Description
This Roast Turkey Breast Recipe offers a juicy, flavorful turkey breast infused with fresh herbs and garlic, roasted to perfection and served with a homemade savory gravy. Perfect for a comforting main course for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey and Herb Butter
- 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
Vegetables
- 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 purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably homemade, plus more to thin as desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and move the oven rack one level below center to ensure even roasting.
- Prepare Turkey Skin: Carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast using a large spoon or the handle of a wooden spoon, leaving the outer edges intact to keep the butter underneath.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage or parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well.
- Apply Butter Under Skin: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Rub about half of the herb butter all over the turkey breast underneath the skin, then spread the remaining half over the skin.
- Season Turkey: Season the entire turkey breast generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Place the onion, carrot, and celery chunks in a medium roasting pan. Place a roasting rack over the vegetables if available; otherwise, place the turkey directly on the vegetables.
- Roast Turkey: Place the turkey breast skin side up on the rack. Roast in the preheated oven until the center or thickest portion registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Rest Turkey: Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on a carving board tented with foil for about 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
- Make Gravy: Discard the vegetables from the roasting pan and pour the drippings into a fat separator or liquid measuring cup. Measure out 1/3 cup of the fat drippings and heat them in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Thicken Gravy: Add the flour to the heated fat drippings and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. While whisking, gradually pour in the chicken broth and remaining turkey drippings. Continue cooking and whisking until the gravy thickens. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed and thin with extra chicken broth if necessary.
Notes
- Ensure the turkey breast is fully thawed before roasting for even cooking.
- Separating the skin carefully helps keep the herb butter in place and the turkey moist.
- Using fresh herbs enhances flavor over dried alternatives.
- If you don’t have a roasting rack, placing the turkey directly on vegetables works well to keep it elevated and add flavor.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to guarantee the turkey is safely cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Letting the turkey rest helps keep it juicy when sliced.
- The fat separator helps remove excess fat for a lighter gravy but you can skim fat with a spoon if unavailable.
- Leftover gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen for longer storage.
