Description
This Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast recipe delivers a juicy, flavorful turkey breast infused with fresh herbs and garlic butter. The butter is carefully spread under the skin to baste the meat during roasting, ensuring a moist and tender texture with a golden, aromatic finish. Perfect for a special family meal, this recipe combines simple ingredients with classic roasting techniques for a delicious and elegant main course.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Turkey
- 2.5 - 3 kg / 5-6 lb single turkey breast, skin on, bone in (NOT BRINED)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Small bunch of fresh herbs: 4 rosemary sprigs, 8 sage sprigs, 10 thyme sprigs
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
Garlic Herb Butter
- 150 g / 5 oz (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 tsp table salt or 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Remove fridge chill: Take the turkey breast out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking (or 30 minutes if it’s very hot) to allow it to come to room temperature for even cooking.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 200°C / 390°F (suitable for all oven types) and position the rack in the lower middle section for ideal roasting.
- Prepare the base: Arrange the smashed garlic cloves and the bunch of fresh herbs in the center of a baking dish to create a fragrant bed for the turkey to roast on.
- Make the garlic herb butter: In a bowl, combine the softened butter with salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and all the finely chopped fresh herbs until well mixed into a smooth herb butter.
- Loosen the skin: Gently slide an upside-down teaspoon underneath the turkey skin to separate it from the flesh, being careful to keep the layer under the thin skin intact.
- Apply butter under skin (top side): Use about two-thirds of the herb butter and smear it evenly under the loosened skin over the top half of the turkey breast, using your hands for the best distribution.
- Butter underside: Turn the turkey breast upside down and spread the remaining butter (minus about 2 tablespoons reserved for the surface) on the underside meat.
- Place turkey on herbs: Position the turkey breast skin-side up on top of the garlic and herb bed in the baking dish.
- Butter the skin surface: Smear the reserved 2 tablespoons of butter lightly over the turkey skin, taking care not to put too much to avoid burning the herb bits.
- Make ahead option: If desired, cover and refrigerate the prepared turkey breast for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 45 minutes before roasting to bring back to room temperature.
- Roast the turkey: Place the baking dish in the oven and roast the turkey breast for approximately 90 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 74°C / 165°F, ensuring the turkey is cooked to a juicy, safe temperature.
- Rest and serve: Remove the turkey breast from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute. Use the pan juices as a delicious butter pan sauce to serve alongside.
Notes
- This method of roasting uses garlic herb butter under the skin to baste and infuse flavor while keeping the turkey breast juicy.
- Using a meat thermometer is highly recommended to prevent overcooking and to achieve perfect doneness.
- Fresh herbs are highly recommended for the best flavor, but if unavailable, dried herbs can substitute—use about one-third of the quantity and soak in a bit of warm water before mixing into the butter.
- The butter pan sauce created from the roasted garlic and herbs in the dish is a flavorful accompaniment to the carved turkey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 336 g
- Calories: 598 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 24 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
