Garlic Herb Butter Turkey Breast

Sliced roasted turkey breast on a wooden cutting board with utensils.

5 from 4 votes

Garlic Herb Butter Turkey Breast

A crispy skin roasted turkey breast with garlic herb butter is the perfect size for a scaled-down Thanksgiving dinner. We slathered a compound butter of garlic herb under the turkey skin for maximum flavor and a moist and tender feast.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: garlic butter turkey breast, Roasted Turkey Breast with Garlic Herb Butter

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

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 9x12 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

Stabilizing the turkey: To keep the turkey breast from sliding while spreading the herb butter under the skin, set it on several layers of damp paper towels on your work surface.

Leveling on the rack: If the turkey breast feels wobbly or doesn’t sit level, tuck crumpled foil underneath to stabilize it during roasting.

Prevent overbrowning: Check the turkey occasionally as it roasts. If the skin begins to brown too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.

When to remove from the oven: For moist, tender meat, remove the turkey when the thermometer reaches 157°F. During the 20–30 minute rest, residual heat will bring it to the safe final temperature of 165°F.

Making gravy from the drippings: Deglaze the roasting pan with ½ cup broth or wine. Strain the liquid, discarding the garlic and herbs, and transfer to a saucepan. Spoon off excess fat, then use 3–4 tablespoons of the fat to make a roux with 3–4 tablespoons flour. Cook 1–2 minutes, add the drippings and 1½ cups chicken broth, and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and serve.

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