Roast Turkey Breast | Every year I hear on the news that Thanksgiving is the biggest travel day of the year. Although we have hit the road on a few occasions for Thanksgiving most years we just chill at home with an intimate Thanksgiving dinner and start preparing for Christmas.
We are a small home of two (plus three dogs) and we save our big travel for Christmas. Because of this, I have become pretty good at what I call “little Thanksgiving”. One year I made a beautiful spiced apple cider glazed turkey breast. That recipe used a whole turkey breast which was still too much for the two of us.
This year I decided to make a split turkey breast. I rubbed it in a mixture of herbs and whole grain mustard and roasted it on a bed of butternut and brussels. It’s practically a whole Thanksgiving meal in one pan.
I have made several turkeys in my day dad. I remember one year doing a Thanksgiving-themed catering where I prepared two giant tom turkeys. My favorite way to prepare a whole turkey for a crowd is making pavochon which is the preparation for a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving turkey. But today I wanted to go more traditional fall and homie and make an herby roast turkey breast.
The Benefits of Making Turkey Breast
- Preparing a turkey breast cuts the prep/cook time in half.
- Maybe you have extra guests. Adding a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey is a great way to feed a few extra loved ones.
- The size of a turkey breast and time it takes to prepare it makes for a great year-round healthy meal.
- If you are trying to keep those health goals on track a turkey breast is a great lean source of protein. Make a roast turkey breast early in the week and you have a head start on easy lunches and dinners.
How Many People Does a Turkey Breast Feed?
As I mentioned before a previous Thanksgiving I made a whole roast turkey breast which is two breasts still joined at the breastbone. It was too much for my two-person household. Although it was nice to have all the left overs.
Typically a whole turkey breast, which averages 6 to 7 pounds will feed six to eight people. A half-breast, which averages three pounds, will feed two to four people.
For this recipe, I chose to do a half roast turkey breast but if you need a whole roast turkey breast simply double the seasonings and adjust the cooking time to approximately 1 1/2 hours. Being sure to start checking the internal temperature at 1 hour.
Roast Turkey Breast Recipe Ingredients
1 lb diced butternut squash
1 lb brussles sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 3 lbs thawed, bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (1 half-breast)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
Most single bone-in turkey breast is found in the refrigerated poultry section but, sometimes they can also be found frozen. If you purchase a frozen turkey breast plan for it to take up to 24-hours to defrost in your refrigerator.
If you want to by-pass the roasted vegetables, crazy but ok, you will need a roasting pan with a rack for the turkey breast. This will lift it out of the pan allowing it to cook more evenly. Any juices at the bottom of the pan can be served with the turkey breast.
I decided to start the breast in an oven heated to 450°F to allow the skin to crisp. But be sure to lower the temperature to 350°F as soon as you put the breast in the oven. The initial heat will brown the turkey breast and slowly cook the meat at the temperature lowers.
If the turkey breast begins to over brown tent it with foil. Do not completely cover with foil or it will steam your beast and you will lose the delicious crisp skin.
Regardless if you are celebrating a “little Thanksgiving” or looking for a simple whole weeknight meal this turkey breast is sure to deliver. It’s full of herby flavor and had a touch of tang from the whole grain mustard. The vegetable soaks up all the juices and flavor from the turkey breast, resulting in tender veggie treats.
Fall is my favorite fashion and food season. I which it was fall year round. But alas that isn’t how science works. But that doesn’t mean you can eat fall whenever your heart desires. Craving more fall eats? Try my Sweet Potato Noodles and Red Wine Beef, Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread, or Fall Vegetables and Herb Galette. If you are looking for more fall inspired recipes visit my fall recipe collection.
more fall inspired love
- one pan italian sausage butternut squash gnocchi
- melting sweet potatoes
- butternut & sausage hash lasagna rolls with creamy sage sauce
Mustard & Sage Roast Turkey Breast with Fall Vegetables
The turkey breast is rubbed with a mustard herb mixture and then roasted on a bed of butternut and brussels sprouts. This is perfect for an intimate Thanksgiving or fall-inspired dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb diced butternut squash
- 1 lb brussles sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 3 lbs thawed, bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (1 half-breast)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Heat oven to 450°F.
- Spread vegetables in a single layer in 13 x 9 roasting pan or casserole dish. Drizzle olive oil over vegetable and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Toss until well coated. Pat the skin of the turkey breast dry with paper towels and place on vegetables. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine garlic, butter, mustard, herbs, and salt. Mix until well combined, forming a paste.
- Carefully loosen the skin from the turkey breast and rub the herb mixture on the meat under the skin. Pull the skin back to cover the turkey breast. Rub any remaining herb mixture over the skin.
- Place the turkey breast in the oven and lower the oven heat to 350°F . Roast the turkey breast for 1 hours turning halfway. If the breast started to over brown tent with some foil.
- Check the internal temperature of the turkey breast when it gets close to 1 hour. Check every 10 minutes until it reaches and internal temperature of 165°F at the thickest part of the breast.
- Remove the turkey breast from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carve into slices on a cutting board and serve with roasted vegetables.
Notes
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
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