This weekend I cooked the first of my holiday dinners. I was still not ready to try cooking a whole turkey so I decided to go with just the breast. I roasted it in the oven with some herbs and vegetables. I picked up a meat thermometer so it was pretty easy to tell when the turkey was done. It turned out pretty good. The turkey was moist and tender. The skin did not come out crispy though. The next time I will turn the oven to broil for the last few minutes to see if I can make the skin turn golden brown and get nice and crispy. Overall it was not bad for my first attempt at roasted turkey. I served the turkey with cranberry sauce , broccoli gratin , sweet potato casserole and salad.
Thyme and Rosemary Roasted Turkey Breast
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes Servings: 2
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
- 1 turkey breast (skin on, rinsed and patted dry)
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and saute for a few minutes.
- Let the oil cool and then rub it onto the turkey breast.
- Place the carrots, celery and onions in the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Place the turkey breast on top of the vegetables in the pan.
- Roast in a 325F/170C oven until the middle of the turkey gets to 160F, about 2.5-3 hours.
- Place the turkey on a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour, chicken stock, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the turkey drippings in a sauce pan and simmer until it thickens.
Kevin, no need to broil the turkey at the end. Rub it with unsalted butter, season, roast.
I agree with peter m, don’t cover it either. Everything looks delicious Kevin.
this turkey breast looks heavenly..it seems its christmas already chez toi 🙂
I have never made a turkey before – not even a turkey breast! This looks delicious and make me want to get into the kitchen and roast a turkey!
Good job Kevin.
Kevin – that looks great.
In my family we coat the outside of the turkey with sliced bacon – it makes the skin extremely crispy. Failing that – peter’s suggetsion should work as well.
These turkey slices look so moist and tender, unlike those which are usually dry and tough.
That’s a beautiful looking plate!
That looks really lovely! I agree with earlier comments about butter (work it under the skin too) and/or bacon.
Hi Kevin,
How did you make your cranberries? They look really good and I am making my first turkey dinner this Christmas and need an easy and good recipe for cranberries…
Thanks! Kim
Wrapping it in bacon sounds good. 🙂
Cranberry Sauce:
2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar (I used maple syrup)
1/2 cup water
1. Place everything in a sauce pan and simmer until the cranberries have burst.
2. Mash the cranberries up a bit.
3. Chill in the fridge to let the sauce set a bit.
I am cooking again this Thanksgiving here in NYC while my family visits the parade. I just love the way your turkey breast looks so juicy and tender. My favorite herbs with turkey is always rosemary, sage, and thyme. Yours look divine. Great blog, and super pics. Thanks for sharing.