We love this roasted turkey breast recipe with garlic, herbs, and orange. We are big fans of the bone-in turkey roast. It’s much quicker to make than a whole turkey, but will still work easily 6.
This roasted turkey breast is incredibly moist, juicy, and flavorful. Our recipe calls for the classics: mustard, garlic, rosemary, sage, and orange. We love it. It’s simple, elegant, and perfect for sharing with the family.
We have found that bone-in turkey breasts are easier to handle than roasted turkey. If you are cooking for small numbers, turkey breast is perfect and will feed 6 to 7 people, allowing for some leftovers. For another easy meal, try our lemon roasted chicken.
Key Ingredients
- Turkey breast: I like to roast the turkey breast as it allows me to lay the turkey upright so the skin gets a little brown and crisp. A 6- to 7-pound turkey breast should serve 6 people comfortably.
- Garlic and Herbs: We use a lot of garlic and fresh herbs in this recipe. I like fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage. If your grocery store sells chicken packets of fresh vegetables, you can pick them up, and they’ll probably have everything you need.
- Orange and Lemon: You will use fresh squeezed orange and lemon juice and orange slices for extra flavor. I like the combination, but if you need to get rid of one or the other, you can.
- Broth: I like to add liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan to help maintain a hot surface for our turkey. This helps ensure that moist turkey breast I was talking about. Chicken or turkey broth is good, and veggie broth will do, too.
- Dijon Mustard: Since this recipe has a lot of orange, I like how the mustard balances it out. Whole-grain mustard works, too.
How to Make Roasted Turkey Breast
I like to use a roasting pan with a rack when roasting turkey breast. It may be a little unstable as it only roasts the breast. A rack helps keep the turkey upright. If you don’t have a rack, no worries. We recommend using a baking dish the size of a turkey breast. Place it in a container, and if you find that it is not stable, use orange slices to lift the breast a little so that it stands tall. (Instead of orange slices, try lemon or onion slices or even carrots).
We love a roast turkey with lots of flavor, so we rub the turkey all over with a paste made of olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, and lots of fresh herbs. Some roasted garlic would be amazing, too.
Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the turkey (even under the skin covering the breast). You want everywhere. Our hands are the best tools, but you can use a pastry brush or a small spoon.
Once the turkey is well seasoned, pour the orange juice and chicken stock into the pan with a few orange slices and slide into the oven. Then roast the turkey breast in a 325F oven for 1 ½ to 2 hours. The meat will be moist and juicy, and the skin will be golden brown.
We like to serve the turkey without the bone. To do this, carefully cut each breast of the bone, and then cut it into thick pieces. Orange juice and chicken stock in a roasting pan are also great drizzled over turkey slices. In addition to pan drippings, we love to serve turkey with our simple gravy!
Giving Suggestions
This roasted turkey breast works well for entertaining and during the holidays. I’ve even made it for Thanksgiving! Some of my favorite dishes are below:
Delicious Grilled Turkey Breast
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A roasted turkey breast is quicker to make than a whole turkey but will still serve six easily. It’s incredibly moist and juicy, too. It is very easy to use a frying pan with a rack. Since we are roasting only the breast, the rack keeps the breast in place. If you don’t have a rack, use a baking dish the size of the turkey breast, place it in the dish, then, if you find that it is not stable, use orange slices to raise the breast slightly so that it stands tall. . (Instead of orange slices, try lemon or onion slices or even carrots).
6 servings (leftovers)
You will need it
1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 ½ to 7 pounds, thawed
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth
1 orange, sliced
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
2Place the turkey breast, skin-side down, in a heavy roasting pan or baking dish, preferably on a rack. (If you don’t have a rack, you’ll need to kneel down and lift the turkey breast with the orange slices later for stability).
3Mix garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, olive oil, and mustard to make a paste. Use your fingers to lift the skin away from the breast meat and spread a portion of the batter directly onto the meat. Spread the remaining paste on the outside of the turkey breast.
4Pour the orange juice, lemon juice, and chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Scatter the orange slices in the pan, and if needed, use a few slices to lift the turkey breast upright to stabilize it.
5Roast the turkey breast for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the skin is golden brown and an internal thermometer registers 160°F (71°C) when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. (Better to check multiple locations to be sure). If, while roasting, you see that the turkey is browning more than you would like, cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and continue roasting until done.
6When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
7Pour the remaining juices from the frying pan into a small jug and brush off any oil that appears on top.
8Carve the turkey and serve with the pan juices drizzled on top.
Tips from Adam and Joanne
- Tips to reduce: If you cannot find a fresh, unfrozen turkey breast, you must thaw it. To do this, buy a frozen turkey 2 days in advance, and thaw breast side up, uncovered, on a baking sheet in the refrigerator. If you’re in a rush, you can also thaw the turkey in cold water (very quickly). Submerge breast side down, uncovered, in enough cold water to cover turkey completely. Change the water every 30 minutes until it dissolves completely. Using the water method, a 7-pound turkey breast will take 3 hours to thaw. For more information, see Butterball’s tips for thawing a turkey.
- The nutrition facts given below are estimates. We took 6 servings, which means 6 very good portions. You will probably stay.
Food Per Serving
Serving Size
1 in 6 meals
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Calories
511
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Proteins
70 g
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Carbohydrate
3 g
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Dietary fiber
0 g
/
Total Sugar
2 g
/
Perfect Oils
23 g
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Saturated Fats
6 g
/
Cholesterol
179 mg
