A whole bone-in turkey breast is the best Thanksgiving centerpiece for anyone cooking for a smaller group. It feeds six, it roasts in under two hours, and it gives you crisp skin and real pan drippings without the logistics of a whole bird. An herb butter goes both over and under the skin, which seasons the meat rather than just the surface.
I tested this with a 4.85 pound bone-in, skin-on breast. It hit temperature at exactly 97 minutes — 20 minutes per pound at 350°F. I pulled it out of the oven at 160F and was perfectly moist and juicy after a quick rest on the cutting board. I used that rest time to make a flavorful gravy with the pan drippings.
The gravy is where this recipe quietly departs from most. Soy sauce and a dijon go in with the broth — you won’t taste either one, but the soy gives you the deep savory flavor that normally takes longer to develop. It is a 5 minute gravy that tastes like you spent all day over the stove!
Great for small group
holiday entree
Quick Look: Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
- Serves: 6 (one whole bone-in breast, about 5 lb)
- Total time: 2 hours — 15 minutes hands-on, 1 hour 40 roasting, 15 resting
- Oven: 350°F
- Timing rule: 20 minutes per pound
- Pull at: 160°F (rests to 165°F)
- You’ll need: an instant-read thermometer — this recipe depends on it
- Make ahead: roast a day early, reheat covered at 325°F
Mad’s Testing Notes
I re-tested this recipe with a 4.85 lb bone-in, skin-on whole turkey breast in October 2026. It reached 160F at exactly 97 minutes — 20 minutes per pound, right on the rule I’d been using for split breasts. That was the thing I most expected to be wrong, and it wasn’t. I did not need to tent with foil at all throughout the bake, but if you use a larger breast you may want to tent the top with foil for the last 20-30 minutes. I used a full stick of salted butter for the herbed butter for a breast of this size, but you will want to use an additional 1-2 tbsp of salted butter per extra pound.
Tara left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Used this recipe today and the turkey breast was beautifully browned and the meat was not dried out! Thank you for sharing this.”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make a flavorful oven roasted turkey breast and gravy. For a full list of ingredients and amounts please head to the full recipe.
Turkey
- Bone-in, skin-on turkey breast — the bones keep the edges from drying and flavor the drippings; the skin holds the herb butter against the meat.
- Salted butter — softened, not melted. Melted butter runs off instead of staying put.
- Garlic — fresh and finely minced, since it sits under the skin for the whole roast.
- Fresh sage, rosemary and thyme — sage is the one that makes it taste like Thanksgiving. Dried works at a third of the amount.
- Kosher salt and black pepper — use less if you’re working with fine table salt.
- Ground ginger — the unexpected one. It doesn’t read as ginger; it keeps the herb butter from tasting heavy.
Gravy
- Salted butter and all-purpose flour — the roux, built directly in the pan drippings.
- Soy sauce — the secret. It adds the savory depth that usually takes hours of stock-making, and darkens the gravy to the color people expect.
- Dijon mustard — cuts the butter so the gravy tastes bright rather than heavy. You won’t taste mustard in it.
- Turkey broth — chicken broth substitutes fine. Low-sodium is better, since the drippings and soy are already salty.
Have a split breast instead? A split breast is one half of a whole one, usually around 3 pounds, and it feeds three to four. Everything here works — scale the recipe to 3 servings using the adjuster in the recipe card and the ingredient amounts halve themselves. Roast at the same 350°F and the same 20 minutes per pound, about an hour, but pull it at 160°F instead of 155. There’s less mass, so it carries over about 5 degrees during the rest instead of 10.
How much herbed butter do you need?
I tested this recipe with a 5 lb turkey breast and 1 stick of butter. This chart will help you properly make the right amount of herbed butter for your turkey breast.
| Breast Weight | Butter | Garlic | Each herb | Salt | Pepper | Ginger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 lb split | ½ stick (4 tbsp) | 2 cloves | 2 tsp | 1 tsp | ½ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| 5 lb whole (tested) | 1 stick (8 tbsp) | 4 cloves | 1½ tbsp | 1½ tsp | ¾ tsp | ½ tsp |
| 6–7 lb whole | 1¼ sticks (10 tbsp) | 5 cloves | 2 tbsp | 2 tsp | 1 tsp | ¾ tsp |
| 8–10 lb whole | 1½ sticks (12 tbsp) | 6 cloves | 2½ tbsp | 2½ tsp | 1¼ tsp | ¾ tsp |
If you want to use similar ingredients, but cook your turkey breast in a crockpot? Try this slow cooker turkey breast recipe for a more hands off cooking method. Looking for a full Thanksgiving dinner menu? Check out this simple Thanksgiving dinner menu.
How to make an Oven Roasted Turkey breast
Step 1: Make the herb butter. Combine softened butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, ginger and fresh herbs until evenly combined. You want it soft enough to spread on a spoon, but still holding shape. If it melts too much, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
Step 2: Butter the breast, over and under the skin. Pat the turkey completely dry. Gently lift the turkey skin to apply the herb butter mixture under. Rub the rest of butter mixture all over the skin of the breast. Set it skin-side up on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 3: Roast at 350°F. Roast the buttered turkey breast for 20 minutes per pound — about 1 hour 40 minutes for a 5 pound breast — and start checking 15 minutes before that. Pull the breast out of the oven when the thickest part reaches 160°F. If the skin is getting too browned before the center is fully cooker, tent it loosely with foil.
Step 4: Rest, then carve across the grain. Rest it at least 15 minutes before you cut into it. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat.
Run your knife down along the breastbone and follow the curve of the ribs to lift each lobe off whole. Then slice straight down across the grain, about half an inch thick.
Step 5: Make the gravy and serve. While the turkey rests, make a gravy with the drippings. Melt butter in a saucepan and mix with flour, drippings and turkey broth to make a flavorful gravy. Simmer gently for about three minutes until it coats a spoon. Serve warm with the sliced turkey breast
Making turkey for a larger group? Try this dry brine turkey recipe and pair it with a make ahead turkey gravy to save you time and stress during the holidays.
Timing and Temperature by Weight
I tested this recipe on a 5 lb turkey breast, but if you are using a larger breast you will need to adjust the timing slightly. Cook timing for a larger turkey breast is not linear so use this chart to plan your roast.
| Weight | Start checking at | Expect done around | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 lb (split breast) | 50 minutes | 1 hour | 160°F |
| 4 lb | 1 hour 5 minutes | 1 hour 20 minutes | 160°F |
| 5 lb (tested) | 1 hour 25 minutes | 1 hour 40 minutes | 160°F |
| 6 lb | 1 hour 45 minutes | 2 hours | 160°F |
| 7 lb | 1 hour 50 minutes | 2 hours 5 minutes | 160°F |
| 8 lb | 2 hours 10 minutes | 2 hours 25 minutes | 160°F |
| 9 lb | 2 hours 20 minutes | 2 hours 35 minutes | 160°F |
| 10 lb | 2 hours 35 minutes | 2 hours 50 minutes | 160°F |
Start checking at the earlier time rather than trusting the clock — ovens vary more than recipes admit. Breasts over 6 pounds cook slightly faster per pound, because there’s less surface area relative to the mass, which is why the times taper rather than multiplying straight out.
Roast Turkey Breast FAQs
Can I roast a turkey breast ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s one of the better things you can do to a Thanksgiving timeline. Roast it the day before, let it cool completely, and refrigerate it whole and unsliced. To reheat, cover it and put it in a 325°F oven with a few spoonfuls of broth in the pan until it’s warmed through — about 25 minutes for a 5 pound breast. Carve after reheating, not before; sliced turkey dries out in the oven much faster than a whole piece does. The gravy reheats well too, so making both a day ahead genuinely works.
Can I use a boneless turkey breast instead?
You can, but the timing changes significantly, so don’t use the chart above. A boneless breast has no bones insulating it and less mass, so it cooks closer to 15 minutes per pound rather than 20 — start checking at 12 minutes per pound and go by the thermometer, not the clock. Pull it at the same 160°F. I’ve written this recipe for bone-in because the bones keep the edges from drying and because they’re where the pan drippings get their flavor, which matters if you want the gravy.
Do I need to brine a turkey breast?
No — the herb butter under the skin does most of what a brine would, seasoning the meat rather than just the surface. But if you have the time and the fridge space, a dry brine the day before gives you noticeably better skin and seasoning that reaches the center. It’s the one upgrade I’d make if I were planning a day ahead.
Is it better to roast a turkey breast at 325F or 350F?
You will see many recipes recommend roasting at 325F, but I find that it is better to roast at 350F in order to get golden crispy skin.
Storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
This cooked turkey breast is PERFECT for leftover sandwiches!! I even add some of the cranberry sauce. You can also use the leftovers to make this leftover turkey soup.
Delicious Holiday side dishes to serve with Turkey Breast
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
Ingredients
Turkey
- 5 lb bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
- 8 tbsp salted butter softened (1 stick)
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1½ tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 1½ tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1½ tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Gravy
- 4 tbsp salted butter (½ stick)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 cups turkey broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mash the softened butter with the minced garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and ground ginger until evenly combined.
- Pat the turkey breast completely dry. Starting at the wide end, loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers or a flat spatula, taking care not to tear it.
- Spread about half of the herb butter under the skin, as evenly as you can reach. Rub the remaining half over the outside of the skin.
- Set the breast skin-side up on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast for 20 minutes per pound, about 1 hour 40 minutes for a 5 lb breast. Begin checking the temperature 15 minutes before that. ** See notes for more timing tips **
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, close to but not touching the bone. Remove the turkey at 160°F. If you check both sides of the bread and the readings differ, trust the lower one.
- If the skin browns before the center is done, tent loosely with foil and continue roasting.
- Rest the breast on the rack for at least 15 minutes. The temperature will climb about 10 degrees as it sits, carrying it past a safe 165°F.
- While it rests, pour the pan drippings into a saucepan, scraping up the browned bits. Melt the butter into the drippings over medium-low heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it smells nutty. Add the broth gradually, whisking smooth after each addition. Stir in the soy sauce and dijon and simmer gently for about 3 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste before adding salt.
- Carve each lobe off the breastbone whole, then slice across the grain about ½ inch thick. Arrange on a warm platter and serve with the warm gravy on the side.
Recipe Notes
- Timing: 20 minutes per pound at 350°F, but start checking 15 minutes early. I tested a 4.85 lb bone-in breast and it reached temperature at exactly 97 minutes. Breasts over 6 lb run slightly faster per pound — see the chart in the post.
- Pull at 160°F, not 165. Mine climbed 10 degrees during a 10-minute rest. Most recipes say 165, which puts you near 175 by the time you carve, and that’s a dry breast.
- Making a split breast? A split breast is half a whole one, about 3 lb, and feeds three to four. Scale this recipe to 3 servings, roast at the same 350°F and 20 minutes per pound — about an hour — and pull at 160°F. It carries over a little less, so it lands closer to 165 than 170.
- Scaling up: use the butter chart in the post rather than the servings adjuster. Butter coats skin, and skin area doesn’t grow as fast as weight does.
- Butter: softened, not melted — melted butter slides off instead of staying put. If using unsalted, add another ¼ tsp kosher salt.
- Dried herbs: use 1 tsp of each in place of the fresh amounts.
- Make ahead: roast a day early, cool completely, refrigerate whole and unsliced. Reheat covered at 325°F with a few spoonfuls of broth until warmed through, about 25 minutes. Carve after reheating, not before.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
If you roast this for Thanksgiving, come back and tell me how it went — leave a star rating and a sentence about the weight you used and how long it actually took. Ratings only count toward search results when there’s a comment attached, and specifics like yours are the thing that helps the next person pick the right size bird.
Leave a Reply