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Herb butter turkey breast delivers everything you want from a roast without committing to a whole bird. A generous layer of garlic-herb butter under the skin keeps the meat juicy while helping the skin turn deeply golden and crisp.
Roasted over lemon and aromatics, the turkey cooks evenly and stays flavorful from edge to center. The result is tender meat, savory drippings, and far less fuss than a full turkey.
Here is Why This Turkey Breast Recipe Works
Bone-in, skin-on turkey breast: The bone protects the meat from drying out, while the skin locks in moisture and roasts up golden and crisp. Don’t discard the bone carcass, save it for a delicious turkey vegetable farro soup.
Garlic-herb butter under the skin: Spreading the butter directly on the meat delivers flavor where it matters most and keeps the breast juicy as it roasts.
Right-sized for smaller gatherings: Roasting just the turkey breast gives you all the flavor and presentation of a holiday turkey without the size, leftovers, or stress of cooking a whole bird.
Built-in drippings for gravy: Roasting over garlic, herbs, and liquid creates flavorful pan drippings that turn into a rich, well-seasoned gravy without extra steps.
Ingredient Notes
Bone-in, skin-on turkey breast: Using a bone-in breast helps protect the meat from drying out, while the skin allows the butter to baste the turkey as it roasts.
Butter: Softened butter spreads easily under the skin, delivering flavor directly to the meat and helping keep it juicy throughout roasting.
Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme): Fresh herbs provide aromatic flavor that stands up to roasting better than dried herbs in this recipe.
Garlic: Fresh garlic provides stronger, more aromatic flavor than dried garlic, especially in the herb butter and pan drippings.
Lemon: Sliced lemon lightly perfumes the turkey as it roasts and helps balance the richness of the butter and meat.
Olive oil: Brushing the exterior with oil promotes even browning and helps the seasonings adhere to the skin.
Recipe Tips
Loosen the skin carefully: Gently separate the skin from the meat without tearing so the herb butter can spread evenly.
Cook to temperature, not time: Use a thermometer and remove the turkey at 157°F, allowing carryover heat to finish the cook.
Stabilize the breast if needed: If the turkey doesn’t sit level on the rack, use crumpled foil to keep it upright.
Shield if browning too fast: Tent loosely with foil if the skin begins to overbrown before the turkey is fully cooked.
Rest before carving: Let the turkey rest 20–30 minutes so juices redistribute and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Use the lower oven rack: Positioning the turkey lower in the oven promotes even roasting and better skin color.
Save the drippings: Even if you’re not making gravy right away, strain and refrigerate the pan drippings, they’re full of flavor.
This turkey breast is especially good with sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes, and homemade cranberry sauce.
And if you have leftovers, it works well in a range of dishes, from simple sandwiches and sliders to turkey noodle soup. For something more substantial, it’s also a great base for turkey pot pie or a baked turkey burrito casserole.
Herb and Garlic Butter Turkey Breast
This herb butter turkey breast has everything you want from a roast without the commitment of a whole bird. The meat stays juicy, the skin roasts up golden, and the pan drippings are ready to turn into a simple gravy.
It’s a practical, dependable option for smaller gatherings or anytime you want classic turkey flavor with less fuss.
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Garlic Herb Butter Turkey Breast
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Ingredients
For the Turkey:
- 6 pound whole turkey breast, bone in, skin on
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish
- 3 sprigs Fresh thyme, for garnish
- 3 sprigs fresh sage, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
For the Garlic-Herb Butter:
- ½ cup butter, softened,
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh thyme, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator, unwrap it and pat dry with paper.
- Coat a 9×12 pan or oven-proof dish with oil spray. Scatter the garlic and fresh herbs on the bottom of the dish. place a rack over them and pour in a cup of water or broth, set aside.
- In a bowl, stir together the butter, garlic, salt, pepper and the fresh herbs.
- Place the turkey breast on a work surface and loosen the skin carefully so that you don’t make any tears. Scoop up portions of the garlic herb butter with your fingers and spread under the skin, covering as much of the breast flesh as possible.
- Place the turkey breast in the prepared dish, top side up on the rack. Brush olive oil over the top and sides of the turkey breast, sprinkle with salt and pepper; then dust with paprika. Insert a meat temperature probe in the thickest part of the breast.
- Transfer the turkey to the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature to 350°F. Roast for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes (or 13 to 15 minutes per pound). Use the thermometer as your guide to determine when the turkey is finished roasting.
- When the temperature on the thermometer reaches 157°F, remove the turkey from the oven. Transfer the turkey breast from the baking dish to a carving board, tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. The turkey breast will continue to cook while it is tented and the final temperature should be 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Bone-in, skin-on turkey or chicken taste so much more flavourful. This looks fantastic, Pat.
Thank you, Angie….Happy Thanksgiving to you!