Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
About the Recipe
This is a great version of our typical tradition of Roasted Turkey at Thanksgiving. Our family never eats the legs, thighs, and wings, so we decided to just cook a turkey breast so that we didn't wind up throwing it away. After it is cooked, I serve it sliced on a platter with the ham.
If you only like the white meat of the turkey breast, try this instead. You'll be happy for it.
This turkey breast is brined the night before. I first learned about brining while watching one of my favorite culinary personalities, Alton Brown of the Food Network. I learned how the osmosis process brings salt into the meat of the turkey, which helps it retain moisture and flavor.
I changed his recipe a bit for my own liking and the availability of ingredients, and I look forward to hearing about the version you create.
Serve the turkey breast carved on your French bread dressing in a cast iron pan for a great presentation.
Variations
Like the whole turkey, how I make this turkey changes depending on my mood for the season. Sometimes I make it with just the oil on the skin and it comes out with the classic golden brown shine. At other times I will put the herb rub on it to give it a more rustic but flavorful look. The choice is yours.
Regarding the Brine, you can vary that with the spices you use but don't recommend changing the salt, sugar, and water ratios.
Equipment Needed
For the turkey breast, I generally put it and the brine in a stock pot and put it in the fridge. Any vessel that will allow you to keep it cold, under 41, will work.
You will also need a roasting rack and pan. You can buy a dedicated roasting rack and pan, or you can use the bottom half of a Dutch oven and make the rack with rolled-up aluminum foil.
It really doesn't matter which pan you roast it in, as long as you have a way for the juices to drain.
Your cooking method should be based on your budget and storage space. The turkey breast will be great no matter what your pan is.
- .5 gal Water (Ice cold)
- .5 gal Chicken Stock (Your Favorite)
- .5 cup Salt (Morton Coarse Kosher Salt)
- .25 cup Brown Sugar (Dark, packed)
- .5 tbsp Pepper Corns (Black or mixed colors)
- .5 tsp Allspice Berries (Whole)
- .5 Sprig Rosemary (Fresh)
- .5 Sprig Thyme (Fresh)
- .5 Sprig Sage (Fresh, a few leaves)
- 1 ea Apple (Quartered)
- 1 ea Yellow Onion (Quartered)
- 2 Sprig Rosemary (Fresh)
- 2 Sprig Thyme (Each)
- 2 Sprig Sage (Fresh)
- 1 ea Cinnamon Stick
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1.5 tsp Paprika (Ground, Optional)
- 1.5 tsp Oregano (Dried, Optional)
- 1.5 tsp Thyme (Dried, Optional)
- 1.5 tsp Rosemary (Dried, Optional)
- 1 tsp Black Pepper (Ground, Optional)
- 1 tsp Sage (Rubbed, Optional)
- 1 ea Turkey Breast (8-12 Lbs, fresh or frozen)
- Roasted Turkey Instructions
Brine
Up to 3 days before your meal, prepare the brine by bringing half the water and the rest of the ingredients to a simmer.
Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
Remove it from the heat and let it rest and steep for an hour. This will allow it to cool down before you add the cold water.
Add the remaining water and place it in the fridge to cool completely.
Turkey Breast
If you purchase a frozen bone-in turkey breast, buy it at least five days before Thanksgiving. I like to buy mine on the Friday before Thanksgiving.
Place it in a bowl or sheet pan at the bottom of your fridge to thaw for the next five days. Ensure nothing is under it to prevent raw turkey juice from dripping onto other foods.
The day before your meal, remove the wrapping, and anything else that may be packed with it, and wash the turkey breast.
Submerge the whole bone-in turkey breast into the cold brine. Do not place it in warm or hot brine. Instead, you may use a large pot for the brining or a large cooking bag filled with the brine and turkey beast in a large clean plastic container or 3-gallon bucket.
Place the turkey breast in the fridge overnight. If you do not have space to keep cool overnight. Use the bag method and place it in a cooler with the bag sealed and ice on top of the bag.
About 2 hours before you plan to put the turkey breast in the oven, remove the turkey from the brine, and discard the brine.
Place turkey breast on a roasting rack in the roasting pan and pat dry. If you do not have a roasting rack, you can make one by rolling up a large foil coil for the turkey breast to sit on.
Leave in the open air in a safe, clean place in the kitchen to remove some chill before cooking.
Aromatics and Seasoning
Roughly slice the apple and onion and place them in the breast cavity along with the fresh herbs.
Make the seasoning rub by combining all the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Using your hands, rub the mixture all over the top side of the turkey breast. Make sure it is evenly coated.
Roasting
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a probe thermometer in the thickest part of the breast from the neck end going under the skin. Do not place the thermometer tip next to the breast bone. You want it in the thickest part of the meat.
Place the turkey breast in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350.
Allow about 15-18 minutes per pound to reach an internal temperature of 165, and it will get a few degrees above 165 while it is resting covered. Cook to 165 in the oven, and do not cover while resting if you want crispy skin.
Remove the turkey breast from the oven when it reaches the proper temperature.
To tent or not to tent. That depends on how you like the skin. If you want to keep it as crispy as possible, don't cover the breast when you remove it from the oven. But you will need to cook it to 165 before removing it.
If you don't care about the skin being crispy, tent the breast with foil immediately after removing it from the oven, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise, and once it reaches 165, you can carve and service it.
Carve and serve.
You can adjust the spices as you like to build a flavor profile that you prefer.
