Savory, elegant & easy turkey!
The savory, elegant, and effortless delight that is Ina’s Herb Roasted Turkey Breast has been a staple this recipe in my kitchen for well over a decade now. I’m consistently astounded by its delectable flavors and reliable results. While the tradition of roasting a whole turkey may seem enticing, the challenge lies in achieving perfectly cooked legs and thighs without sacrificing the moisture and delicate meat of the breast. Dry turkey is not exactly my first choice, and that’s why I turned to this Herb Roasted recipe—a decision I’ve never regretted.
Over the years, I made two notable tweaks to Ina’s original recipe. The first is that I always double the amount of marinade she calls for. The second is that I always prep the turkey one day in advance so the flavors have time to really infuse the turkey meat.
Simply Delicious Turkey
The combinations of herbs create a really wonderful savory crust that infuses the entire turkey breast. The hardest part is prepping the herbs you’ll need, which I think we can agree is more time consuming than it is difficult!
Look no further, this is simply the best turkey recipe and the only one you’ll ever need.
How to Make Turkey Ahead of Time (and why you should)
Did you know you can make a turkey or a turkey breast and entire day before you are going to serve it? In fact, I highly recommend you do. Its saves a lot of stress, clean up and actually makes it to the table quickly and hot. Not to mention, it actually tastes as good if not better.
When Thanksgiving or Christmas rolls around and turkey is on the menu, as a one man show in the kitchen, I always prepare and cook this turkey breast (or any turkey) entirely the day before, cooking it about 5-10 degrees before it is fully cooked. (You will need a probe thermometer to achieve this.) Let it cool completely, wrap and place in the fridge. (It is significantly easier to slice when cold.)
The next morning before guests arrive, slice the turkey and place on a parchment lined sheet pan or a casserole dish or even directly on an oven safe serving platter. Pour a bit of stock (or gravy if you prefer) over the meat, cover the pan loosely with foil, and refrigerate until ready to reheat.
About 1 hour before serving time, take the meat out of the refridgerator and let it come up to room temperature. Reheat in a 350°F degree oven until heated through, which only takes about 15 minutes depending on how much turkey you are working with. Garnish and Serve.
Pro Tips
- For guaranteed perfect results, use an in- oven thermometer such as the Thermoworks DOT to ensure you do not overcook the turkey breast (or any cut of meat!)
Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 whole bone-in turkey breast 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic 6 cloves
- 4 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons good olive oil
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin.
- Cover the turkey with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- 1 hour before you are ready to cook, take the turkey out to come up closer to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes (Don't worry- It will stay hot!) Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.
