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slices of turkey breast on top of sliced citrus and drizzle with gravy
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5 from 4 votes

Citrus Herb Turkey Breast

This boneless turkey breast is slathered in a savory citrus and herb butter, then roasted until crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Resting time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: boneless turkey breast recipe, holiday turkey recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 740kcal
Author: The Chunky Chef

Ingredients

Turkey

  • 3-4 lb. boneless skinless turkey breast
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Citrus herb butter

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • zest of half a lemon
  • zest of half an orange
  • 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp minced fresh sage
  • 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Pan aromatics

  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and cut into large wedges
  • 1 bulb fennel trimmed and cut into thick slices
  • 1 medium orange sliced or cut into wedges
  • 1 medium lemon sliced or cut into wedges
  • a few sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme optional
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Prepare

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.  Set out a baking dish (I use a 2 quart, but a 9x13" will also work), or a roasting pan. Set aside.
  • Remove turkey breast roast from package. If your turkey breast has a twine netting, you can leave it on if you'd like, or you can remove it.  Pat very dry with paper towels.
  • Season turkey breast with the paprika and black pepper, massaging it into the turkey. Set aside for now.

Make citrus herb butter

  • In a mixing bowl, add softened butter, minced garlic, orange and lemon zests, rosemary, sage, thyme, and kosher salt. Stir to combine well.

Butter the turkey

  • Generously slather the butter on the turkey breast, reserving 2-3 Tbsp to baste with later.

Add it all to the baking dish

  • To the baking dish you set out earlier, add the aromatics (onion, fennel, orange and lemon slices, and rosemary or thyme sprigs), and drizzle with the olive oil.
  • Add the buttered turkey breast on top of those aromatics in the baking dish.

Roast and baste

  • Roast the turkey breast, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Melt the remaining 2-3 Tbsp of the citrus herb butter you saved from earlier.
  • Baste the top of the turkey breast with that melted butter, then loosely cover the turkey with foil (to keep it from burning), and continue roasting for about 30-40 more minutes, or until an internal thermometer inserted into the turkey reaches 165°F.

Let rest

  • Remove turkey breast from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes or so, then serve warm with gravy (if desired).

Notes

  1. I've estimated this recipe will feed approximately 4 people, but as always, the exact serving size is up to you.
  2. When choosing a boneless turkey breast roast, make sure you select one that doesn't have additional flavor added.
  3. For the best results, I highly recommend using an internal meat thermometer (clickable link) to check the internal temperature of the turkey breast.  The cook time given is what it took for me, but all ovens cook a little differently.
  4. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and you're looking for it to read 165°F.

Gravy for Citrus Herb Turkey Breast:

  • I use my Classic Brown Gravy (clickable link) when we serve this turkey breast, using the pan drippings from the baking dish if you'd like (just substitute them for the beef and chicken broth called for in the gravy recipe).

Cooking boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker:

  1. Season turkey breast and make butter as directed.
  2. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth or white wine in the bottom of a slow cooker insert, then top with the aromatics.
  3. Add turkey breast on top of that, then slather with butter.
  4. Cover and cook on low for approximately 3-4 hours, checking the internal temperature at the 3 hour mark (you're looking for an internal temperature of at least 165°F).
  5. When finished cooking, remove from the slow cooker and place on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish.
  6. Place oven rack in the middle or towards the bottom, then turn on the broiler. You can broil on high or low.
  7. Baste with melted butter, then add to the oven to broil.
  8. Broil for a few minutes, watching closely.
  9. When turkey breast has a nice golden brown color, remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Cooking boneless turkey breast in the air fryer:

  1. Season turkey breast and make butter as directed. Omit the aromatics.
  2. Slather turkey breast with a layer of butter, then preheat air fryer to 360°F.
  3. Once preheated, add turkey breast to the basket of the air fryer and air fry for about 1 hour, turning and brushing with more butter every 15 minutes or so.
  4. Turkey breast is done when the internal temperature is at least 165°F.

Longer roasting time for turkey breast:

As written, this recipe calls for a quicker roast at a higher temperature. If you'd like to cook it lower and slower, here's how.
  • Season turkey breast and make butter as directed.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Roast turkey for 30 minutes, then baste as directed.
  • Continue roasting for another 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (or until an internal thermometer inserted into the turkey reaches 165°F.), omitting the foil covering (unless you notice the turkey or butter browning too much).
  • Feel free to broil the turkey breast at the end if you'd like a more golden brown color, just watch it closely so it doesn't burn.
  • Let rest for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 740kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 104g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 344mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1210IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 7mg