Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy
This Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy is a wonderful option if you're serving a smaller group for Thanksgiving or just don't want to bother with roasting a whole turkey. It's faster, easier, and absolutely delicious!
Servings: 6
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 pound bone-in skin on turkey breast half or whole (see Notes section below)
- 1 large onion cut into 5 or 6 chunks
- 2 ribs celery cut into a few pieces each
- 1 large carrot scrubbed clean and chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup dry white wine like pinot gris or sauvignon blanc or low sodium chicken broth
Butter Herb Rub
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Turkey Gravy
- 3 tablespoons reserved turkey drippings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth divided
- Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce optional and only as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Turkey Breast
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the Butter Herb Rub ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the turkey breast on a cutting board and use your fingers to gently push between the flesh and skin to lift the skin slightly, being careful not to tear the skin. Spread about half of the butter mixture under the skin and then stretch the skin back over the turkey. If you want to ensure the skin will not shrink back too much while roasting, you can secure it with wooden toothpicks. Spread the remainder of the butter rub over the top of the skin.
- Place the onion, celery, and carrots in the center of a small roasting pan. Place the turkey, skin side up, over the top of the veggies. Pour the wine (or broth) into the pan around the turkey breast, transfer it to the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Roast for a total of 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once the skin begins to brown and there are a good amount of drippings in the pan, baste the turkey breast a few times through the remainder of the cooking time. After 1 ½ hours, check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast with an instant read thermometer and remove it from the oven when it reaches 165 degrees F. After removing it from the oven, lightly tent the turkey with foil, and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before transferring it to a cutting board.
For the Turkey Gravy
- If you used a roasting pan that is both stove and oven-safe, you can prepare the gravy in the same pan. If not, you'll need a medium saucepan to prepare the gravy.
- Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of the turkey drippings from the roasting pan and place the roasting pan on the stove over a burner set to MEDIUM. Remove and discard any large deposits of fat or skin from the bottom of the pan. If your roasting pan is not safe for stovetop use, transfer the drippings to a medium saucepan and proceed as directed.
- Add the butter. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to form a roux. Whisk and cook the roux until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in 2 cups broth, using the whisk to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan (if using). Cook and stir with the whisk until thickened, adding as much of the additional broth as needed to thin to desired consistency.
- If you would like a deeper color to the gravy, whisk in a very small amount of Kitchen Bouquet. Use it sparingly, adding just enough to attain the desired color.
- Taste and season with freshly ground black pepper and a touch of salt, if needed.
Notes
Turkey Breast Tips
Be sure to use a bone-in, skin on half or whole turkey breast for the most tender, juicy result. A whole turkey breast is two breasts that are still joined at the breastbone. Sometimes butchers will separate the two breasts and package them individually as a half breast, which is what you see pictured in this post. Either is going to work just fine for this recipe. I love the look of the half breast so if presentation is important to you, I think it's the best choice. If you plan to slice the turkey before serving, this isn't an important consideration.
If you prefer a half breast but only whole breasts are available, ask the butcher to slice it in half for you. If you don't want to cook both, freeze one for later.
Allow ¾ pound turkey or more per person. A 5 pound turkey breast will feed 4 to 6 people with plenty of leftovers.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover turkey in an airtight container within 2 hours from the time it is removed from the oven. Leftover turkey should be used within 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 377mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg