There are times when you don’t need a whole turkey such as you have a smaller family, you want to enjoy turkey at times during the year other than over the holidays, or you simply don’t want to deal with endless turkey leftovers. Then this recipe for roasted turkey breast is just what you need! Turkey breasts are much smaller (obviously) so they’re easier to roast to moist and juicy perfection. No dry turkey here! This herb roasted turkey breast is packed with flavor thanks to a simple wet rub made with brown sugar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, parsley, thyme, and sage. Despite the sugar, the flavor of the turkey is not sweet (it’s only 2 tablespoons for an entire turkey) but instead the turkey is perfectly seasoned, earthy, and savory. For a subtle citrus flavor, the turkey breast rests on lemon slices as it roasts. The lemon slices also elevate the turkey breast just enough to help hot air circulate all around the meat so it roasts evenly in the oven without using a baking dish with a rack. This recipe is sure to be a holiday meal win for your family for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve dinner celebrations! And if you’re like me and you crave turkey other times of the year, especially during the cold winter months, this is a do-able baked turkey breast recipe even on weeknights that’s ready in 90 minutes.

Ingredients for Oven Baked Turkey Breast 

This citrus herb roasted turkey breast is infused with flavor using very simple ingredients. To keep this recipe super simple and budget-friendly, I stuck to all dried herbs and spices that I keep in my pantry at all times.  Gather the following: 

Bone-in turkey breast – properly thawed from a frozen turkey or from a fresh turkey if you’re lucky enough to find it (with the packet of giblets removed from the inner cavity ) Lemons – one will be juiced and one will be sliced and roasted with the turkey  Olive oil – I used olive oil rather than butter but you can sub with softened butter if you’d like. My other turkey recipes such as Foolproof Roasted Turkey and Easy Oven Roasted Citrus Turkey both use butter so I wanted to mix it up with this one Light or dark brown sugar Dried parsley  Dried oregano  Garlic powder Ground sage Ground thyme  Kosher salt  Freshly ground black pepper  Smoked paprika – has a deeper flavor than regular paprika, but substitute regular if that’s what you have 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Bake a Turkey Breast 

Baking a bone-in turkey breast is quicker and easier than you’d think – just about 15 minutes of prep time and about 1 hr 15 mins to bake. Here’s an overview of the best way to bake a turkey breast: 

How to Tell When a Turkey Breast Is Done Baking

Many sources say to bake turkey until it reaches 165ºF in the breast, but in my experience, that results in dry turkey – especially when it’s just the lean white breast meat. I pull my turkey breast from the oven when it reaches 155ºF and rest it for a full 20 minutes. During that time, the juices have time to settle and the carryover heat from the oven raises the internal temperature to 160-165ºF. All experts agree that it’s safe to eat at 165F and some say 160F is fine, too. Don’t just guess when the baked turkey breast is done! Make your life easy by purchasing a digital meat thermometer or laser thermometer. They cost around $15 bucks and make roasting a Thanksgiving turkey breast SO easy!  

More Thanksgiving Main Dishes: 

View all of my Thanksgiving recipes here! In the freezer: Store airtight for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in smaller quantities so you can pull out only as much as you need for future recipes.   To reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 30-second intervals.  Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Easy Oven Roasted Citrus Turkey – 🍋🍊🦃 This EASY turkey recipe makes the JUICIEST and most FLAVORFUL roast turkey that everyone loves! The cavity is stuffed with aromatics including a lemon, an orange, fresh herbs, and the skin is coated in a citrus herb butter so it’s moist AND bursting with FLAVOR! Slow Cooker Turkey Breast — Learn how to make a perfect turkey breast every time using your slow cooker! Making turkey breast in a Crockpot results in juicy, tender turkey every time and is nearly impossible to dry out! Foolproof Oven Roasted Turkey — Learn how to make juicy, flavorful herb-roasted turkey that’s not dry! This turkey has all the flavor that grandma’s used to have, minus the hassle. No brining, no basting, and no stress! Glazed Apple Spiral Ham – 🍏🍎🎊 If you’re looking for an EASY ham recipe to serve at your next holiday gathering, make this JUICY apple spiral ham with a spiced brown sugar glaze! Tender green apple slices are the perfect tart contrast to the salty ham that’s coated in a sweeter glaze! Pineapple Glazed Ham — When you’re looking for a holiday ham or family celebration ham recipe, look no further than this one! This pineapple ham is so juicy and moist thanks to a dry spice rub made with brown sugar and citrus and then the most delectable pineapple glaze! Glazed Pork Loin Roast — Pork loin is first coated in a FLAVOR-PACKED dry spice rub, then topped with a tangy brown sugar glaze before being roasted. EASY enough to make on busy weeknights, but IMPRESSIVE enough to serve to guests or make for the holidays!  Beef Tenderloin Roast with Garlic Herb Butter — An EASY yet IMPRESSIVE dish that’s ready in under an hour! Roasting beef tenderloin in the oven results in perfectly MOIST and TENDER meat every time, and the garlic herb butter adds tons of flavor without overwhelming the beef. Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin — Tender and juicy boneless pork tenderloin is slow cooked with hearty vegetables for a complete and EASY meal! Reminiscent of a hearty and rustic recipe, yet fancy enough for a special dinner or holiday entertaining!

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