In our house, there is no such thing as too much turkey!
Whether you’re having a big party (and want some extra white meat) or you’re having an intimate gathering, consider the turkey breast. During my husband’s childhood, his family celebrated Thanksgiving by cooking a whole stuffed turkey and an unstuffed turkey breast. Their guests enjoyed all that extra white meat, and Marc’s family loved having plenty of leftovers, especially for open-faced turkey sandwiches.
Marc and I now roast turkey breasts like this one all year long. They’re easy to make, a pleasure to eat, and economical—far cheaper than buying turkey lunch meat at the deli (and much tastier). We use the extra white meat for turkey salads and turkey pot pies, too.
Marc and I now roast turkey breasts like this one all year long. They’re easy to make, a pleasure to eat, and economical—far cheaper than buying turkey lunch meat at the deli (and much tastier). We use the extra white meat for turkey salads and turkey pot pies, too.
Now let's start cooking!
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This herb-butter recipe makes one beautiful bird with crispy, golden brown skin and meat that's full of flavor. The secret to the skin is butter--oil alone won't do it. And the key to flavoring the meat is placing the herb butter in the pocket beneath the turkey skin and right next to the breast meat. If you've never done this, it's a technique worth learning because the flavor it imparts is wonderful.
(When you apply herbs and seasonings only on top of the skin, the skin is flavored but not so much the meat underneath. This method allows the herbs and seasonings to penetrate the meat--and the butter helps to keep the meat moist, as well.)
You can also adapt this method for use on a larger, whole turkey. Simply double the ingredients for the herb-butter slurry and adjust your cooking time. Consult with your large turkey’s package directions, and be sure to add cooking time for a stuffed turkey, which takes longer than an unstuffed bird. However you enjoy Thanksgiving (with or without turkey), we hope you will...
Cook with love and eat with joy!
☕ ~ Cleo, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
Cleo's Crispy-Skinned
☕ ~ Cleo, author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
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free PDF document that you can
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Roast Turkey Breast
with Herb Butter
Makes one 5 to 8 pound turkey breast
with Herb Butter
Ingredients:
1 fresh* turkey breast, bone-in, skin on, 5 to 8 pounds
1-½ stick (12 tablespoons) salted butter, divided
1 tablespoons olive oil (+ a bit more for greasing)
1 tablespoon Bell Seasoning (or 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning)
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried, ground sage
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1/2 tablespoon coarsely ground sea salt (or pink salt)
*Note: This method is for a fresh turkey breast, which we highly recommend. If using a frozen breast, be sure to thaw it first. For directions on how to thaw a turkey breast safely, click here.
Directions:
1 fresh* turkey breast, bone-in, skin on, 5 to 8 pounds
1-½ stick (12 tablespoons) salted butter, divided
1 tablespoons olive oil (+ a bit more for greasing)
1 tablespoon Bell Seasoning (or 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning)
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried, ground sage
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
1/2 tablespoon coarsely ground sea salt (or pink salt)
*Note: This method is for a fresh turkey breast, which we highly recommend. If using a frozen breast, be sure to thaw it first. For directions on how to thaw a turkey breast safely, click here.
Directions:
Step 1—Prep the turkey and pan: First preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the turkey breast thoroughly, inside and out. Let it dry at room temperature for about 20 minutes. For easy cleanup, line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil and place a rack inside. Grease the rack well with olive oil.
Step 2—Make the slurry: Soften 1 stick of butter. In a small bowl. combine the soft butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Bell seasoning (or poultry seasoning), rosemary, thyme, sage, white pepper, and sea salt. Blend until you have a soft paste. The slurry should take on an herbal green hue.
Step 2—Make the slurry: Soften 1 stick of butter. In a small bowl. combine the soft butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Bell seasoning (or poultry seasoning), rosemary, thyme, sage, white pepper, and sea salt. Blend until you have a soft paste. The slurry should take on an herbal green hue.
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Making the herb butter slurry... |
Step 3—Create pockets beneath skin: Lift the skin of the turkey breast as shown below. Using a tablespoon, gently separate the skin from the meat on one side of the breast and then the other. You are making "pockets," which you will fill with herb butter in the next step. Note that the videos below have been sped up a bit. Be sure to take your time and be gentle. Try not to rip the skin...
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...and then the other. Be sure to take your time and be gentle. Try not to rip the skin. |
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Stuff the herb-butter slurry into the "pockets" between the skin and the breast meat. |
Slather the remaining slurry around
the outside of the turkey breast and
place the breast on the pan's rack.
the outside of the turkey breast and
place the breast on the pan's rack.
Step 5—Roast the turkey breast: Place the turkey on the center rack of the preheated oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes per pound. Turn the pan once or twice during cooking to ensure the breast roasts evenly. During the last 45 minutes of roasting, melt the remaining ½ stick of butter (2 ounces) and baste generously with that and the pan drippings, every ten to fifteen minutes. The butter will turn the skin a nice golden brown. NOTE: To prevent skin from browning too much near the end of the cooking process, loosely tent aluminum foil around the breast until finished.
Eat with Thanksgiving joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries
Alice and Marc in Central Park.
Together we write as Cleo Coyle.
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This post is just what I needed! I always make only a turkey breast, but previously I've made it in the slow cooker. It was juicy, but no crispy skin. Last year I decided to try roasting it, and managed to, but I knew it could be better.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for a recipe to roast a bone-in turkey breast and have had trouble finding one. Most of them are for boneless turkey breasts. This one is perfect. Thank you for sharing in such a timely way! :-D
Great cooks think alike. I'm always roasting a turkey breast just for the leftovers. Sliced white meat, hot or cold, is so tasty, and economical too. Thank you for the delicious post!
ReplyDeleteI know a lot of people stuff turkey breasts, which is a nice idea for a small, intimate Thanksgiving feast. I like sausage and chestnut, but my California friends stuff turkeys with a jalapeno stuffing that is HOT! I am not that adventurous, LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe mystery of this year's Thanksgiving is this. Will we make it or not. Expecting a house full of the usual suspects and I bought 2 half birds last night a broke them down. I still need two more breasts and at least half a dozen thighs. I also need 6=7lbs of chop meat so Ellen can make her sweet and sour meatballs (a side dish?) and pre-make the stuffing. Each of the kids has a job and so do some of our extended family who bring dishes.
ReplyDeleteFood aside the problem is TIME, we have grandson #2's Bar Mitzva that morning. If we can pull this together and still sit down for dinner by 5 PM it will be a miracle. LOL
Sign me up. I love the recipe and realize that you have to season the whole bird to get wonderful tasting turkey or chicken. My family prefers white meat and I love making a turkey breast during the rest of the year but Thanksgiving requires a whole turkey stuffed from stem to stern. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteI can almost hear the skin crackling! Yummers!!!
ReplyDeleteI'd need to add a turkey thigh for my husband and me since we like dark meat, but this is a great idea.
Cat, Edith, Sally Anne, Nora, Robin, and Libby - Thank you all so much for stopping by the Kitchen today. The countdown is on for Thanksgiving, and we hope you all have a delicious one!
ReplyDeletexoxo
~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
www.CleoCoyleRecipes.com
I loved this, Cleo! Great post. Hugs. MJ
ReplyDeleteThanks! We often roast a breast in addition to the turkey. White meat seems to be the most popular. Thanks. The herb combination tastes and smells divine! Yum.
ReplyDelete