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Home » Recipe Index » Holiday Dishes

Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs

Published: Nov 14, 2021 · Modified: May 9, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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A dinner plate filled with sliced roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs is the answer if you want to downsize your holiday table this year. You still get that amazing turkey taste and texture, but on a smaller scale. Serve with Mom’s Thanksgiving dressing, the best mashed potatoes, and Southern-style green beans for the perfect feast.

A Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs resting on a white platter garnished fresh sage leaves and lemon wedges and a large carving knife nearby.
Jump to:
  • 🦃 The Ingredients for the Brine
  • 🌿 The Ingredients for the Roast Turkey
  • 👉 Substitutions and Variations
  • 👩🏼‍🍳 How To Make Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs
  • 🍽️ How To Carve and Serve
  • 🙋🏽‍♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
  • 😋 Other Holiday Roasts
  • Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs

🦃 The Ingredients for the Brine

Brining is not 100% necessary; plenty of folks think it doesn’t make that much of a difference. Well, we’re not those folks.

We’ve tested numerous times, and for some reason, especially with a turkey breast, we find that brining produces a much more juicy and flavorful bird. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.

An arrangement of ingredient for a brine for roast turkey breast on a white background including an uncooked bone-in turkey breast, a pitcher of water, apple cider, salt, allspice, and bay leaves.

🌿 The Ingredients for the Roast Turkey

The straightforward combination of fresh herbs, garlic, and seasoning in roast turkey breast delivers the classic, savory flavor that makes this dish a timeless favorite.

An arrangement of ingredients for roast turkey with herbs on a white background including olive oil, lemon juice, turkey stock, white wine, herbs, garlic, and seasonings.

Expert Tip

After simmering the apple cider with herbs, be sure to add to water and additional apple cider. This will cool down the warm herbed cider. You don’t want to add hot (or even warm) brine over the uncooked turkey.

👉 Substitutions and Variations

  • Turkey – You can also use a boneless turkey breast. The roasting will be reduced, depending on the size of the breast. You’ll need to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. If you want a larger turkey, look at our Perfect Roast Turkey, Spatchcock Turkey, or Southern Deep-Fried Turkey.
  • Herbs – Fresh herbs are best, but dried herbs will deliver good taste, too. Other wonderful herbs include sage, marjoram, and basil.
  • Wine – We use a dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t want to cook with wine, substitute turkey stock or best chicken broth.

See the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

👩🏼‍🍳 How To Make Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs

A saucepan filled with turkey stock, water, seasonings, and bay leaves.
  1. Step 1: In a saucepan, simmer the apple cider, salt, allspice, and bay leaves.
A person pouring a turkey brine over a whole turkey breast that is in the bottom of a brine bag in a large stock pot.
  1. Step 2: Place the turkey in the brine bag in a cooler and pour in the cooled brine plus the chilled cider and water. 
A glass bowl filled with chopped fresh herbs, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
  1. Step 3: In a bowl, add the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, oil, and lemon juice. Stir to form a paste.
A person rubbing a butter and herb mixture under the skin of an uncooked whole turkey breast on a wooden cutting board.
  1. Step 4: Remove the turkey, pat dry, and then spread the paste under the skin and all over the breast.
A person pouring white wine from a small carafe into a roasting pan that is fitted with a roasting rack with an uncooked turkey breast with herbs on it.
  1. Step 5: Place on rack in pan and add chicken broth and white wine
A person standing behind a silver roasting pan that is fitted with a roasting rack with a fully cooked roast turkey with herbs on it.
  1. Step 6: Bake until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Tent with foil if browning too much. 

🍽️ How To Carve and Serve

  • We find that a whole turkey breast is so much easier to carve than a whole turkey.
  • Simply use a large knife (preferably a carving one) and a large fork, and begin slicing layers of each side of the breast. The meat should easily fall right off.
  • The sauce is an amazing accompaniment to the roast turkey breast and can be served as is right from the pan.
  • Arrange slices on a platter and nestle fresh herbs and sliced lemon around the meat for a beautiful presentation.

🙋🏽‍♂️ Frequently Asked Questions

What herbs work best for roast turkey breast?

Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley are ideal for roasting turkey breast because they complement the mild flavor of the meat and add aromatic depth.

Should I season the roast turkey breast under the skin or just on top?

For maximum flavor, it’s best to season both under the skin and on top of the turkey breast, allowing the herbs and seasoning to penetrate the meat and keep it moist.

How long should I roast a turkey breast with herbs to ensure it’s juicy and fully cooked?

Roast the turkey breast at 320°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C), to ensure it’s juicy and safely cooked. A digital thermometer ensures a perfectly cooked turkey!

A white dinner plate filled with two slices of roast turkey breast with herbs and a pile of simmered green beans and mashed potatoes topped with gravy.

😋 Other Holiday Roasts

  • A straight-on view of a glazed Cornish hen sitting on a bed of wild rice pilaf all on a white dinner plate with a fork nearby and another plate of the same in the background.
    Glazed Cornish Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing
  • Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder on a platter with a side of gravy
    Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
  • An oval white platter filled with slices of beef tenderloin with sprigs of rosemary along the edge and a glass or red wine sitting in the rear.
    Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
  • An overhead view of a whole smoked turkey that is resting on a platter of parsley and orange slices and a carving knife nearby.
    Smoked Turkey with Orange Honey Brine

Ready to make a turkey breast that will rival any roast turkey in town? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

A Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs resting on a white platter that is garnished with fresh sage leaves and lemon slices.

Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs

Roast Turkey Breast with Herbs is so juicy and deeply flavorful. Brining the breast is not 100% necessary, but we do find it make the meat significantly juicier and flavorful.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Brining: 12 hours hours
Total Time: 14 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 381kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Equipment

  • Brine bag
  • Roasting pan with rack
  • Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the Brine

  • 8 cups apple cider chilled
  • ¾ cup salt
  • ¼ cup allspice ground
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 6 lb turkey breast whole

For Roasting the Turkey Breast

  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon sage fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon thyme fresh, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice usually from 1 lemon
  • 2 cups turkey stock or chicken stock, plus more for basting
  • 1 cup white wine

Instructions

Brine the Bird (Start 12 to 24 hours in advance)

  • Add 2 cups of the apple cider to a medium-sized saucepan. Stir in the salt, allspice, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently and simmer for 15 minutes.
    8 cups apple cider, ¾ cup salt, ¼ cup allspice, 4 bay leaves
  • In a pot, add the remaining chilled apple cider, all of the water, and the simmered salt mixture.
    8 cups water
  • Line a vessel just large enough to hold the turkey breast with a brine bag. Place the turkey breast in the bag and then carefully pour in the brine liquid and twist the top of the bag, and secure with twine or a knot. Try to make sure the turkey breast is fully submerged. Placing a heavy object on top can help. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or preferably, overnight.
    1 6 lb turkey breast

Roast the Turkey Breast

  • Preheat your oven to 325°F.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a rack in a roasting pan.
  • Make the paste by adding the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, oil, and lemon juice to a small bowl. Stir to form a paste
    3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Use your fingers to gently pull the skin away from the top of the turkey breast. Rub about three-quarters of the paste into the meat under the skin. Rub the rest all over the top of the turkey breast.
  • Add the turkey (or chicken) stock and wine to the pan.
    2 cups turkey stock, 1 cup white wine
  • Roast until an internal temperature of 160 to 165°F is reached, anywhere from 1½ to 2½ hours. You'll want to add small pieces of foil to the top of the turkey breast if it starts to brown too much. Add more stock (increments of ½ cup) if it starts to evaporate. We recommend basting the turkey breast occasionally (every 30 minutes), if possible.
  • Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Pour the au jus sauce into a gravy boat. Carve and serve with sauce on the side.

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video near the top of the recipe for visual guidance.
Brining is great if you can get the bird in the brine 12 to 24 hours in advance.  However, if 3 to 4 hours makes the meat juicier, too. 
Be sure to keep an eye on the breast as it is roasting.  It will start to brown typically near the top area of the breast, near the neck.  Add pieces of foil to areas that are getting a little too brown.  Near the end of the roasting, you may need to cover the entire breast in foil. 
You’ll need a little extra stock (either turkey or chicken) for adding to the pan during the roasting sauce.  You want to maintain around 2 cups of liquid at the bottom of the pan. 
The cooked turkey makes amazing leftovers and will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week and freezes beautifully for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 22605mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

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Comments

  1. Karen says

    November 21, 2024 at 12:49 pm

    Hi, Kris and Wesley!
    Wishing you both a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    My husband and I are empty nesters, and we bought 3 pound boneless Turkey breast for thanksgiving dinner.
    Could you please develop a recipe for that, and consider also developing some recipes for just two people? Thank you so much!
    And have a joyous and blessed Christmas to come!
    We appreciate all you do! Hugs to you both!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      November 22, 2024 at 1:57 pm

      Hi Karen! We hope you have a nice (and probably quiet) Thanksgiving! We will work on developing a boneless turkey breast recipe for the future. Unfortunately, recipe development, and then the entire content creation for that recipe takes weeks to complete. I can recommend this: Leave the netting on the breast, but loosen it up somewhat, which will make it easier to remove later. If desired, make slits over the top of the breast and then insert garlic slivers (from a couple of large garlic cloves). Rub the breast with olive oil and then sprinkle salt, pepper, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the breast in an oven-safe pot or dish that will help hold it in place. Add about 1/2 cup broth (chicken or turkey) to the dish. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes (or until the internal temp reaches 160 to 165°F). Let rest for 15 minutes, cut away the netting, carve and serve at once.

      Hope this helps! Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!!!

      xo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  2. Paula says

    December 25, 2022 at 10:02 pm

    Another amazing recipe! So juicy and flavorful that I had a loved one say that it was the *best* turkey he had ever had. Thank you for such delicious recipes!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      December 28, 2022 at 11:46 am

      Hi Paula! Woo hoo! That is quite an amazing compliment to get from a loved one on your turkey! Sounds like you prepared it perfectly! No doubt your holiday feast was perfection. We hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. Cheers to a spectacular 2023!! xoxo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  3. Claire Magnolo says

    November 25, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    5 stars
    My whole family and guests loved the flavor of the turkey breast. I did do the brine for about 6 hours. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe.

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      November 28, 2021 at 12:43 pm

      Thank you so much, Claire! We are thrilled you had such great success with the turkey breast and we hope you and your family had a glorious day. Thank you for sharing and for the wonderful review. WE are very thankful for that!!! Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  4. Judy Palmer says

    November 14, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe…. Can you repost your gravy recipe again? it is the best!!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      November 16, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks, Judy! Sure…here you go: https://howtofeedaloon.com/turkey-gravy/.

      Reply
5 from 2 votes

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