How to Cook Bone-In Turkey Breast
Learn how to cook a bone-in turkey breast with gravy for Thanksgiving or any night of the week. This Dutch oven turkey breast with herb butter roasts to perfection over a bed of vegetables that melt down into a rich, savory gravy.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 (3- to 4-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 4 ounces white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
- Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the turkey breast, easing it loose from the meat without tearing it. Peel the skin back, keeping it attached along the top and center, and use your hands to rub ½ of the butter mixture all over both sides of the exposed turkey breast.
- Then, lay the skin back over the meat like a cozy blanket. Spread remaining ½ of the butter mixture all over the outside of the turkey breast skin.
- Place the onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and chicken broth in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Place turkey breast with herb butter, skin side up, on top of the vegetable mixture. Roast until thickest part of breast registers 140 degrees F using a meat thermometer, about 1 hour.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and crank the temperature up to 500 degrees F. Yes, really - this is where the magic happens. Once the oven is blazing hot, slide the bird back in and roast until the skin turns a rich, golden brown and the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 10 minutes. Don’t wander off too far - this final blast of heat can go from perfect to burnt turkey in a hurry.When the turkey skin is beautifully bronzed, remove it from the oven and transfer to a carving board. It's extremely important to stop cooking at an internal temperature of 160 degrees F because the bird will continue to cook from residual heat, a process known as carryover cooking. As it rests, the internal temperature will rise about 5 degrees, reaching the ideal 165 degrees F, which is the USDA-recommended safe temperature for turkey breast. This gentle finish keeps the meat juicy and tender instead of dry.Let it rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes. This pause allows the juices to redistribute evenly - think of it as the turkey’s well-earned moment to compose itself before the grand reveal.
- Meanwhile, transfer vegetables and any cooking liquid from Dutch oven to a blender. Add lemon juice and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. You should end up with about 2 ½ cups of gravy once blended. Return gravy to now-empty Dutch oven and set over low heat to keep warm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Carve turkey and serve with gravy on the side.
