with Apple + Orange)

I genuinely hope you find this recipe so much easier than roasting a whole bird. It’s still so nostalgic, moist, and delicious, but feels so rewarding (especially when it didn’t take all day or all of your sanity). And although this version is classic and comforting, it’s still a little modern and manageable enough for any host. So, whether you’re serving a whole table of your favorite people or keeping it intimate, I hope you love this one.

If you make this for Friendsgiving, I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram, DM me, send it by carrier pigeon; whatever works! 😉 And don’t forget to rate the recipe, because it helps more people find these cozy, holiday-hosting recipes!

xx Sara

Ingredients