Cooking the perfect turkey breast can seem intimidating, but nailing the right temperature is the key to achieving tender, juicy meat with crisp, golden skin every time In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to cook a turkey breast to perfection.
Why Getting the Right Temperature Matters
Temperature is crucial when cooking turkey breast. If it’s too low, the meat will be dangerously undercooked. If it’s too high, the turkey will dry out.
The ideal finished temperature for baked turkey breast is 160-165°F This ensures the meat is cooked through without drying out, Reaching the proper internal temperature requires properly preheating your oven and monitoring the temperature
Preheating the Oven
You’ll want to preheat your oven to 350-375°F before baking a turkey breast. This gives the oven time to fully reach the desired temperature so the turkey cooks evenly.
Many recipes call for roasting turkey at 325°F, but a slightly higher oven temperature helps crisp the skin better without overcooking the meat.
Be sure to give your oven at least 15-20 minutes to fully preheat, Opening the door often will lower the temperature,
Use a Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer is essential for perfect turkey breast. It removes the guesswork and guarantees the turkey is fully cooked without overbaking.
The best way to use one is by inserting it into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding bones. Ensure it’s deep in the meat for an accurate reading.
For safety, the turkey needs to reach 165°F in the center. For juiciest results, remove at 160°F and allow the temperature to rise 5-10 degrees during resting.
Periodically check the temperature during roasting until 165°F is reached. The size of your turkey breast determines total cook time.
Turkey Breast Roasting Times
Cook times vary widely for turkey breasts based on size, bone-in vs. boneless, and stuffed vs. unstuffed. General guidelines:
- Boneless turkey breast (2-3 lbs): 60-90 minutes
- Bone-in turkey breast (3-4 lbs): 90-120 minutes
- Stuffed bone-in turkey breast (5-7 lbs): 120-150 minutes
The best doneness test is a thermometer, not cook times. But these estimates provide a good starting point.
Plan approximately 15-20 minutes per pound at 350°F. Rely on temperature, not time.
Resting and Carryover Cooking
Once the turkey breast reaches 160°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest loosely tented with foil. The temperature will rise 5-10 degrees during the resting period as carryover cooking occurs.
Resting for 15-30 minutes allows the juices to redistribute for moist, tender meat. Skipping this step causes the turkey to spill juices and dry out when sliced.
For the juiciest turkey breast with the perfect finished temperature, allow it to rest until 165°F before carving.
Turkey Breast Roasting Tips
Here are some additional tips for roasting turkey breast:
- Season underneath the skin for added flavor
- Use a rack in a roasting pan for air circulation
- Cook skin-side up for crispiest skin
- Avoid basting to prevent temperature drops
- Brine turkey breast for added moisture and flavor
With the right temperature, resting time, and technique, you’ll have flavorful, juicy turkey breast any time. Trust your thermometer, not cook times, for perfect doneness.
Now that you know the ideal oven temperature and process, try these delicious turkey breast recipes:
Easy Roasted Turkey Breast with Perfect Gravy
This recipe from HowSweetEats.com features a turkey breast seasoned with a flavorful herb butter. It’s roasted at 350°F until 160°F, then rested and served with easy homemade gravy.
Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
The Stay at Home Chef’s recipe uses a spice rub with paprika, oregano, rosemary and more. Cooked at 375°F, it produces crispy browned skin and tender meat. Leftovers are amazing for sandwiches.
Both recipes use proper temperature guidelines to ensure perfectly cooked juicy turkey breast every time. Give one a try for your next holiday meal or Sunday dinner!
The Takeaway: Roasting turkey breast between 350-375°F and monitoring temperature produces the best results. Aim for 160°F before a 15-30 minute rest, then slice and serve once it reaches 165°F. With the right temperature and technique, you can enjoy tender, succulent home-cooked turkey breast anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cooking Turkey Breast
Is it better to cook bone-in turkey breast at 325 or 350?
350°F is ideal for bone-in turkey breast. At 325°F, it may require a longer cook time and the skin may not crisp as nicely.
What temperature should you cook a turkey breast to?
165°F is the minimum safe temperature for turkey breast. For the juiciest results, remove from the oven at 160°F and allow the temperature to rise to 165°F as it rests.
Should turkey breast be cooked covered or uncovered?
Cook uncovered for the first hour for browning, then cover with foil if the skin is getting too dark.
How long per pound to cook turkey breast?
Cook turkey breast for approximately 15-20 minutes per pound at 350°F. Rely on a meat thermometer for doneness, not just cook time.
How do you cook a 3 pound turkey breast?
Cook a 3 pound turkey breast at 350°F for around 60-75 minutes, until it reaches 165°F internally. Monitor temperature and adjust time as needed.
What temperature should ground turkey be cooked to?
Cook ground turkey to 165°F, the same temperature as whole turkey breast. Check temperature in several places to ensure even thorough cooking.
The Takeaway
Achieving the ideal finished temperature of 160-165°F is the key to juicy, tender turkey breast. Monitor the temperature and rely on your thermometer, not just cook times. Resting allows carryover cooking for the best results. With the right technique, you can enjoy mouthwatering oven-roasted turkey breast any time of year.
Straight to the Point
For taking the temperature of your turkey, you need a thermometer. The very best is the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE. Its lightning-fast, super responsive, and has an automatic backlight for taking the temperature of turkey in cavernous ovens.
Want to guarantee that your turkey will be tender and juicy? Throw out the timing charts and forget about cooking “until the juices run clear.” Just use a thermometer. Its the only way to guarantee perfectly cooked meat—provided that you know where to check the turkeys temperature and know what that temperature should be. For the best results, you want to check the turkeys temperature in three locations: the deepest part of the breast, the joint between the thigh and the body, and the joint between the drumstick and the thigh.
The video below will show you exactly how to do that. 2:32
The Right Way to Take the Temperature of Your Turkey
The government recommends cooking turkey breast to 165°F (74°C). I prefer my turkey breast at 150°F (66°F), at which point it is far, far juicier (especially if you dry brine it!). But is it safe?
Well, heres the thing: Industry standards for food safety are primarily designed to be simple to understand, usually at the expense of accuracy. The rules are set up in a way that any cook can follow then, no matter their skill level, and so that theyre easily enforceable by health agencies. But for single-celled organisms, bacteria are surprisingly complex, and despite what any ServSafe chart might have you believe, they refuse to be categorized into a step function. The upshot is that food safety is a function of both temperature and time.
What the USDA is really looking for is a 7.0 log10 relative reduction in bacteria. That is, a reduction that ensures that out of every 10,000,000 bacteria living on that turkey to start, only one will survive.
Take a look at this simplified chart I drew using data from a USDA guide.
| Pasteurization Time for Poultry with 5% Fat Content (7-log10 lethality) | |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Time |
| 136°F (58°C) | 65.3 minutes |
| 140°F (60°C) | 29 minutes |
| 145°F (63°C) | 10.8 minutes |
| 150°F (66°C) | 3.7 minutes |
| 155°F (68°C) | 1.2 minutes |
| 160°F (71°C) | 26.1 seconds |
| 165°F (74°C) | Instant |
According to the USDAs own data, as long as your turkey spends at least 3.7 minutes at or above 150°F (66°C), it’s safe to eat. In other words, by the time its done resting (you do let your turkey rest before carving, right?), you should be good to go.