Easy Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

A whole turkey is a project; a bone-in turkey breast is a weeknight dinner that still tastes like a holiday. You get everything people actually want from Thanksgiving turkey — golden, herb-scented skin, juicy slices, and a pan of drippings worth turning into gravy — with one cut of meat, one roasting pan, and about twenty minutes of hands-on work. The photograph shows exactly where this recipe lands: a breast roasted until the skin is speckled with herbs and pepper, rested, and sliced onto a platter, ready for the table.

The method is deliberately simple. Softened butter mixed with garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage goes under the skin, where it bastes the meat from the inside as it roasts, and the breast sits on a bed of quartered onion that keeps it off the pan and flavours the drippings. If you prefer a set-it-and-forget-it route, our Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the same cut cooked low and slow — but the oven version is the one to choose when you want crisp skin and a proper pan gravy, and it is done in about an hour and a half.

This is a natural fit for our Easy Dinners collection: one pan, a thermometer, and a rest while you warm the sides. Serve it with our Easy Cranberry Jelly and whatever vegetables you have — the slices in the photograph need nothing more than a platter and a carving fork. Buy the breast a day ahead if you can, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight; dry skin is the quiet secret behind crisp skin.

Butter under the skin, salt on top

Most of the flavour in a roast turkey breast comes from one move: getting seasoned butter under the skin rather than just rubbing it on top. Butter on the outside melts off into the pan within minutes, but butter worked gently under the skin stays put, melts slowly into the meat, and carries the garlic and herbs with it. Loosen the skin with your fingers, taking care not to tear it, and spread about three-quarters of the herb butter over the meat itself. Rub the rest over the skin with the salt and pepper, and the skin crisps and browns while the meat underneath stays basted and juicy.

Rest it like a roast, then slice across the grain

A turkey breast sliced straight out of the oven will lose a puddle of juice on the cutting board — juice that should have stayed in the slices. Twenty minutes of rest lets the fibres relax and reabsorb moisture, and the internal temperature climbs a few degrees while it sits, so pull the breast at 160°F (71°C) and let carryover heat take it to 165°F (74°C). Slice across the grain in even, fairly thick slices, as in the photograph, and fan them on a warm platter; the carved breast looks generous, and every slice shows the herb butter and the golden skin.

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in turkey breast (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg), skin on, patted dry
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56 g), softened
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (3 g), chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage (1 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 yellow onion, quartered (about 200 g)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (240 ml), divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Make the herb butter. Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Mash the softened butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper in a small bowl until the herbs are evenly distributed. Set aside about 1 tablespoon for the outside of the skin; the rest goes under the skin.
2. Butter the breast and build the pan. Pat the turkey breast completely dry with paper towels — dry skin browns, damp skin steams. Gently work your fingers under the skin to loosen it without tearing, then spread the reserved herb butter evenly over the meat. Rub the remaining butter over the skin. Set the breast on the quartered onion in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet, and pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the broth into the pan, not over the bird.
3. Roast to temperature, not to time. Roast for about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C). If the skin browns faster than the meat cooks, tent the breast loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes. Times vary with breast size and shape, so trust the thermometer over the clock.
4. Rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the breast to a cutting board and rest it, tented loosely with foil, for 20 minutes. The temperature will climb to 165°F (74°C) as it rests, and the juices will redistribute instead of running out onto the board. Do not skip this step — it is what keeps the slices juicy.
5. Make the quick pan gravy. While the breast rests, strain the pan juices into a measuring cup, leaving the onion behind, and skim off the fat. Whisk the flour into the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cold broth until smooth, then whisk that into the pan juices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened, then finish with the lemon juice and salt to taste.
6. Slice and serve. Slice the breast across the grain into even slices, as in the photograph, and arrange them overlapping on a warm platter with the carving fork alongside. Spoon the pan gravy over the slices or serve it in a small jug at the table, and pour any juices from the cutting board over the platter — they are the best part.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate sliced leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of broth so the slices do not dry out. Freeze slices in a single layer, then bag them, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Leftover turkey makes excellent sandwiches and soup — see our turkey noodle soup for the day-after pot. Nutrition figures are estimates per serving and vary with breast size and butter brand; estimates vary.

Easy Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 5 November 2026

Golden, juicy, herb-buttered slices

Yield: 6 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep20 minutes

Cook1 hour 30 minutes

Total1 hour 50 minutes

Servings6 servings

Calories310 kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 bone-in turkey breast (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg), skin on, patted dry
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56 g), softened
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 9 g)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (3 g), chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage (1 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1 yellow onion, quartered (about 200 g)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (240 ml), divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Make the herb butter. Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Mash the softened butter with the garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper in a small bowl until the herbs are evenly distributed. Set aside about 1 tablespoon for the outside of the skin; the rest goes under the skin.
2. Butter the breast and build the pan. Pat the turkey breast completely dry with paper towels — dry skin browns, damp skin steams. Gently work your fingers under the skin to loosen it without tearing, then spread the reserved herb butter evenly over the meat. Rub the remaining butter over the skin. Set the breast on the quartered onion in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet, and pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the broth into the pan, not over the bird.
3. Roast to temperature, not to time. Roast for about 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160°F (71°C). If the skin browns faster than the meat cooks, tent the breast loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes. Times vary with breast size and shape, so trust the thermometer over the clock.
4. Rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the breast to a cutting board and rest it, tented loosely with foil, for 20 minutes. The temperature will climb to 165°F (74°C) as it rests, and the juices will redistribute instead of running out onto the board. Do not skip this step — it is what keeps the slices juicy.
5. Make the quick pan gravy. While the breast rests, strain the pan juices into a measuring cup, leaving the onion behind, and skim off the fat. Whisk the flour into the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cold broth until smooth, then whisk that into the pan juices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened, then finish with the lemon juice and salt to taste.
6. Slice and serve. Slice the breast across the grain into even slices, as in the photograph, and arrange them overlapping on a warm platter with the carving fork alongside. Spoon the pan gravy over the slices or serve it in a small jug at the table, and pour any juices from the cutting board over the platter — they are the best part.

Calories: 310 kcalProtein: 48 gCarbohydrates: 2 gFat: 11 gSaturated fat: 5 gSodium: 420 mgFiber: 0 gSugar: 0 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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