How to cook 6 pound turkey breast

A bone-in turkey breast is significantly easier to cook than a whole bird, it takes a fraction of the time, and it still feeds a group comfortably. To ensure succulence, you could apply a dry brine the night before, but when you’re cooking just a breast, the greatest insurance against dryness is pulling it out of the oven the moment it’s done, and no later. (For that, rely on an electric instant-read meat thermometer; it’s the only way to get a truly accurate read on the internal temperature of your meat.) I like to roast turkey the way I roast chicken: unbrined but slathered in butter, showered with salt and pepper and popped into a moderately hot oven to get crispy skin. Once the slices are fanned out on a platter tumbled with lemon wedges, it looks like a veritable feast.

Featured in: A Beginner’s Thanksgiving: 7 Recipes That Lighten the Workload

Learn: How to Cook a Turkey

Learn: How to Make Gravy

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• ½cup unsalted butter, very soft
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1whole (6- to 8-pound) bone-in turkey breast (see Tip)
• 4lemons, quartered, for garnish

1. Step 1

   Keep the butter nearby. Place about ¼ cup kosher salt in a small bowl and keep nearby as well, along with a black-pepper grinder. Transfer the turkey breast to a large sheet pan and thoroughly dry all over with a paper towel; get it as bone-dry as you can.

2. Step 2

   Using your hands, very liberally rub the butter all over the turkey breast. (If the butter is difficult to spread, soften it further in the microwave in 10-second intervals.) Make sure to slather the butter on the underside and bones in addition to the entire surface of the skin. Wipe your hands with a towel.

3. Step 3

   Generously season the turkey all over with salt, especially inside the cavity. You don’t have to be precise here, but do go heavy on the salt — the turkey can take it. (In general, you should account for about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¾ teaspoon Morton coarse kosher salt per pound.) Next, generously grind black pepper all over the turkey; again, no need to measure this. Let the turkey breast sit so the seasoning can penetrate the meat and allow the bird to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

4. Step 4

   Meanwhile, position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the turkey breast in the oven, then with the oven door still open, carefully pour 1 cup water into the sheet pan with the turkey. Close the oven door and roast until the turkey’s internal temperature reaches 150 degrees, 13 to 15 minutes per pound. (To read the temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of one of the breasts, making sure to avoid the bone, which will give you an inaccurate reading.) Very carefully rotate the pan halfway through roasting and add another cup of water if the pan looks dry. When done roasting (1½ to 2 hours), the skin should be golden brown and crispy.

5. Step 5

   Let the turkey breast rest in its pan, uncovered, until cool enough to handle, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut along one side of the breastbone with a sharp knife, then the other, cutting each breast off the bone, and keeping the skin intact. Thickly slice each breast crosswise and serve on a large platter scattered with the lemon quarters. Taste the pan juices and, if they’re a little salty, stir in a little hot water. If they need more seasoning, stir in salt and pepper. Spoon the pan juices over and around the sliced turkey.

Tip

• If your turkey breast is frozen (most are), thaw it in the refrigerator a day or two before you plan to roast it. You can also thaw a frozen turkey breast by letting it sit — still in its packaging — in a large bucket or pot filled with cold tap water, about 30 minutes per pound. Every hour, be sure to turn the breast and change the water.

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There’s no need to bother with a big, messy bird. This baked turkey breast offers just enough, and not too much, of tender, succulent white meat in a thyme, butter and wine sauce. When you’re in the mood for a perfect portion of poultry, this slow-roast turkey breast recipe is a great option for a smaller group. Our Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast comes together with just 15 minutes of prep before popping it into the oven. Don't forget to let it stand 15 minutes after roasting for easier carving!

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in whole turkey breast (4 1/2 to 5 pounds), thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Steps

• 1

  Heat oven to 325°F. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 1 hour.

• 2

  Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the butter mixture. Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining butter mixture. Roast about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165°F.

• 3

  Remove turkey from oven and let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.

• 4

  Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into measuring cup; skim fat from drippings. Add enough water to drippings to measure 2 cups. Heat drippings to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into drippings. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with turkey.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

• tip 1

  Be sure to follow food safety rules—package up any leftovers within 2 hours. If you have any unsliced meat, go ahead and either carve it up for sandwiches or chop it up to freeze in 1 to 2 cup containers for future recipes.

• tip 2

  Invest in an instant read thermometer to ensure you cook the turkey to the proper internal temperature. Insert the thermometer in the turkey breast close to, but not touching the bone as the roasting time nears the suggested doneness time.

• tip 3

  The easiest way to carve a whole turkey breast is to cut each lobe of meat from the breast bone, using a long thin knife. Then you have two nice pieces that will lie flat on a cutting board that are easy to thinly slice. You can then arrange the slices on a platter for serving, with a pretty garnish of fresh herb sprigs (more fresh thyme, sage, or rosemary are classic) or autumn kumquats and candied cranberries.

• tip 4

  Letting the turkey rest, tented by foil, for about 15 minutes allows the meat to finish cooking (which it will for several minutes after leaving the oven) and for the juices to be redistributed. Guaranteeing that your turkey will stay moist and juicy—and gifting you extra minutes to make gravy.

• tip 5

  If you use wine to roast the turkey, use a style of dry white wine that you’d like to drink with the meal. If you choose to use apple juice, make a batch of spiced cider with lots of cinnamon sticks and sliced oranges to serve while the turkey is roasting.

Nutrition

460 Calories, 28 g Total Fat, 49 g Protein, 3 g Total Carbohydrate

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories460 Calories from Fat250

Total Fat28 gCholesterol165 mgSodium480 mgPotassium340 mgTotal Carbohydrate3 gProtein49 g

Vitamin A14%14%Vitamin C0%0%Calcium2%2%Iron10%10%

Exchanges:

7 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

• The great thing about turkey is that its mild flavor and texture make it the perfect “blank canvas” for however you’d like to express your culinary creativity. There are so many cooking methods from which to choose—including oven-roasted turkey breast or turkey made in the deep fryer, on the grill or in the slow cooker. Flavor profiles can range from sage-rubbed traditional to Cajun hot-spiced creative. If you’d like to brush up on turkey basics, follow this in-depth turkey cooking guide. It includes tips on how to buy a turkey, what type to choose, what equipment you’ll need to have on hand, preparation options, and even guidelines on how to store leftovers. Check out more turkey recipes to find recipes perfect for small groups, classic roasts and flavor twists.

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