OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST RECIPE + WonkyWonderful (2024)

FAQs

OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST RECIPE + WonkyWonderful? ›

2- to 2½-pound bone-in turkey breast half: Roast at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes. 2½- to 3-pound boneless turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes. 4- to 6-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 1½ to 2¼ hours. 6- to 8-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 2¼ to 3¼ hours.

2- to 2½-pound bone-in turkey breast half: Roast at 325°F for 60 to 70 minutes. 2½- to 3-pound boneless turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 40 to 60 minutes. 4- to 6-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 1½ to 2¼ hours. 6- to 8-pound whole turkey breast: Roast at 325°F for 2¼ to 3¼ hours.

In general, you'll want to cook a bone-in turkey breast for about 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C), or until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

Water on the surface of the meat will slow down the cook, and cause uneven browning. The heat of the oven or smoker must first work to evaporate the surface moisture before the cooking really begins. So, prep your turkey skin by either drying or, better yet, dry brining your turkey skin before cooking.

(Our turkey took about an hour.) If that temperature seems low, read our post about poultry temperatures! If you wait to pull the turkey at 165°F (74°C), the breasts will be overcooked and dry.

Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.

you test by inserting a very sharp knife or skewer in the thickest part of the leg (drumstick) and if it runs clear it should be cooked. Twist the leg bone and prick the breast with a fork. If the leg bone rotates easily and if juices from the breast run clear, the bird is almost certainly done.

The Centers for Disease Control suggests never washing your poultry before cooking. The reason why: "Washing raw turkey can spread germs to other food.

Do you put water in the bottom of the roasting pan for turkey? ›

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.

The light, tender breast meat is prone to overcooking, while dark meat portions of the bird needs extra time. A simple solution is to flip the bird over and roast the turkey upside down. This technique protects the white meat from drying out, and cooks the thigh meat faster.

If the turkey breast won't stay upright in the roasting pan, take two or three feet of aluminum foil, wad it up and partially stuff into the turkey's chest cavity to create a “stand” to keep the breast steady.

The problem: Cooking the turkey whole

Because dark meat has more connective tissues, it takes longer to break down, so if you cook the turkey whole, by time the legs and thighs are done, the breasts are overcooked and dry. The solution: Carve your turkey before you cook it.

The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°. That works out to approximately 3 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird (a 12-pound turkey is pretty standard).

Roast: Cook at 325°F for about 14-15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature (inserted into the thickest part of the breast) reaches 165 degrees. (I usually take it out just shy of 165 degrees, as it will continue to cook as it rests).