We love this roasted turkey breast recipe with garlic, herbs, and orange. We are big fans of roasting bone-in turkey breast. It’s much quicker to make than a whole turkey, but it will still easily serve 6.
This roast turkey breast is unbelievably moist, juicy, and flavorful. Our recipe calls for the classics: mustard, garlic, rosemary, sage, and orange. We love it. It’s simple, beautiful, and perfect for sharing with family.
We’ve found that bone-in turkey breasts are a little easier to handle than whole roasted turkey. When cooking for smaller numbers, turkey breast is perfect and will feed 6 to 7 people, allowing for some leftovers. For another simple meal, try our roasted chicken with lemon.
Key Ingredients
- Turkey Breast: I love roasting a bone-in turkey breast since it allows me to place the turkey upright so the skin gets browned and a little crisp. A 6 to 7-pound turkey breast should serve 6 people generously.
- Garlic and Herbs: We go heavy on garlic and fresh herbs for this recipe. I love fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage. If your grocery store sells fresh herb poultry packets, you can pick one up, and it will likely have everything you need.
- Orange and Lemon: You’ll use fresh squeezed orange and lemon juice and some orange slices for extra flavor. I love the combination, but if you need to drop one or the other, you can.
- Broth: I like to add some liquid to the bottom of the roasting pan to help keep a steamy environment for our turkey. This helps guarantee that juicy turkey breast I was talking about. Chicken or turkey broth is great, and veggie broth will do, too.
- Dijon Mustard: Since this recipe has a generous amount of orange, I love how the mustard balances it out. Whole-grain mustard works, too.
How to Make Roasted Turkey Breast
I like using a roasting pan with a rack when roasting turkey breast. It can be a little unstable since we’re only roasting the breast. The rack helps keep the turkey upright. If you don’t have a rack, no worries. We recommend using a baking dish that just fits the turkey breast. Place it into the dish, then if you find it to be unstable, use slices of orange to prop the breast up a little so it stands tall. (Instead of orange slices, try lemon or onion slices or even carrots).
We like roast turkey with lots of flavor, so we rub the turkey all over with a paste made from 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 it everywhere. Our hands are the best tools, but you can use a pastry brush or a small spoon.
Once the turkey is thoroughly rubbed down, pour orange juice and chicken stock into the pan and a few slices of orange 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 love serving the turkey off of the bone. To do this, carefully cut each breast of the bone, then slice it into thick slices. The orange juice and chicken stock added to the pan for roasting is also excellent spooned over the turkey slices. In addition to the pan drippings, we love serving the turkey with our simple gravy!
Serving Suggestions
This roast turkey breast works beautifully for entertaining and during the holiday season. I’ve even made it for Thanksgiving! Some of my favorite side dishes are below:
- Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Carrots with Parsley Butter
- Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad (so good with the oranges!)
- Mushroom Stuffing or this Classic Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole (from scratch)
- Brie Stuffed Dinner Rolls
Juicy Roasted Turkey Breast
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Roasted turkey breast is quicker to make than a whole turkey but will still easily serve six. It’s unbelievably moist and juicy, too. It’s easiest to use a roasting pan with a rack. Since we’re only roasting the breast, the rack keeps the breast upright. If you don’t have a rack, use a baking dish that just fits the turkey breast, place it into the dish, and then, if you find it unstable, use slices of orange to prop the breast up a little so it stands tall. (Instead of orange slices, try lemon or onion slices or even carrots).
You Will Need
1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 ½ to 7 pounds, thawed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons 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).
2Put turkey breast, skin-side up, in a heavy roasting pan or baking dish, preferably on a rack. (If you do not have a rack, you will need to cushion and prop the turkey breast up with orange slices later to stabilize it).
3Stir garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, olive oil, and mustard to form a paste. Use your fingers to lift the skin away from the breast meat and spread half of the paste directly on the meat. Smear the remaining paste all over the outside of the turkey breast.
4Pour the orange juice, lemon juice, and chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Scatter orange slices around the pan, and if needed, use a couple of slices to prop the turkey breast upright so that it is stable.
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. (It’s best to check multiple locations to be sure). If, while it roasts, you notice the turkey is browning more than you’d like, cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and continue to roast until done.
6When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven, cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
7Pour the juices left in the roasting pan into a small jug and skim any fat from the top.
8Slice the turkey and serve with the pan juices spooned over the top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Thawing tips: If you cannot find a fresh, unfrozen turkey breast, you must thaw it. To do this, buy the frozen turkey 2 days in advance, then thaw the breast side up, unopened, on a baking sheet in the fridge. If you are in a rush, you can also thaw the turkey in cold water (much quicker). Thaw it with the breast side down, unopened, with enough cold water to cover the turkey completely. Change the water every 30 minutes until it is completely thawed. Using the water method, a 7-pound turkey breast will take about 3 hours to thaw. For more information, look at Butterball’s tips for thawing turkey.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed 6 servings, which means 6 very generous portions. You will likely have leftovers.
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Can I use the pan drippings to make your gluten free/dairy free gravy (recipe here: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/36231/easy-gravy-recipe/), or will it taste weird due to the citrus and I should stick with broth?
You might want to do a 50-50 blend.
Thinking about making this but unsure if I’ll be able to find turkey breast with skin on. Is it as flavourful if I make this with a turkey breast filet (boneless skinless)? Would I need to change temperature or cooking time? Thank you!
Here’s our turkey breast recipe that should provide better guidance on bake time and temperature.
Can I still use a turkey bag after I follow everything?
Are you referring to baking the turkey in a bag. We do not do this ourselves and prefer roasting the turkey uncovered so that it gets nice and browned.
This came out perfectly, without a doubt the best turkey I’ve made. It wasn’t the least bit dry, and it was full of flavor.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe looks great. I have a group of 14 people so would I need to make two of these recipes as listed above? Meaning if I put two 6-7 lb turkey breasts in the oven, do I need to double the cook time if using the same directions?
Hi Anthony, The cook time should not be too different. I’d just keep an eye on the turkey and rotate a few times for even browning.
The turkey breast I bought weighs almost 9 lbs. How long should I cook it?
Hi Felicia, You’ll need to add some cook time — maybe 20 to 30 more minutes. I’d use an internal thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey as it cooks to be sure.
My family and I are not big turkey fans. Even though, I’ve baked some good ones in the past. However, this recipe looks absolutely delicious!! I can’t wait to try it!!