Keep the holidays simple with an Easy Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast! You get the best tender, juicy white meat and a flavorful crispy skin -- all with about 15 minutes of prep. It's the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
How to Make Oven Roasted Turkey Breast | 1-Minute Video
If you're like me and you want to keep Thanksgiving stress-free and delicious this year, then a Maple-Glazed Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is the way to go. I learned from my mom that the white turkey meat is always our favorite, so cooking a breast (and not messing around with the rest of the bird) is a quicker and easier option. And with just a few minutes of prep, you can pop a turkey in the oven that roasts for a couple of hours and comes out perfectly every time. The maple-butter basting sauce is absolute heaven!
This traditional turkey breast recipe gives you the crispy, golden skin that epitomizes a holiday meal, while keeping the meat inside tender and juicy. It's so simple and so good, that it has become one of our favorite Sunday suppers during the cool weather months -- no special holiday required! The leftovers work well in sandwiches all week or freeze nicely for casseroles or other recipes later on. It's a winner, winner Turkey Dinner that will make you feel like the ultimate hostess...in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- Whole bone-in turkey breast (about 7 lbs.)
- Half of an apple
- Half of a lemon
- Half of an onion
- Celery
- Fresh rosemary and fresh thyme
- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Water
- Salt
How to Roast a Turkey Breast
Just 15 minutes of prep yields a perfect, tender and juicy turkey breast every single time. Watch the video to see just how simple it really is!
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey breast with apple, lemon, celery, onion and herbs (this infuses the meat with so much flavor)! Set the turkey breast meat-side up in a roasting pan.
- Prepare the maple glaze by melting butter and maple syrup in a saucepan. I told you this was easy!
- Pour or brush the maple glaze over the turkey in the pan. Add water to the bottom of the pan and your job is done!
How Long to Roast a Turkey Breast
Roast a 7 lb. turkey breast in a 350-degree F oven for about 2 - 2 ½ hours. A good rule of thumb is to roast a bone-in turkey breast in a 350-degree F oven for 20 minutes per pound. For example, a 5 pound turkey breast will take just one hour and 40 minutes to cook.
What temp should turkey breast be cooked to?
You know that your turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. If the skin is getting too dark, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.
How to Keep a Turkey Breast Moist When Roasting
There are a few tips to keeping a roasted turkey breast nice and moist:
- Use a meat thermometer to know when the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The cooking times can vary widely depending on the size of your turkey breast, the temperature of the turkey when it goes in the oven, and your individual oven. The thermometer is the best way to ensure that you don't overcook the turkey and dry it out.
- Roast the breast skin-side up so that the fats drip down into the meat and really keep it moist and flavorful.
- Baste with pan juices every 30 minutes. This adds flavor to the turkey and helps the meat stay moist.
- Give the turkey breast time to rest before slicing. The juices will evenly redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out onto your platter.
How Much Per Person?
For a bone-in turkey breast, plan on 1 ¼ pounds per person. For instance, a 7-lb. bone-in breast will feed approximately 5-6 people. This delicious turkey disappears quickly, and leftovers are delicious -- so we always prepare two at the same time!
What to Serve with Roasted Turkey Breast
This Thanksgiving turkey goes perfectly with all of your favorite holiday sides. Here are a few favorites:
- Easy Green Bean Casserole
- Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole
- Cornbread Stuffing
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Cheesy Party Potatoes
- 2-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Skillet Cornbread or Corn Muffins
- Cranberry Sauce
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese or Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Ambrosia Salad
- Old-Fashioned Cranberry Muffins
Storage
Wrapped tightly, the leftover turkey breast will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To keep it longer, wrap the roasted turkey in a Ziploc freezer bag or other airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for the Best Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
- If you're using a frozen turkey breast, make sure to give the meat plenty of time to thaw in the refrigerator. One (or even two) days will not be enough!
- Line your roasting pan with aluminum foil for quick and easy cleanup. It's not fun to scrub caramelized maple glaze off of the bottom of a dish!
- If the skin is getting too dark while the turkey finishes cooking, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil.
- Give the meat time to "rest" after you pull it out of the oven (before slicing). This will keep the meat nice and juicy!
- Don't wait until the holidays to enjoy this recipe. An oven roasted turkey breast makes a great Sunday supper -- and you can enjoy the leftovers in sandwiches all week long!
Leftover Turkey Breast Recipes You'll Love
- Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Soup
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Aunt Bee's Leftover Turkey Casserole
- Quick and Easy Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup
- Turkey Triangles
Easy Maple-Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 (7 lb.) whole turkey breast, fresh or frozen and thawed
- ½ apple, chopped into two pieces
- ½ lemon
- ½ onion
- 1 stalk celery, halved
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Rinse the turkey breast with cold water. Pat dry.
- Stuff turkey cavity with apple, lemon, onion, celery, rosemary, and thyme. Sprinkle salt inside the cavity.
- Place the turkey in a large shallow roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Don’t skip the aluminum foil (it makes clean up quick and easy)!
- TO PREPARE THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, melt butter with maple syrup over low heat. Pour or brush the maple butter glaze over turkey to coat.
- Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey breast for 2 – 2 ½ hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Baste with pan juices every 30 minutes.
- If any part of the turkey browns too quickly while cooking, just tent lightly with aluminum foil.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and place on a large cutting board. Allow it to rest for about 15-20 minutes before carving.
Video
Notes
- If you're using a frozen turkey breast, make sure to give the meat plenty of time to thaw in the refrigerator. One (or even two) days will not be enough!
- Line your roasting pan with aluminum foil for quick and easy cleanup! It's not fun to scrub caramelized maple glaze off of the bottom of a dish...
- If the skin is getting too dark while the turkey finishes cooking, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil.
- Give the meat time to "rest" after you pull it out of the oven (before slicing). This will keep the meat nice and juicy!
- Don't wait until the holidays to enjoy this recipe. An oven roasted turkey breast makes a great Sunday supper -- and you can enjoy the leftovers in sandwiches all week long!
So glad you survived your first Thanksgiving years ago! And I always think of that scene in Christmas Vacation, too! This turkey breast definitely looks like the way to go. Love the maple glaze and how easy it is, Blair!
Hah! Thanks, Gayle! That movie is such a classic!
Wow, Blair, I saw this on FB and had to come see more. Absolutely beautiful! People can get intimidated by turkey and I can see why as it seems to have a mind of it's own when you're cooking the whole bird. I'm never quite sure what's going to happen during the cooking process and it doesn't help that everyone is opening the oven door every 15 minutes to 'check' on it, lol.
A delicious glaze and the best looking turkey breast I've seen!
Thank you, Robyn! You're so kind!
O my God. This has to be the best receipe I've tried. I used chicken breast instead of turkey. I can't wait to try turkey. I'm sure it will be just as delicious. I LOVE maple syrup.
Thanks, Colleen! I've always used it with turkey, but I love the idea of trying it with a chicken. Thanks for letting me know!
This looks INCREDIBLE! We are planning on celebrating Thanksgiving with some friends this year and I think I'll have to make this recipe to really wow them 😉
Definitely, Kristy! It would be perfect!
Can this be cooked in a crock pot instead of the oven?
Hi, Linda! I haven't tried that method, so I'm not really sure. I found this other recipe for a slow cooker turkey breast that you might want to check out: http://www.recipetineats.com/juicy-slow-cooker-turkey-breast/
She uses a smaller turkey breast because the size that I used would probably not fit in the Crock Pot. She also gets the skin crispy by sticking it under the broiler at the end. You could use a glaze like mine but try her method? Just an idea!
Can you use this recipe on a whole turkey?
Hi, Norma! Definitely! You'll have to adjust the cooking time for a whole turkey, and you'll probably want to make more of the glaze (double the recipe to be safe). Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Blair,
I was not able to find a frozen turkey breast can I still do it on a pre cooked turkey breast?
Hi Andy! Yes, that should work fine! Have a great holiday!
The recipe is simple but the pictures are so gorgeous. I might try this glaze for Christmas ham.
Thanks, Sharon. That sounds like a great idea!
HI I was wondering,do you have this recipe for a while turkey??
Hey, Katie! A wild turkey? No, I haven't used it for a wild turkey. Sorry!
Is it possible to use a boneless turkey breast? How would I adjust the recipe if so?
Hi, Casey! Yes, you can definitely use a boneless turkey breast. I would keep the glaze the same, but just adjust the cooking time and temp. When I checked a poultry guide, the instructions said to roast the boneless breast at 325° F for 16 - 19 minutes per pound. So just adjust the timing based on the size of your turkey breast. Baste with the glaze just as I explain in my recipe, and follow all other instructions the same (tent with foil, allow to rest, etc.). Hope that helps! 🙂
This looks so delicious. I am thinking about hosting "Friendsgiving" this year and a smaller, more manageable bird would alleviate so much stress. I think I would want to use two boneless turkey breasts. Do you know how (if?) to change up the time when you double a recipe?
Hi, Bri! That's great -- I'm so glad that you might give this recipe a try for Thanksgiving!
If you double the recipe, the cooking time should remain about the same. The size of the turkey is what affects the cooking time, so if you use a bigger (or smaller) turkey breast you'll need to adjust the cooking time a bit. But if you use two turkey breasts that are about the same size as mine, the cooking instructions should be the same. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Hi! This sounds delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it. My family traditionally makes an apple & onion stuffing, so I’m going to put that in the cavity instead. Except for the lemon, it has all the other ingredients and I’m sure will work well as a substitute!
The apple and onion sound like a PERFECT addition, Liz! We'll be making this for Thanksgiving this year, too!
I also have an apple/onion stuffing recipe that I wanted to use. Will it get to soggy from the water on the bottom of the pan?
Hi, Mary! I haven't tried stuffing the turkey breast, so I honestly don't know.
Did you make gravy with the pan drippings? Just wondered if the maple syrup would make the gravy too sweet. Thanks
Hi, Michelle! I actually have NOT made gravy with the pan drippings -- only because my family doesn't care for gravy, so I've never bothered. I think it would be delicious, but I love slightly sweet and savory dishes, so that's just a personal preference.
I used this recipe for Thanksgiving this year and the family loved it! To be honest I was a little nervous as this was the first turkey I have ever prepared (I always cook tbe ham for the holiday meals). The meat was so moist and tender but I had one issue, I couldn't get the turkey to brown evenly. I tried to evenly place the turkey between the heating elements in the oven and loosely placed foil when the top darkened. Any suggestions for what I should do next time?
Hmmm...I'm not sure, Chris. I would think that it has something to do with your oven, rather than with the turkey. The turkey should brown evenly if placed in the middle of the oven evenly under the heating elements. It sounds like you did everything right, so I'm wondering if your oven has one its bake elements burned out. This article might be helpful to figure that out, but it's hard for me to know since I can't look at your oven: https://www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/How-To-Fix-A-Range-Stove-Oven/12---/Oven-doesn-t-bake-evenly
Congrats on conquering your first turkey! I know it's very intimidating until you've done it at least once! 🙂
This was a delicious turkey. A nice change from the traditional flavor. I stuffed this with the "Awesome Sausage Apple and Cranberry Stuffing" from this site and this made the best Turkey and stuffing I've ever eaten. I'll be making it again. Hanifia
5 pd turkey breast @ 20 mins per pound is not fourty mins. It's 100 mins. But am trying the recipe, looks great.
My bad, I read it wrong. My apologies!
Is that a mistake? 17 lb turkey breast? Do they even make turkeys that big? This is a serious question because the recipe looks delicious.
No, there's a space between the 1 and the 7. I added parentheses to eliminate any confusion. You need 1 (7 lb.) turkey breast.
Hi Blair, do you think I could make this recipe with a whole turkey? Thank you so much!
Beth
Absolutely! You'll just need to increase the length of the cooking time to accommodate the larger bird. Enjoy! 🙂
Can I prepare and slice this ahead of time so I can warm it up the night I'll serve it?
Yes! I know that some folks intentionally prepare the turkey a day or two in advance, slice it, and then store it in the refrigerator in its own juices. This keeps the meat really moist. Then just reheat the turkey in the oven when you're ready to serve. 🙂
Never heard this! Thank you for sharing.
The turkey breast I purchased has cooking instructions printed on the label. It says in bold letters “DO NOT ADD WATER TO THE PAN”. Since your recipe calls for 1 cup of water to be added to the pan, I was unsure what to do. Your recipe looks delicious and I want it to turn out well for Thanksgiving.
Hi, Seba! Good question! I'm not sure why the package would say that, but I've used the water and it turns out great. Maybe skip it initially with your turkey, and you can always add it to the pan later in the cooking process if you think that the turkey needs more moisture in there. It might be great without the water, too! 🙂
I tweaked this a bit to make it work using a turkey tenderloin in the crockpot. It.Was.Fabulous! Can't wait to try it on a full-size turkey in the oven!
What I did:
Slice onions into 2 halves. Place on bottom of crockpot. Rest tenderloin on top of the onion slices. Squeeze lemon over the meat. Chop the apple, onions, celery & place on top of the meat. Sprinkle with rosemary & thyme. I also sprinkled with Patti’s seasoning (it’s not just for pork chops!) Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Transfer to a baking dish.
TO PREPARE THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, melt butter with maple syrup over low heat. Pour maple butter glaze over turkey to coat. Then place under broiler for 5 minutes to get a nice crust on the meat.
Ready to serve.
I hope you don't mind the tweaking or the sharing of your recipe.
This sounds wonderful! I love cooking with my crockpot so I'm definitely going to try this.
Forgot to ask, what size tenderloin did you use Mary?
Thanks, Mary Beth! Your version sounds amazing! I love that you used the recipe as inspiration to make it your own. Thank you for sharing!
This looks so good! I’m a fan of one pan meals... I also love maple Brussels sprouts, do you think they will cook well in the bottom of the pan in the juices??
Hi, Nicole! Yes -- I think they would probably be great!