Butterball Boneless Turkey Breast Cooking Instructions

Herb crusted and garlic stuffed Boneless Turkey Breast Roast is tender, juicy and perfect for any holiday dinner. With only 7 minutes of prep time, this flavorful main dish produces impressive results every time!

Pair with favorite Thanksgiving side dishes like classic mashed potatoes, low carb cauliflower mash and easy spinach salad. Or enjoy as a healthy sandwich meat year round.

sliced boneless turkey breast roast on cutting board

Tender, Juicy Boneless Turkey Breast Roast
Why Cook a Roast and Not a Whole Turkey?
Ingredients for Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast Roast
What Is a Boneless Turkey Breast Roast?
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
- 1. Stuff with Garlic
- 2. Season with Herbs
- 3. Bake
- 4. Remove Mesh and Slice
- 5. Make Gravy (Optional but Good)
Optional Add-In's and Variations
Tips for Best Roasted Turkey
FAQs
Serving Recommendations
Making This Recipe in Advance
More Healthy Dinners to Try

Tender, Juicy Boneless Turkey Breast Roast

Make this juicy boneless turkey breast roast for the holidays instead of roasting a whole turkey. I borrowed this method from my mom, who when I was growing up in Ukraine, would often roast a crispy skinned pork roast stuffed with garlic and rubbed with spices. I cook lamb roast same way now and recently I tried something new – coffee rubbed sirloin roast.

I have other recipes for bone-in turkey breast, but I borrowed her idea for this easy turkey roast. Entire boneless skinless turkey breast roast is stuffed with garlic, herb crusted with fresh rosemary and baked until juicy. Whether you serve it at the holidays or for a Sunday dinner, it's perfect for serving a smaller family.

Why Cook a Roast and Not a Whole Turkey?

Small holiday gathering: You are only feeding 4-6 people, so don't want to bother cooking whole turkey. But at same time don't want to be celebrating with turkey burgers.
A few extra guests: And whole turkey is not enough.
Saves oven space: And leaves more room for sides of sweet potato casserole or parmesan mushrooms.
Cold weather cooking: During chilly fall/winter nights when you crave healthy comfort food, best roasted turkey to the rescue.
Christmas in July: It's summer but you are craving a turkey. Might as well try Instant Pot turkey breast to keep kitchen cool.
Avoid processed meats: Want healthy deli meat alternative and are tired of usual tuna salad and chicken salad.

roast turkey breast recipe plated with mashed potatoes and gravy and pickles

Ingredients for Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast Roast

Boneless turkey breast roast: This recipe calls for fresh boneless skinless turkey breast roast. If you have a frozen one, thaw it first.

General rule of thumb is 1/2 lb of turkey breast per person, so purchase accordingly to the number of guests you will be serving or in my case how many hungry boys I am feeding!

Fresh rosemary: I love using dried herbs for soups and stews. For herb roasted turkey roast I highly recommend to buy fresh rosemary. I understand it is extra hassle. I am all for shortcuts but holiday roast calls for fresh herbs – as it infuses the best taste.

Freeze leftover chopped rosemary and use it later! I like to freeze fresh herbs in an ice cube tray with olive oil – use it in place of olive oil when sautéing chicken breast or vegetables for an additional layer of flavor.

Garlic: There is really no substitute for fresh garlic, which has a very distinctive flavor. If you are allergic to garlic, maybe bake with a bit of lemon juice and zest. And/or sprinkle with fresh chives after.
Olive oil:Can also use avocado or grapeseed oil. I do not recommend to use melted butter because it will solidify as soon as you brush it on cold boneless skinless turkey breast roast and herbs will not stick.
Salt and pepper: To season and taste.

What Is a Boneless Turkey Breast Roast?

Boneless and skinless: A mesh pouch with meat only vacuum sealed or in a tray with plastic.
Dark or white meat: Can be only boneless turkey breast, only thigh or both. In either case, meat is shaped and held together by stretchy mesh.
Where to find: Located in fresh meat section or sometimes in frozen. Frozen roasts often are packaged in a box, can be also pre-seasoned, so please pay attention.
What it's not: It is NOT the turkey breast cut of meat sold on its own.

How to Roast a Turkey Breast

1. Stuff with Garlic

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F while you are preparing the roast. Chop rosemary and cut garlic into thin slivers.
Make holes in the roast: In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven, place turkey roast and make 10-15 inserts with a paring knife.
Stuff with garlic: Stick garlic slice into each hole until you run out of garlic.

garlic and rosemary chopped on a cutting board

2. Season with Herbs

Make roast "sticky" and season: Rub roast with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper all around.
"Attach" on rosemary: Taking small handfuls of rosemary pat it onto the roast, then sprinkle some. The goal is to coat the roast in herbs for best roasted turkey flavor.

rub boneless skinless turkey with garlic and salt and pepper

rub boneless turkey breast roast with herbs

3. Bake

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes per 1 lb: I cooked 3 lbs roast for 90 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 160 degrees F. Do not worry about meat reaching 170 degrees F. It will do so while resting. This way turkey roast will come out juicy.

Important to let meat rest! Remove roast from the oven, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. Internal temperature will reach 170 degrees F and juices will settle. Don't skip!

bake turkey breast roast uncovered in oven

turkey breast internal temp check after removing from oven

4. Remove Mesh and Slice

Remove casing: Using sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut casing in the middle, remove and discard.
Slicing roast: Make sure you sharpen your carving knife before slicing the roast. There is nothing worse than a dull knife "butchering" your beautiful piece of meat and "squeezing" out all juices. Slice into thin slices without pushing on meat too hard.

Make sure you sharpen your carving knife before slicing the roast. There is nothing worse than a dull knife "butchering" your beautiful piece of meat and "squeezing" out all juices.

turkey breast roast with mashed potatoes and gravy

5. Make Gravy (Optional but Good)

OK. So, because you didn't cook a whole turkey, doesn't mean you can't have gravy. Turn that small amount of drippings into easy gravy and you just took your best roasted turkey up a whole other level of amazingness.

Combine drippings and existing flavors: Place roasting pan with juices from cooking turkey roast on medium heat. Scrape and shake rosemary and burnt on pieces from removed casing into the pot. There is a lot of flavor. Discard the casing.
Add 2 cups water or low sodium chicken stock: Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, whisking to scrape the walls. Again, lots of flavor in there.
Season more: Add 1/4 cup white wine, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 tsp salt and ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 5 minutes.
Make slurry: In a small bowl, add a bit of gravy from the pot and 1 tbsp cornstarch. Whisk well with a fork, pour back into the pot and whisk until gravy starts boiling.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened a bit. Pour over sliced turkey roast.

Optional Add-In's and Variations

Additional rub seasonings: Onion powder, crushed thyme, sage or herbs de Provence.
Can't stand the though of not using butter to rub turkey? Melt small amount of butter then mix with EVOO or some readers have had success with using room temperature butter.
'Stuffed' turkey breast: If you are up for the challenge, some readers have successfully removed mesh, unrolled the breast and spread additional layer of fresh herbs/butter then rolled it back up and stuffed breast back in mesh before roasting.
Brine turkey overnight for additional flavor.

Tips for Best Roasted Turkey

Don't remove the casing before cooking: Under any circumstances please don't. Casing is holding pieces of meat together. If you remove it, meat will fall apart. Do not worry, we will season it inside. It will come out juicy and delicious.
Bake roast uncovered: If you cover it, meat will steam instead of roasting.
Extra large roast 5-10 lbs: Cook for 30 minutes per lb but check with thermometer 30 minutes before calculated total time. Just to avoid overcooking as oven gets hotter with time.
Turkey roast beyond the Holidays: If you are looking at this recipe and it's not Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, please know you can still cook the roast. And use instead of deli meat. Healthy sandwich meat! Summer picnics, school and work lunches, appetizers board. Heck, yeah!!!
Storing leftovers: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to a week. It tastes so good cold. And warm with gravy. This recipe is so versatile!

FAQs

How do I get browned crispy skin?

You can try broiling for a few minutes at the end – just be careful not to dry out the turkey.

My turkey breast came out dry, what happened?

First, this recipe is for a fresh roast. If your roast is frozen, be sure to thaw it completely. If your breast is frozen in the middle, it will change the cooking time and end results will be dry. Second, trust the first internal temp check, remove it from oven and let it rest so turkey juices settle back into the roast. Still having trouble? Some readers have had success using a roasting bag – although I am not sure what that is!

Can I use a cast iron pan for boneless turkey breast roast?

Yes, I cook this in my Dutch oven which is cast iron and turns out the best roasted turkey I have ever had!

My turkey breast came in plastic, do I remove it?

Yes, never cook in plastic. Buy kitchen twine and tie roast after removing from plastic. Proceed with recipe.

Can I cover my turkey breast with foil for additional moistness?

I do not recommend this as your turkey will steam rather than roast.

My roasted turkey breast is tough! What happened?

If your roast comes out tough, it is because of type of meat the store used to wrap into the casing. I once happened to buy a small 2 lb roast and it was pretty chewy with muscle tissues. I highly recommend to buy a minimum 3 lbs larger boneless skinless turkey breast roast.

finished boneless skinless turkey breast roast on cutting board

Serving Recommendations

A few healthy Thanksgiving and holidays side dishes are the perfect complement to your festive celebration.

Mashed potatoes: Instant Pot mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes are traditional for best roasted turkey.
Sauces: I created healthier versions of the classics – gravy and healthy cranberry sauce. Less sugar and fat.
Veggie sides: Sauteed brussels sprouts with bacon, steamed vegetables, oven baked butternut squash or Instant Pot sweet potato casserole.
Fall salads: Kale and quinoa salad with apples is full of seasonal taste or I invite you to browse my extensive collection of delicious salad recipes.
Casseroles: Healthy sweet potato casserole and healthy green bean casserole.

Alternately, browse through 50 healthy Thanksgiving recipes!

Making This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: To save time at the holidays, you could 'dress' the turkey breast with garlic and herbs, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temp, then proceed with roasting.

Store: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to a week. It tastes so good cold. And warm with gravy. This recipe is so versatile!

Freezing: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator and then use leftovers for one pot turkey tetrazzini, as a protein in a salad for lunch or for turkey tacos!

More Healthy Dinners to Try

Boneless Turkey Breast Roast

COOKING MODE Prevent your screen from going dark

Boneless Turkey Roast

3 lbs fresh boneless turkey roast in casing
3 large garlic cloves cut into matchsticks
3 large rosemary sprigs leaves removed and minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Easy Pan Gravy (Optional)

2 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Boneless Turkey Roast

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven, place turkey roast and make 10-15 inserts with a paring knife. Stick garlic slice into each one until you run out of garlic.
Rub roast with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper all around. Taking small handfuls of rosemary pat it onto the roast, then sprinkle some. The goal is to coat the roast in herbs.
Bake uncovered for 90 minutes.
Check with meat thermometer, it should read 160 degrees F.
Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Internal temperature will reach 170 degrees F and juices settle.
Using a sharp knife or scissors, remove the casing and slice.
Serve warm at a Holiday table with traditional sides of mashed potatoes and gravy, cold as an appy or use in sandwiches instead of deli meat.

Easy Pan Gravy (Optional)

Place roasting pan with juices from cooking turkey roast on medium heat. Scrape and shake rosemary and burnt on pieces from removed casing into the pot. There is a lot of flavor. Discard the casing.
Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes and whisk to scrape the walls. Again lots of flavor in there.
Add white wine, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, add a bit of gravy from the pot and cornstarch. Whisk well with a fork, pour back into the pot and whisk until gravy starts boiling.
Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened a bit. Serve with a turkey roast.

Make ahead: To save time at the holidays, you could 'dress' the turkey breast with garlic and herbs, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temp, then proceed with roasting.

Store leftovers: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to a week. It tastes so good cold. And warm with gravy. This recipe is so versatile!

Freezing: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an air tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.

Fresh boneless turkey roast: This recipe calls for fresh boneless skinless turkey roast. If you have a frozen one, thaw it first.
Fresh rosemary: I love using dried herbs for soups and stews. For herb roasted turkey roast I highly recommend to buy fresh rosemary. I understand it is extra hassle. I am all for shortcuts but Holidays and roasts call for fresh herbs. You can freeze leftover fresh chopped rosemary and use later.
Garlic: There is really no substitute for garlic, which has a very distinctive flavor. if you are allergic to garlic, maybe bake with a bit of lemon juice and zest. And/or sprinkle with fresh chives after.
Olive oil:Can also use avocado or grapeseed oil. I do not recommend to use melted butter because it will solidify as soon as you brush it on cold meat and herbs will not stick.
Bone in roast: If you want to cook turkey breast with bone in, check out this roasted turkey breast recipe.
Don't remove the casing before cooking: Under any circumstances please don't. Casing is holding pieces of meat together. If you remove it, meat will fall apart. Do not worry, we will season it inside. It will come out juicy and delicious.
Bake roast uncovered: If you cover it, meat will steam instead of roasting.
Extra large roast 5-10 lbs: Cook for 30 minutes per lb but check with thermometer 30 minutes before calculated total time. Just to avoid overcooking as oven gets hotter with time.
Turkey roast beyond the Holidays: If you are looking at this recipe and it's not Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, please know you can still cook the roast. And use instead of deli meat. Healthy sandwich meat! Summer picnics, school and work lunches, appetizers board. Heck, yeah!!!
Tough roast? If your roast comes out tough, it is because of type of meat the store used to wrap into the casing. I once happened to buy a small 2 lb roast and it was pretty chewy with muscle tissues. I highly recommend to buy a minimum 3 lbs larger roast.

See recipe post for more tips and FAQs.

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