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Who says turkey is only for the holidays? Spoiler alert, this bird is not only reserved for eating while the Thanksgiving day football games are on, or after opening up a slew of presents. You can enjoy roast turkey all year long. This garlic rosemary roast turkey breast is the perfect anytime Sunday night dinner recipe. Enjoy it with the family around the table any time of year, without the fuss of having 10 days of new and creative leftovers to get through!
When I lived in Tampa, I was literally across the street from my mom and step-dad, so naturally we would have them over for dinner nearly every Sunday. But at some point I got tired of making the same old pot roasts or giant pans of lasagna. I wanted to switch it up and bring the holidays to the summer. That’s right, a mini-Thanksgiving style family meal for a small crowd. The warmness of the holidays without the 3 days of prep or 2 weeks of leftovers. So I made this simple roast turkey breast, a few side, and dinner was ready in a snap.
Roast Turkey Breast
The thing I love most about this recipe is how NOT daunting it is, especially compared to cooking a whole bird. Start with a 5-6lb bone in turkey breast. They sell them year round, and it only feeds a small crowd so you don’t have to wait for a great sale to afford it. They typically come frozen, so leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days to defrost, or in a cold water bath (still wrapped) for 4-5 hours.
Once it is defrosted, it’s time to prep. Begin by finding a medium sized roasting pan and layering the bottom with 2-3 sliced white onions, and 2-3 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme. Pat the breast dry, inside and out, and place it on top of the aromatics, breast side up. In a small bowl, combine:
- 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh black pepper
Take your fingers and loosen the skin from the meat of the breast. Push and smear about 1/3 of the butter mixture underneath the skin to make sure the meat gets seasoned, and spread the rest all around the breast. Pour 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock into the pan and place in a 325 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 163-165. If the skin darkens too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil. Once it reaches temperature, remove from the oven, tent with foil, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Simple Roast Turkey Gravy
While the turkey is is resting, melt 2 tbsp of butter butter in a saucepan. Add the same amount of flour and whisk. Carefully pour in 1½ cups of the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan into the pot. If you do not have enough liquid, feel free to sub chicken or vegetable stock. Continue to whisk the liquid to work our any lumps and bring to a simmer until it has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on the side of the turkey and enjoy!
Want More Big Family Dinner Recipes?
Baked Caesar Chicken
Broccoli Cheddar Casserole
Creamy White Turkey Chili
White Truffle Mac And Cheese
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Cranberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken
40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Garlic Rosemary Roast Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 white onions sliced
- 5-6 lb bone-in turkey breast defrosted
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter 1½ sticks, softened
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary minced +2-3 sprigs
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme +2-3 sprigs
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp fresh black pepper
- 1½ cup chicken stock
Gravy
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1½ cup pan drippings
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°
- Place sliced onions in the bottom of a medium sized roasting pan. Scatter additional rosemary and thyme sprigs over the onions.
- Pat the turkey breast dry and place on top of the onions and herbs.
- In a bowl, combine butter, garlic, minced rosemary and thyme, oregano, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper. Loosen the skin from the meat and push ⅓ of the butter underneath the skin. Smear the rest on the outside of the breast.
- Pour the stock into the bottom of the pan to allow steam and prevent burning
- Roast the breast for 1½-2 hours, depending on the weight. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. It is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 163-165 (it will reach a final temp of about 170 after resting).
- If the skin darkens to quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil
- Allow the breast to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Gravy
- While the turkey is is resting, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk.
- Carefully pour in 1½cups of the liquid from the bottom of the roasting pan (subbing chicken stock if you do not have enough).
- Continue to whisk and bring to a simmer until it has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on the side of the turkey and enjoy!
