Learn how to make the BEST oven roasted half turkey breast recipe coated in savory herb butter. You'll never make a whole turkey again since our bone-in split turkey breast is so simple and delicious!
Get golden brown crispy skin, juicy meat, and a punch of zesty herb flavor you won't believe. No more worrying about overcooking your Thanksgiving turkey, this will be the hit of the dinner table!
A split turkey breast is the perfect size when you're serving a small group for the holidays and it's so much easier than a full turkey.
What is a half turkey breast or split turkey breast?
A half turkey breast, also known as a split turkey breast, is one side of the breast meat of the turkey, either with or without the bone. Usually, when you buy a bone-in turkey breasts it includes both breasts.
If you picture a whole turkey in your mind, and then imagine removing just one half of the breast portion, that's what a half or split turkey breast looks like. It's a fantastic option when you're cooking for a smaller crowd, don't want two turkey breasts, or are looking for easy turkey recipes for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal.
What you'll need
Around Thanksgiving, you can buy a mixed fresh herb pack meant for stuffing a turkey (also known as a bouquet garni). We bought one of those and then added fresh parsley and fresh basil. Use a mixture of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand or that you love.
- 1 bone-in skin on turkey breast (often called a half turkey breast or split breast) (about 2-3 lbs) - ours was a Trader Joe's half turkey breast, another popular option is the Empire half turkey breast.
- salted butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh herbs - thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil
- salt and pepper
Cooking a half turkey breast
Get the full instructions down in the recipe card, this is just an overview of the steps!
This simple yet impressive turkey breast recipe is as easy as making a fresh herb butter, spreading it on the turkey, and then baking the turkey until it's cooked through.
Step 1. Make the herb butter mixture. Blend the softened butter, oil, herbs, and seasonings thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper together in a food processor or blender. The mixture will look like guacamole but that'll change during cooking.
Step 2. Loosen the skin of the turkey
Step 3. Spread ¼ of the herb mixture with your fingers under the skin. Spread another ¼ on the outside of the turkey and save the other ½ for basting during cooking.
Step 4. Bake the turkey for approximately 20 minutes per pound, until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160-162 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Remove the turkey meat from the bone and slice it against the grain of the meat with a sharp knife into approximately ½-inch thick slices. Leave the crispy skin on when serving. Move the slices to a platter, garnish, and serve your oven roasted turkey breast. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
- Depending on the color and freshness of the herbs you use for the basting butter, the butter itself may appear green (even vibrant green similar to guacamole) as seen in the pictures for this recipe. This green color will dissipate as the turkey cooks and our result was a juicy turkey breast with a lovely brown skin and herbed butter that dripped down between and flavored each slice of turkey as it was cut.
- Roast the turkey breast for approximately 20 minutes per pound. Oven temperatures vary, so specific cooking times may vary from those shown in this recipe.
- According to the USDA, turkey breast is considered safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165 F. We highly recommend using a digital meat thermometer to check the temp and not overcook (or undercook) your turkey.
- The turkey can be brined in advance using our simple turkey brine recipe.
More seasoning ideas
- Brine it beforehand for extra juicy flavorful meat.
- Use our simple turkey seasoning rub
- Skip the herb butter and baste the roasted turkey breast with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and olive oil like we did with our air fryer turkey breast recipe.
- Use a Cajun rub on your bone in turkey breast
- Sprinkle the split turkey breast with an easy homemade poultry seasoning.
What to serve on the side
Here's a full Thanksgiving menu!
- Sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows!)
- Instant Pot Mashed potatoes
- Sausage apple sage stuffing
- Green bean casserole with cream cheese
- Crockpot cranberry sauce
- Make ahead gravy
- Corn casserole (Jiffy)
- Best Ever Pumpkin Pie
- Broccoli cauliflower salad with bacon
Common questions
If you're cooking for a larger group, a whole turkey breast is a great option. You'll just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly, cooking it approximately 20 minutes per pound, but always make sure the internal temperature reaches the safe mark of 165°F (74°C).
Yes, you can use boneless turkey breast in this recipe. Keep in mind that boneless breasts often cook faster than bone-in, so you'll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly and check the temperature regularly to avoid overcooking.
We do not recommend cooking a split turkey breast from frozen. A frozen turkey breast can take longer to cook and may not cook evenly, which could potentially make it unsafe to eat. Always plan ahead and thaw your turkey breast in the refrigerator before you plan to cook it.
More turkey recipes
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Recipe
Roasted Split Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in half turkey breast 3-4 lbs
- 1 stick salted butter softened (½ cup or 4 oz)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Approximately 30 minutes before it goes in the oven, place the turkey skin-side up in an appropriately-sized roasting pan or cooking dish. Leave it out at room temperature.
- Blend the butter, oil, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper together in a food processor. The resulting butter/oil mix may have a bright green color but this will change to a golden brown color during cooking.
- Pat the turkey breast dry with a paper towel.
- Loosen the skin of the turkey breast to prepare it for seasoning (to be added to both the turkey meat and skin). Start by sliding your fingers between the meat and the skin at either end of the breast and then slowly separate the meat and skin.
- Using your fingers to push the butter mixture beneath the loosened skin, place one-quarter of the butter mixture between the skin and turkey meat, coating the meat as evenly and thoroughly as possible.
- Place another ¼ of the butter mix on the outside of the turkey breast. Reserve the second half of the butter mix for additional basting to occur approximately one hour into the cooking time.
- Put the turkey breast in the preheated for approximately 20 minutes per pound, until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160-162 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After it is pulled out of the oven, cover the turkey breast with tin foil and let the turkey rest for approximately 10 minutes. The turkey will continue to cook during the rest period. It is ready to serve when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove the turkey breast from the bone and slice against the grain of the meat with a sharp knife into approximately ½-inch thick slices. Leave the skin on when serving. Move the slices to a platter, garnish, and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- The blended herb butter might turn bright green (like gaucamole), but don't be scared off. It's so delicious and it creates a lovely golden brown skin and drips down between each slice of turkey as it gets cut.
- Roast the bone in turkey breast for approximately 20 minutes per pound. Oven temperatures vary, so specific cooking times may vary from those shown in this recipe.
- For other seasoning options, you can skip the herb butter and use our smoked turkey seasoning rub or use a simple herb seasoning like we did with our air fryer turkey breast.
- You can make a simple turkey brine before roasting if you have time!
Chris McLaughlin says
I brined this, otherwise made it pretty much as suggested. A little over 2 pounds, it was done in 50 minutes. Tasty, very moist. Thank you!
jack says
What is a "cube" of butter?
WholeLottaYum says
Hi Jack! A cube of butter is the same as a stick of butter, 4 oz, or a 1/2 cup of butter. I'll update the recipe to better clarify. Happy Thanksgiving!
Carol M says
How much is one “cube” of butter!?!? I’m seeing three different answers when I google it.