Learning how to roast a turkey breast is easy! And a roast turkey breast is perfect if you’re having a smaller Thanksgiving dinner this year.
An easy Thanksgiving dinner is just one turkey breast away
Over the past few months, I’ve become obsessed with roasting turkey breasts. They’re so easy to make, the leftovers freeze beautifully, and you don’t need many ingredients. Best of all, they cook much more quickly in the oven than a whole turkey, which would be great if you’re hosting a smaller Thanksgiving dinner this year.
I have always considered myself a dark-meat girl, opting for leg or thigh meat at Thanksgiving instead of the breast. Like many people, I’ve experienced my fair share of dry, overcooked turkey breasts in the past, so I have always stuck to dark meat. Lately, I’ve come around to turkey breasts. Specifically, I’ve found that I enjoy dry-brining and roasting a turkey breast. It’s a very simple technique that doesn’t require a lot of special equipment or ingredients. From there, I’ll use the leftovers in soup, like this Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup Recipe, or I’ll make this simple Leftover Turkey Salad Recipe. Anything beyond that, I’ll pack into 1-pound portions and freeze it for later. I especially love using leftover turkey breast meat for open-faced turkey and cheese melts with spicy tomato soup.
What is dry brining?
Dry brining is a method of cooking meat, poultry, and fish by coating the protein with salt and refrigerating it for a period of time. The salt draws out the excess moisture, which is then absorbed back into the meat. The result is flavorful, juicy, tender meat. It’s a relatively hands-off process, but you do have to make some room in your fridge for it!
Dry brining a turkey breast is easy. Simply prepare the brine, coat the turkey breast with the spices, refrigerate for your desired amount of time, and then roast the turkey breast. That’s it!
How long to dry brine a turkey breast
To get the full effect of the dry brine, it must be refrigerated for at least 12 hours. The general rule of thumb is to not refrigerate for more than 72 hours (or 3 full days). I find the sweet spot somewhere in the middle, so I’ll usually refrigerate for about 36 hours.
How long to cook a bone-in turkey breast
A standard cooking time for a turkey breast is 20 minutes per pound at 350ºF. I prefer a lower heat at 325ºF with a somewhat negligible increase in cooking time. For a 6 pound turkey breast, you’ll need to roast it for about 2 hours.
How to roast a turkey breast using the dry brine method
Ready to cook? You’ll see how easy it is to dry brine a turkey breast and it may just become your go-to method!
What you need
- Turkey breast: You need a 6 or 7 pound turkey breast for this recipe. I use bone-in, though you could do this method with a boneless turkey breast too.
- Brine: I keep it simple with just kosher salt, brown sugar, and black pepper. I use a ratio of 1 teaspoon salt per pound of meat, ½ teaspoon brown sugar per pound of meat, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper per pound of meat.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I coat the turkey with olive oil right before baking.
- Step 1: Dry brine the turkey. Combine the salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a bowl. Coat the breast all over with the mixture. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 12 hours but no more than 72 hours.
- Step 2: Coat with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and coat with olive oil. Use your hands to rub the oil into the turkey so that it is evenly coated.
- Step 3: Roast the turkey breast. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes per pound. Rotate the turkey once midway through cooking to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven once the turkey breast registers 165ºF.
- Step 4: Rest the turkey. Remove the turkey from the oven. Tent with foil rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes. I rest mine for 20 to 30 minutes to make it easier to carve; it’s not so steaming hot after 30 minutes!
From there, you can arrange the sliced turkey breast on a platter and serve with gravy or your favorite side dishes like Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, or Mashed Potatoes!
How long does leftover turkey breast keep?
Leftover turkey breast can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
You can freeze your leftovers too! Leftover turkey breast can be frozen for 3 to 6 months. Though it’s best if eaten within 3 months of being frozen.
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-7 pound bone-in turkey breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of turkey
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar per pound of turkey
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper per pound of turkey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Dry brine the turkey breast:
- Mix the kosher salt, brown sugar, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Pat the turkey breast dry. Rub the mixture all over the turkey.
- Place a raised rack in a deep roasting pan. Transfer the turkey breast to the rack. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 72 hours.
Roast the turkey:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. See Note 1. Pour the olive oil on top and massage it over the breast with your hands.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes per pound of turkey. For a 6-pound turkey, check the temperature after 1 hour 30 minutes and continue roasting until the turkey reaches 165ºF. Rotate the pan once midway through cooking to ensure even browning.
To serve:
- Remove the turkey from the oven. Tent with foil and rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Slice the breast and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Do you cover the turkey breast in the refrigerator after the dry brine?
Hi! No, when you refrigerate the turkey you should leave it uncovered. The aim is to dry out the skin so it crisps up when you roast it. If that gives you an ick (or if you’re worried about the raw turkey coming into contact with other items in your fridge), you can loosely cover it with plastic wrap but make sure you leave a few gaps for air to suck out the moisture from the skin.