Roasted turkey breast is one of my favorite dishes, not only for Thanksgiving, and I am constantly experimenting with new cooking techniques and flavors for it. This recipe is definitely one of the best roasted turkey breast recipes I’ve ever tried. Ah, the wonders that garlic, butter and fresh herbs do to lean white poultry meat… Prepared this way, the breast meat comes out of the oven very tender and moist, which is a huge accomplishment with such a lean type of meat. The aromas of roasted garlic and herbs are irresistible, so be prepared to be uncontrollably cutting pieces off and devouring them, as if you just came off a hunger strike, before the turkey breast makes it to the dinner table.
Injecting turkey breast with infused butter for ultimate flavor
In this recipe a turkey breast is injected with butter infused with garlic and herbs. Did that make the meat taste greasy? Not at all! The butter made the lean meat taste extremely tender and moist, without greasiness. Besides, a lot of the butter will run out to the bottom of the pan, before and during roasting, so there won’t be a whole lot left in the meat. However, the buttery juices at the bottom of the pan proved to be so flavorful and delicious that we couldn’t resist using it as a dipping sauce.
Turkey breast roasting temperature
The oven roasting temperature of 325F was chosen on purpose. As I mentioned in my Slow Baked Chicken Breast post, I had experimented a lot before arriving at what I think is the optimal oven temperature for baking chicken breasts. Turkey breasts are not that much different and for them I use the same temperature. Similarly, higher temperatures will dry out turkey breast meat. I would not go higher than 325F degrees. This temperature helps the meat retain its moisture and prevents it from drying out too quickly. Lower baking temperature doesn’t really add any other additional benefits.
Optimal final turkey breast temperature
I used to cook my turkey breasts to 165F and was quite happy with the results. After reading ThermoWorks’ blog post on correct chicken cooking temperature and doing some additional research, I changed my approach. I now cook lean turkey breast meat to 155F and love the much improved results. 155F is the temperature at which I get the exact texture that I enjoy. You may choose to go a little lower or higher depending on preference, and that’s absolutely fine. Note that if a turkey breast is pulled out of the oven at 155F the internal temperature will continue rising to about 165F. If you have a BBQ thermometer like many of us do, use it! If not, get one! Something like a ThermoPro TP08 is a great, inexpensive tool every home kitchen will benefit from.
Looking for more great turkey breast recipes? Check these out:
Crispy Bone-In Turkey Breast Marinated Turkey Breast Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast
