This Boneless Turkey Breast Roast is stuffed with garlic, has a golden herb crust and comes out tender and juicy every time! You need only 6 ingredients for flavorful and impressive results every time!

Sliced boneless turkey breast roast on cutting board.

Make this juicy boneless turkey breast roast for Thanksgiving dinner instead of roasting a whole turkey! I am a pro at cooking turkey breast for holidays because it’s always just 4 of us.

Over the years I have perfected a slow cooker boneless turkey breast, Instant Pot turkey breast and even turkey breast in air fryer. One time I made a bone-in turkey breast and for extra naughty version we once had bacon wrapped turkey breast.

So, lots of options for you depending what you are feeling like this year!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Perfect for small holiday gatherings: If you are feeding only 4 – 6 people, this turkey roast is a perfect size.
  • Flavorful and customizable: Anything stuffed with garlic is always delicious! Spices in this recipe are very simple and you can go for them, or use this turkey breast rub.
  • Turns out juicy every time: Juicy whole turkey is a hit and miss, where as a turkey breast guaranteed to be juicy because cooking it is so easy!
  • Frees up oven space: You need only 1 1/2 hours to cook this roast vs. 4-5 hours for a whole bird.

Ingredients for Boneless Turkey Breast Roast

6 simple ingredients is all you need for this recipe! When purchasing your turkey roast, general rule of thumb is 1/2 pound of turkey breast per person, so purchase accordingly to the number of guests you will be serving.

Boneless skinless turkey breast, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
  • Boneless turkey breast roast: This recipe calls for fresh boneless skinless turkey breast roast. If you have a frozen one, thaw it first. It can be boneless turkey breasts, only turkey thighs or both. In either case, meat is shaped and held together by stretchy mesh.
  • Fresh rosemary: Not dried. I am all for shortcuts but holiday roast calls for fresh herbs as it infuses the best taste.
  • Garlic: There is really no substitute for fresh garlic, which has a very distinctive flavor. If you are allergic to garlic, maybe bake with a bit of lemon juice and zest. And sprinkle with fresh chives before serving.
  • Olive oil: Can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil. I do not recommend to use melted butter because it will solidify as soon as you brush it on cold turkey breast roast and herbs will not stick.
  • Salt and black pepper: To season and taste.

How to Cook Boneless Turkey Breast

You need only 10 minutes to prep this recipe. I prefer to roast turkey breast in my 6 Quart Dutch oven but you can also do so on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.

If your meat is frozen, here is an easy tutorial how to thaw a turkey breast, even if you need to do so quickly.

A turkey breast in mesh in a large pot with garlic stuffed into it.

Stuff with garlic: In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven, place turkey breast and make 10-15 inserts with a paring knife. Stick garlic slice into each hole until you run out of garlic.

Turkey breast in large pot with rosemary.

Season with rosemary: Rub roast with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper all around. Taking small handfuls of rosemary pat it onto the roast, then sprinkle some.

The goal is to coat the roast in herbs for best roasted turkey flavor.

Turkey breast in a large red pot in the oven.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes per 1 pound: I cooked 3 pounds turkey breast roast for 90 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees F.

Removing turkey meat casing with sharp knife.

Remove mesh casing and slice: Using sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut casing in the middle, remove and discard. Slice into thin slices without pushing on meat too hard.

How Do I Know It’s Done?

If you had to remember one thing it would be that minimum internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast should reach 160 degrees F when checked with an instant read meat thermometer.

As per USDA guidelines, poultry meat is a safe for consumption when it is cooked to 165 F. Don’t worry, though! As the turkey rests tented under foil or in Dutch oven, it will continue to cook with residual heat and will reach 165 degrees F optimal temperature. This way it will be juicy!

How Long to Cook Boneless Turkey Breast Roast in the Oven?

You are probably wondering “how long to cook boneless turkey breast roast per pound?”. And it’s a good question because it is the key to success to a juicy roast.

The general rule of thumb is to cook it for 30 minutes per pound.

Here is a table of cooking times for quick reference:

Turkey breast weightCooking time
2 pounds60 minutes or 1 hour
3 pounds90 minutes or 1 hour 30 minutes
4 pounds120 minutes or 2 hours
5 pounds150 minutes or 2 hours 30 minutes
6 pounds180 minutes or 3 hours

Extra Large Roast

7-10 pounds roast: Cook for 30 minutes per pound but check with a thermometer 30 minutes before calculated total time. Just to avoid overcooking your turkey breast as oven gets hotter with time.

Tips for Best Results

  • Don’t remove the casing before cooking: Under any circumstances, please don’t. Casing is holding pieces of meat together. If you remove it, meat will fall apart. Do not worry, we will season it inside. It will come out juicy and delicious.
  • Bake roast uncovered: If you cover it, white meat will steam instead of roasting.
  • Don’t check on it during baking: I do not recommend to open the oven and try to baste it with turkey broth or melted butter. Each time you open the door, the oven temperature drops and your cook time will be skewed.
  • Important to let meat rest! Resting meat results in juicy and tender turkey. Remove roast from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let turkey breast rest for 10 minutes. Don’t skip!
  • Browned crispy skin: You can try broiling the roast for a few minutes at the end. Just be careful not to dry out the turkey.
Boneless turkey breast roast on cutting board.

Variations

This recipe as is produces amazing results! If you want to try some variations though, here are some ideas.

  • Additional rub seasonings: Onion powder, crushed thyme, sage, and smoked paprika are great. Or just try my delicious turkey breast rub that is full of yummy seasonings to complement the turkey breast perfectly.
  • Can’t stand the thought of not using butter to rub turkey? Melt small amount of butter then mix with EVOO or some readers have had success with using room temperature butter.
  • Stuffed turkey breast: If you are up for the challenge, some readers have successfully removed mesh, unrolled the breast and spread additional layer of fresh herbs and butter, then rolled it back up and stuffed breast back in mesh before roasting.
  • Brine turkey overnight for additional flavor.

How to Serve

Since I usually make this turkey roast at Thanksgiving, I serve it with healthy turkey gravy and healthy cranberry sauce.

Are you wondering “What else to serve with turkey breast?”. Here are a few more holiday side dishes that are the perfect complement to your festive celebration.

Storing Leftovers

Store: Refrigerate cooked turkey roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Leftover turkey is so good cold on its own, in a sandwich or we love these leftover turkey quesadillas. Or reheat just until warm with gravy. This recipe is so versatile!

Freeze: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator and then use leftovers for turkey noodle soup, turkey and rice soup, as a protein in a salad for lunch, or for turkey tacos!

FAQs

Is boneless turkey breast real turkey?

Yes. It is simply deboned turkey breast pieces being held together by a netting.

Should turkey roast be cooked covered or uncovered?

You should roast turkey breast uncovered. Cover it after cooking to let meat rest, become juicy and reach desired internal temperature of 165 F.

How do I keep meat juicy?

First, this recipe is for a fresh boneless turkey breast roast. If your roast is frozen, be sure to thaw turkey completely. If your breast is frozen in the middle, it will change the cooking time and end results will be dry.

Second, trust the first internal temperature check, remove it from the oven and let rest so turkey juices settle back into the roast. Also to keep it moist for a while, don’t slice it right away but rather before serving.

Can I make this ahead of time?

To save time during the Holidays, you could season the turkey breast with garlic and herbs, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temp, then proceed with roasting.

Why is my turkey breast tough?

If your roast comes out tough, it is because of type of meat the store used to wrap into the casing. I once happened to buy a small 2 pounds roast and it was pretty chewy with muscle tissues. I highly recommend to buy a minimum 3 pounds of larger boneless skinless turkey breast roast.

More Main Dish Recipes to Try

Here are a few more suggestions for your small holiday meal instead of traditional turkey!

Boneless turkey breast roast sliced on a platter with knife and garnish.
boneless turkey breast roast

Boneless Turkey Breast Roast

This Boneless Turkey Breast Roast is herb crusted and garlic stuffed then baked in the oven with tender, juicy results!
4.96 from 131 votes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 258
Diet Low Fat
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients  

Boneless Turkey Roast

Easy Pan Gravy (Optional)

Instructions 

Boneless Turkey Roast

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium roasting pan or Dutch oven, place turkey roast and make 10-15 inserts with a paring knife. Stick garlic slice into each one until you run out of garlic.
  • Rub roast with oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper all around. Taking small handfuls of rosemary pat it onto the roast, then sprinkle some. The goal is to coat the roast in herbs.
  • Bake uncovered for 90 minutes. Check with meat thermometer, it should read 160 degrees F.
  • Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Internal temperature will reach 170 degrees F and juices settle.
  • Using  a sharp knife or scissors, remove the casing and slice. Serve warm at a Holiday table with traditional sides of mashed potatoes and gravy, cold as an appy or use in sandwiches instead of deli meat.

Easy Pan Gravy (Optional)

  • Place roasting pan with juices from cooking turkey roast on medium heat. Scrape and shake rosemary and burnt on pieces from removed casing into the pot. There is a lot of flavor. Discard the casing.
  • Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes and whisk to scrape the walls. Again lots of flavor in there. Add white wine, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, add a bit of gravy from the pot and cornstarch. Whisk well with a fork, pour back into the pot and whisk until gravy starts boiling.
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened a bit. Serve with a turkey roast.

Video

Notes

  • Make ahead: Season the turkey breast with garlic and herbs, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temp, then proceed with roasting.
  • Store: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to a week. It tastes so good cold. And warm with gravy. This recipe is so versatile!
  • Freeze: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
  • Fresh boneless turkey roast: This recipe calls for fresh boneless skinless turkey roast. If you have a frozen one, thaw it first.
  • Bone in roast: If you want to cook turkey breast with bone in, check out this bone in turkey breast roast.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 442mg | Sugar: 1g
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American Ukrainian
Author: Olena Osipov
Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!

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About Olena

Welcome! I grew up in Ukraine watching my grandma cook with simple ingredients. I have spent the last 11 years making it my mission to help you cook quick and easy meals for your family!

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Comments

  1. I have a frozen turkey roll should I thaw it out and carry on .. it recommended cooking from frozen thanks yours looks amazing!

  2. I have an 800 g boneless skinless turkey breast. It was sold just as a piece of the meat and it is not in a casing. Actually, it was technically called a turkey tenderloin (“ะฒั‹ั€ะตะทะบะฐ ะธะท ะธะฝะดะตะนะบะธ”), but the package ingredients (ัะพัั‚ะฐะฒ) said turkey breast (ั„ะธะปะต ะณั€ัƒะดะบะธ ะธะฝะดะตะนะบะธ). Now I’m kind of at a loss on how to cook it.

    ะกould I still use this recipe for such breast? Thanks.

    1. Hi Jason. Yes, you can still use this recipe for your cut of meat. When it comes in a casing, they usually combine both breast and thigh. Just go by weight for cooking times and more likely check for doneness earlier because it is thinner. Or you can also use kitchen twine and shape it into a roast. Merry Christmas!

    1. Hi Mary. I assume you mean 3 pounds and a turkey breast, not whole turkey. In either case, I never used a turkey bag, so can’t tell. But I also wouldn’t recommend to cook in plastic for health reasons. Truthfully, you don’t need it, this turkey breast comes out juicy and flavorful as is. Merry Christmas!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this for Thanksgiving and it came out AMAZING! This is now my GO-TO. I used butter instead of oil.
    THANKS for the recipe!

    1. 350 F. At the bottom of the post there is a full recipe card with everything you need to know. If you can’t find it please click Jump to recipe button at the very top of the post. Enjoy!

    1. It should be! Check with internal meat thermometer at the end, insert it into the thickest part and if it reads 150 F, it’s good to go. Let it rest too!

  4. 5 stars
    I made this last year, minus the gravy, and it was so delicious! It is so flavorful and juicy. I am making this again today. (Thanksgiving)
    I coat the inside of Dutch Oven with butter.
    Thank you for this recipe!!

    1. I’m sooooo happy to read your positive review! Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy the spread! It’s my absolute pleasure to share my recipes with my readers!

  5. How long to cook a 5 lb boneless turkey breast? So many sites vary saying 20 min per lb vs 30 min per pound.

    1. Here’s what I do. 5 lbs turkey breast: 150 minutes or 2 hours 30 minutes. You can read my post for more detailed information.

      1. 5 stars
        This recipe came out great using the boneless turkey breast. I was wondering if I could also use it to roast boneless chicken breast? What do you think?

4.96 from 131 votes (50 ratings without comment)

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