Description
This Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast recipe delivers juicy, flavorful turkey with a delicious herb and garlic butter infusion. Bone-in and skin-on, the turkey breast is rubbed generously with a fresh herb butter under and over the skin, then roasted to a perfect golden finish. The pan drippings mixed with the butter create a rich sauce to drizzle over served slices. Perfect for an elegant main dish that is straightforward to prepare and sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey
- 2.5 – 3 kg / 5-6 lb single turkey breast, skin on, bone in (not brined)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Small bunch of fresh herbs – 4 rosemary sprigs, 8 sage sprigs, 10 thyme sprigs
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed with side of knife
Butter Mixture
- 150 g / 5 oz (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 tsp table salt or 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Remove fridge chill: Take the turkey out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking (or 30 minutes if in a hot environment) to bring it closer to room temperature.
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 200°C / 390°F with the rack in the lower middle position. Place the smashed garlic cloves and bunch of fresh herbs in the center of a baking dish or ovenproof skillet, ensuring the turkey will fit comfortably.
- Prepare butter mixture: In a bowl, combine softened butter, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Mix thoroughly to create a herb garlic butter.
- Loosen skin: Using the back of a teaspoon, carefully loosen the skin from the turkey breast flesh, especially under the paper-thin layer beneath the skin, without tearing it.
- Apply butter under the skin: Take about two-thirds of the prepared butter and smear it evenly underneath the loosened skin on the top half of the breast using your hands for even distribution.
- Butter underside: Turn the turkey upside down, reserving approximately 2 tablespoons of butter for the surface. Spread the remaining butter on the underside of the turkey.
- Place turkey in pan and butter the skin: Position the turkey skin side up on top of the herbs and garlic in the pan. Lightly smear the remaining butter on the skin surface, avoiding heavy application to prevent burning of herb bits.
- Make-ahead option: At this point, the turkey can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge 45 minutes before cooking to allow to come to room temperature.
- Season and roast: Sprinkle salt and black pepper evenly over the top and sides of the turkey breast. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 180°C / 350°F.
- Roast and baste: Roast the turkey for about 1 hour 30 minutes, basting every 30 minutes by spooning pan juices over the turkey to keep it moist and flavorful.
- Check doneness: Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast; turkey is done when it reaches 74°C / 165°F. Total cook time should be approximately 15 minutes per 500g (1 lb). If the turkey skin becomes too dark before cooking is complete, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Rest the turkey: Remove turkey from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15-20 minutes, allowing juices to redistribute and the meat to remain juicy.
- Make butter sauce: Remove the herbs and garlic from the pan, squeezing out the juices and butter into a jug or small bowl. Serve this rich sauce alongside the turkey slices.
- Optional gravy: For a gravy, bring pan juices to a simmer in a saucepan, whisk in 1/4 cup flour to form a slurry, then slowly add 1 cup chicken broth, stirring until thickened. Adjust seasoning and color with salt, pepper, and optional dark soy sauce.
Notes
- Use a bone-in, skin-on single turkey breast for best flavor and moisture; adjust cook times and quantities for different sizes or cuts accordingly.
- If using brined turkey, reduce salt in the butter mixture to 3/4 tsp to avoid oversalting.
- Proper thawing of turkey is critical; thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours per 2–2.5 kg or use cold water thawing method, never microwave.
- Placing the rack in the oven’s lower middle position helps prevent the top from over-browning prematurely.
- Basting the turkey with pan juices 8-10 times during roasting enhances flavor and moisture.
- Use fresh herbs for best flavor; if unavailable, substitute with 1 tsp dried sage, rosemary, and thyme each for the butter mixture but omit parsley and pan herbs.
- Leftover turkey stays moist and slices like deli meat due to the salt and butter; save pan juices for extra flavor in sandwiches or sauces.
- Slice turkey thinly for optimal texture and to ensure each slice includes flavorful skin or underside meat.
- Resting the turkey after roasting is essential to keep meat juicy and improve carving ease.
- This recipe yields a rich garlic herb butter sauce from the roasting pan juices, a delicious complement to the sliced turkey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200 g cooked turkey with skin and sauce
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
