Herb Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook a turkey breast at 325 or 350? ›

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.

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.

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

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."

Rub the skin with fat

Fat is going to help the skin get brown and crisp, and contrary to what most might think, butter isn't better. Butter does an okay job, but because it contains a lot of water, oil is a better fat to rub on the skin to ensure it gets extra crispy.

Should you rub turkey with butter or oil? Some chefs suggest rubbing the turkey skin with vegetable or olive oil rather than using butter for turkey. This debate has very little to do with the meat itself but more to do with getting brown, crispy skin.

Placing butter under the skin won't make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

How many people does a 3 lb Butterball turkey breast feed? ›

Wash your hands, but not the turkey! Many consumers think that washing their turkey will remove bacteria and make it safer. However, it's virtually impossible to wash bacteria off the bird. Instead, juices that splash during washing can transfer bacteria onto the surfaces of your kitchen, other foods and utensils.

How Long to Roast a Turkey Breast. 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).

The government recommends cooking turkey breast to 165°F (74°C).

These times are based on a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on about 15 to 17 minutes per pound (the times below are based on 15 minutes per pound).

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.