This is truly the best roasted turkey I’ve made. Use our turkey recipe for turkey with amazing flavor, soft and tender meat, and crispy skin. We highly recommend it to anyone preparing a turkey, especially for Thanksgiving!
We don’t roast turkey very often, but when we do, we go all in. My secret weapon is our homemade turkey butter, packed with butter, garlic, and herbs. We tuck it under the skin for incredible flavor, color, and moisture, then brush it all over the outside. It’s a lot of butter, but trust me, it’s worth it!
This is my favorite turkey recipe for Thanksgiving, but you can enjoy it any time of year. For smaller gatherings, use our recipe for garlic herb roasted turkey breast.
If you are like us, you don’t roast many turkeys throughout the year. Most of us really only roast them around the holiday season. Here’s our timeline for thawing, brining, and roasting a turkey. I will use Thursday as our goal since that’s how Thanksgiving falls in the US, but you can move the days around to fit your intended roasting day.
Cooking a bone-in turkey breast can seem daunting, but it’s easier than you think with the right technique. When roasted in the oven at 325°F, a bone-in turkey breast can turn out incredibly moist, flavorful and delicious. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to cook a bone-in turkey breast perfectly at 325°F, from prep to carving.
Determining Cook Time
The general rule of thumb for cooking a bone-in turkey breast at 325°F is to roast for 18-20 minutes per pound. However, cook time can vary depending on a few factors:
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Weight – A small 3 lb breast will take less time than a large 6 lb breast, Plan for 18-20 minutes per pound
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Shape – Irregular shaped breasts take longer than uniform breasts, Allow extra time if needed
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Bone-in vs Boneless – Bone-in breasts take longer than boneless. Remove the bone before weighing for the most accurate time.
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Oven Accuracy – Older ovens may run hot or cold. Use an oven thermometer to check the temp.
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Pan Type – Dark metal pans speed cooking while glass/ceramic slow it down Adjust time accordingly
The best way to ensure perfect doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Aim for an internal temp of 165°F in the thickest part of the breast.
Step-by-Step Method
Follow these simple steps for foolproof bone-in turkey breast every time:
1. Prep the Turkey Breast
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Remove breast from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
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Place breast skin-side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Brush lightly with oil or melted butter to prevent drying out.
2. Season the Breast
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Season the breast generously with salt, pepper and any additional herbs or spices. Get seasoning under the skin for max flavor.
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Consider adding aromatics to the pan like onions, garlic, lemons or fresh herbs. They impart great flavor.
3. Roast the Turkey Breast
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Preheat oven to 325°F.
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Roast breast for 18-20 minutes per pound, until internal temp reaches 165°F when probed in the thickest part.
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Baste occasionally with pan juices to keep breast moist and prevent drying out.
4. Allow Turkey to Rest
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When breast reaches 165°F, remove from oven and tent with foil. Let rest 15-20 minutes.
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This allows juices to redistribute for a juicier breast. Don’t skip this step!
5. Carve and Serve
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Use a sharp carving knife to carefully slice breast. Carve across the grain for tender meat.
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Serve warm with favorite sides and pan gravy for an amazing meal!
FAQs About Cooking Turkey Breast
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about roasting bone-in turkey breast:
How do I know when the turkey is fully cooked?
Use an instant-read thermometer to check for a minimum internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the breast. When done, juices will run clear.
Can I stuff a bone-in turkey breast?
Yes, you can carefully loosen the skin and stuff aromatics underneath. Keep the stuffing light to allow heat to penetrate and cook evenly.
Should I brine or marinate the turkey breast?
Brining or marinating is highly recommended! It adds immense flavor and helps keep the breast super moist and juicy.
What if the breast is browning too quickly?
If browning too fast, tent loosely with foil to slow it down. Remove foil in the last 30 minutes if you want crispy skin.
What if my breast is partially frozen?
Increase overall cook time about 50% if breast is even partially frozen to allow it to safely thaw as it cooks.
What if I don’t have a meat thermometer?
Estimate done-ness by piercing breast with a fork. If juices run clear, it should be fully cooked through.
Can I roast a turkey breast from frozen?
It’s risky and not recommended. Thaw breasts fully in the refrigerator before roasting for food safety.
How do I add flavor to the turkey breast?
In addition to brining, try seasoning rubs, herbs, compound butters, citrus, or even a flavorful marinade for extra flavor.
The Takeaway
Cooking a juicy, delicious bone-in turkey breast at 325°F is easy when you follow a few simple guidelines. Allow 18-20 minutes per pound, use a meat thermometer for doneness, tent to rest, and season generously. In no time, you’ll be whipping up tasty, foolproof turkey breast for any occasion. Get ready to enjoy this versatile, budget-friendly cut in a whole new way!
How to Make the Best Thanksgiving Turkey
The key to the best juicy whole roasted turkey is fat. Everyone wants juicy turkey, but the truth is that turkey is lean. That’s why we recommend using lots of our herb butter. Most of the year, you won’t catch me stuffing this much butter into anything, but I make an exception for turkey, especially Thanksgiving turkey.
I also baste my turkey while it roasts and recommend that you do the same. Basting fat over the skin keeps it moist and flavorful. Notice I said basting fat. That’s the important part. Spooning broth over the skin doesn’t do much, you need to spoon over the fat! A turkey baster is your friend here. Use it to gather the layer of fat sitting on top of the broth in the roasting pan. That fat will work wonders for the turkey skin. I baste my turkey every 30 minutes or so.
I roast my turkey in an oven preheated to 325°F. The cooking time depends on the size of your turkey and your oven. You want to roast whole turkey for approximately 14 minutes per pound. So, a 15-pound turkey will roast for 3 ½ hours.
The best way to tell if a turkey is done is to use a food thermometer. Check the temperature in several spots, especially in the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone. It’s wise to check both sides of the turkey.
I remove my turkey from the oven when its internal temperature reaches 160°F. The USDA recommends 165°F, but in my experience, carry-over cooking raises the temperature further. As a visual cue, you want to roast turkey until the juices run clear from the thigh after piercing it with a knife.
Once the turkey is out of the oven, let it rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Lightly covering it with foil will keep it hot while you carve it. If you need to keep it warm for over an hour, place it in an oven set to 200°F and cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out.
My Tips and Tricks for the Best Roast Turkey
How to thaw a whole turkey: To safely thaw a turkey, do it in the refrigerator. Plan on 24 hours in the fridge for every four to five pounds of turkey. A 15-pound turkey will take three to four days to thaw, so you would begin thawing it the Thursday before Thanksgiving. To speed up thawing, you can thaw it in cold water (allow 30 minutes of thawing per pound of turkey). Change the cold water every 30 minutes, and if your turkey is not completely covered, rotate it every 30 minutes to keep it chilled. A well-insulated cooler is helpful for this.
Trussing a turkey: We truss our turkey before roasting—position twine around the bird, tucking it slightly underneath the neck end. Bring the twine up and around the wings, pushing them towards the breast. Cross the twine at the cavity, forming an X, and then tie the ends of the drumsticks together.
Brining a turkey: We brine our turkey and highly recommend it. Don’t think of brining as a way to keep your turkey moist and juicy. Instead, brining is for FLAVOR and texture. Brined turkey is more flavorful and tender. We wrote a helpful article about brining a turkey with photos and a video showing how we do it.
Stuffing a turkey: We do not stuff turkey or recommend it. It’s an excellent way to overcook your turkey since the stuffing will often take longer to come to temperature than the turkey itself. Keep stuffing on the side.
The best turkey gravy: I use only one gravy recipe for Thanksgiving, and it’s the one shared in our video. To make the gravy in our video and photos, use this turkey gravy recipe that uses all those delicious pan drippings!