We had a small gathering for Thanksgiving Dinner this year and I didn’t want to cook a whole turkey. Instead I opted for just the breast. It worked out wonderfully. It took less time to cook, wasn’t dried out and no dark meat leftovers. The trick to a moist turkey is to baste, baste, baste.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey breast with bone (about 5 lbs)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
- 3 tablespoons chopped sage
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small bowl mix garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to make a seasoning mix.
Place the turkey breast on a cutting board or work surface and gently run your fingers between the skin and the flesh to create an air space. Lift the skin as much as you can without removing it from the breast. Rub the seasoning mix under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey breast.
Mix rosemary, sage, chopped garlic, olive oil and butter to make an herb paste. Stuff a portion of the paste under the skin and rub the remainder over the outside of the breast reaching every crevice.
Place turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan skin side up. Roast for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. After 20 minutes baste using drippings. Baste every 15 to 20 minutes until turkey is 165 to 170 degrees F.
Remove and cover with foil. Let sit for about 20 minutes before carving.
Notes
If the turkey doesn’t make drippings for the first basting, place a teaspoon of olive oil in the bowl used to make the herb paste, stir, and baste with that. I use a brush to baste. The 5 pound breast took about 2½ hours to cook.
