Making an oven-roasted turkey breast is easier than it sounds… and definitely much easier than cooking a whole turkey. I will walk you through exactly how to season, roast, and slice a turkey breast that is perfect for a smaller gathering or one of many main dishes on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Let’s take a look at how to make this in your kitchen.
This recipe is: Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Paleo.
Table of Contents
8 Reasons to Love Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
- It's much easier to make than a whole turkey.
- It is a foolproof method to cook a juicy turkey every time.
- Roasting makes the skin taste incredible!
- Every serving has the delicious browned skin… so tasty!
- Ready in a fraction of the time a whole turkey takes to roast.
- This is an easy recipe that anyone can follow for a completely juicy turkey breast.
- Fully low carb and keto friendly.
- Perfect for a smaller holiday gathering for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Is this Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast recipe low in carbs?
Yes, this oven-roasted turkey breast recipe is completely low-carb and keto-friendly, with less than 1g net carbs per serving. If you remove the skin, this is a ZERO-CARB food. The spices on the skin have a low-carb content but do provide some extra carbs to the overall recipe.
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Ingredient List
1 6lb turkey breast, preferably brined
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sage, ground
½ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
- Turkey breast: you can use this recipe for a whole chicken as well.
- Chicken broth: substitute turkey broth or turkey stock if you have it. Or, really any type of broth or stock will work for this recipe.
- Avocado oil: because we are roasting the turkey breast, it is best to use a fat with a high smoke point. You can use coconut oil clarified butter or ghee if you would like.
- Smoked paprika: use regular paprika if you do not like the smoked flavor.
Additional Ingredients
- Dijon mustard: add 1 tablespoon of a good Dijon mustard to the wet rub for this recipe for a nice zing of acid and flavor.
- Aromatics: if you are planning on making a turkey gravy from the drippings, add in some shallots, smashed garlic and a few thin slices of onion to really pop the flavor of the gravy.
NOTE: These ingredients are not part of the original recipe- use them to enhance or customize the recipe to your liking.
Cooking Tools
Here are the kitchen tools you will need to cook this recipe. These are either the same or very close to what I use in this post:
How to make Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast: The Complete Cooking Guide
Over the years at my catering company, we made hundreds of oven roasted turkey breasts. It’s easy to make, so let’s follow along with these simple steps.
Cooking Method:
- Roasting
Preparation Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a small bowl, combine the spices and avocado oil, mixing them together into a thick paste.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set a baking rack inside. Pour the stock onto the parchment paper.
- Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on the rack. Be sure to pat the turkey dry with paper towels to ensure the skin crisps up nicely.
- Rub the spice paste generously over the skin of the turkey.
Cooking Steps
- Put the turkey on the middle rack of the oven and roast at 425°F for 5-7 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C).
- Continue roasting for about 1 hour, checking the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast with an instant-read thermometer. When it reaches 160°F, remove the turkey from the oven.
- Let the turkey rest, tented with foil or uncovered on the rack, for about 15 minutes. This resting period allows for carryover cooking, ensuring the turkey is tender and juicy.
- Once rested, check the temperature again. When it reaches 165°F, the turkey is ready to slice and serve.
Step 1: In a small bowl, add the spices (including smoked paprika, sage, onion powder, and garlic powder).
Step 2: Pour the avocado oil over the spices in the bowl and mix thoroughly to form a thick paste.
Step 3: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place a baking rack on top. Pour the chicken broth onto the parchment paper beneath the rack to help keep the turkey moist during roasting.
Step 4: Place the turkey breast on the rack with the skin side up.
Step 5: Rub the prepared spice paste evenly all over the skin of the turkey breast, ensuring it’s well-coated for flavor.
Step 6: After roasting, let the turkey breast rest on the rack for 15 minutes. After resting, slice and serve your tender, juicy turkey breast.
💡 My Pro Tip
I have four tips that are really crucial for this recipe:
- Use Stock for Gravy: Adding stock to the baking sheet is crucial if you plan on making gravy from the drippings. As the stock evaporates, it helps keep the turkey breast moist and creates a flavorful base for your gravy.
- Prevent Over-browning: If the turkey starts to brown too early while roasting, simply place a piece of foil loosely over the top. This will allow the turkey to continue cooking without further browning.
- Carryover Cooking: To achieve the perfect roasted turkey, we use carryover cooking. Remove the turkey breast when it reaches 160°F, and the residual heat will bring it up to 165°F while it rests. This prevents the turkey from overcooking and drying out, which can happen if you cook it all the way to 165°F in the oven.
- Rest the Turkey: Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring a tender, juicy turkey breast.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
Here are some ideas on how to save some time when you are about to roast your turkey breast:
- Room temperature: be sure to bring the turkey breast to room temperature before cooking. It will shorten the cook time and result in a more tender bird as the temperature difference between the turkey and the oven won’t be as great.
- Brined turkey breast: brine the turkey ahead of time. If you are into brined turkey breast, be sure to do this ahead of time. You can use my simple turkey breast brine recipe that is low carb and keto friendly too.
- Appropriate equipment: use an oven probe rather than an instant read thermometer. A good oven probe will give you the EXACT temperature of the turkey breast while it is roasting. This saves time by not having to poke the turkey breast with an instant read thermometer waiting for the moment it is ready to remove from the oven.
Looking for the Ultimate Low Carb Thanksgiving Dinner? Here are the recipes you need:
Storage and Reheating
At my house, we always have leftovers (maybe that’s because I typically make two of these oven-roasted turkey breasts at a time!), and storing them is incredibly important to increase their longevity. Let’s take a quick look at how I store, reheat, and freeze leftover oven-roasted turkey breasts.
Storage Tips:
Once the turkey breast has cooled to room temperature, add to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you have not made gravy with the drippings, please add to the container as they will keep the turkey juicy when reheating.
Reheating Tips:
I prefer to only reheat turkey in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat your oven of choice to 350F. Place the turkey into an oven safe dish and either add some gravy or the turkey drippings into the container. Cover and heat until warmed through.
I find that microwaving or heating on the stovetop tends to dry out the turkey and make it tough.
Freezing Tips:
This roasted turkey breast recipe freezes really well. Place the room-temperature turkey breast into a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze and store for up to nine months or so. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat according to the instructions above.
Recipe Conclusion
Other Thanksgiving and Christmas Meal recipes you will love:
Here are some great recipes for you to try for either Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, particularly if you are looking for low-carb or keto-friendly options!
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Taste the crispiest, most flavorful roasted sweet potatoes—no deep fryer needed, just pure roasted perfection!
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: Say goodbye to pasta and hello to cheesy, bacon-topped cauliflower bliss—this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese is comfort food at its finest.
- Loaded Cauliflower Bake: Craving a loaded baked potato without the carbs? This Loaded Cauliflower Bake delivers all the flavor, none of the guilt!
- Low Carb Pumpkin Cake: A pumpkin cake so moist, spiced, and irresistible, no one will even know it's low carb—perfect for your holiday table!
- Keto No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake: Imagine layers of creamy pumpkin cheesecake in a glass—this no-bake treat is pure pumpkin bliss, and it’s easier than you’d think.
FAQs
The turkey breast should be uncovered when roasting. Cover the turkey breast if it starts to brown too quickly and the risk of burning the skin has increased. If this happens, gently tent some aluminum foil over the turkey breast for the remainder of the roasting time.
The optimal temperature is 160°F when removed from the oven. A turkey breast is fully cooked when the internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the breast is 165°F. By removing at 160°F, the turkey breast will continue to cook with residual heat while it rests for 15 minutes on the counter, resulting in perfectly cooked turkey breast.
It is best to roast your turkey breast on the middle rack of the oven. The top rack risks being too close to the heating elements and burning the turkey before it is cooked through.
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 6 lb turkey breast preferably brined
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sage ground
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a small bowl, add the spices and the avocado oil. Mix well with a spoon into a thick paste.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the baking rack in the baking sheet. Pour the stock onto the parchment paper.
- Lay the turkey with the skin side up on the rack. Ensure that the turkey breast has been patted dry with paper towels. This is an important step to ensure crispy, delicious skin.
- Rub the spice paste all over the turkey breast skin.
Cooking Steps
- Place the turkey breast in the oven on a middle rack. Allow the turkey to roast at 425°F for 5-7 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F (180°C).
- Continue to cook the turkey breast for about an hour, checking the temperature of the thickest part of the breast with the instant read thermometer. When the temperature reads 160°F, it is time to remove from the oven.
- Once the roasted turkey breast has been removed from the oven, you can tent it with foil or just let it rest on the rack. It needs to rest for 15 minutes to ensure that it will be cooked through. This is called carryover cooking and results in a tender and juicy oven roasted turkey breast.
- Check the temperature of the thickest part of the turkey breast with an instant read thermometer. When it reads 165°F, it’s time to slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
2 Responses
This is in the oven right now. I just brined the turkey breast with your recipe for 12 hours and this smells delicious. Testing before Thanksgiving. Will let you know how it turns out!
Hi Dotty:
I know... it smells divine while it is cooking- right? So glad that you are making this recipe and please let me know how it all turns out. Great idea to test before Thanksgiving too!
Scott