Description
A classic roast turkey breast recipe featuring aromatic herb butter under the skin and a savory homemade gravy, perfect for a comforting American main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey
- 6 lb. bone-in skin-on turkey breast, fresh or frozen and fully thawed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh sage or parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 celery ribs, cut into chunks
Gravy
- 1/3 cup purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, preferably homemade, plus more to thin as desired
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and position the oven rack one level below center.
- Prepare the Skin: Carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast using a large spoon or wooden spoon handle, leaving the outer edges intact to keep the butter from leaking out.
- Make Herb Butter: In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage (or parsley), and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Apply Butter Under Skin: Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Spread about half of the herb butter mixture underneath the skin of the turkey breast, then rub the remaining butter evenly over the outside of the skin.
- Season Turkey: Season the entire turkey breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Prepare Roasting Pan: Place the chopped onion, carrot, and celery in a medium roasting pan. If you have a roasting rack, set it over the vegetables; if not, you may place the turkey directly on the vegetables.
- Roast Turkey: Place the turkey breast skin side up on the rack or vegetables. Roast in the preheated oven until the thickest part reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 2 to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
- Rest Turkey: Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest on a carving board tented with foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
- Make Gravy: Discard the vegetables from the roasting pan. Pour the drippings into a fat separator or liquid measuring cup and measure out 1/3 cup of fat drippings.
- Prepare Roux: Heat the measured fat drippings over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to form a roux.
- Finish Gravy: While whisking constantly, gradually pour in the chicken broth along with any remaining turkey drippings. Continue to cook and whisk until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and thin with additional chicken broth if desired.
Notes
- For a 6 lb. turkey breast, thawing in the refrigerator will take 36 to 48 hours. Never cook the turkey while frozen.
- If the turkey skin starts to over-brown near the end of roasting, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Using fresh herbs in the butter enhances flavor but dried herbs can be substituted in equal amounts if fresh are unavailable.
- Make sure to use a reliable instant-read thermometer to check doneness to avoid overcooking and drying out the turkey breast.
- Letting the turkey rest after roasting allows juices to redistribute for a moister result.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
