Juicy baked boneless turkey breast with garlicky carrots and Brussels sprouts. A perfect one-skillet recipe if you’re hosting a small crowd and your goal is to make this year’s Thanksgiving dinner super easy, but nonetheless incredibly tasty. Turkey breasts are effortless to roast, no basting, no fuss. They come out golden, juicy and incredibly flavorful. Plus, it’s the ultimate make ahead solution.
Why You’ll Love This Juicy Baked Turkey Recipe
If boneless, skinless chicken breasts are featured regularly on your weeknight menu, consider turkey breast fillets as an equally versatile alternative. Easy to prepare and fast-cooking! Here, turkey breasts are roasted alongside a head of pungent garlic, thyme and sage. And paired with Brussels sprouts and tender carrots, so you’ve got turkey and sides ready to go in one dish.
If you’re hosting a small, intimate gathering for Thanksgiving this year, then you don’t have to bother with a whole turkey. You can just roast turkey breasts and recreate that same festive flavor in way less time. A simple roasted version is a good back-pocket recipe to know, and this one is a keeper.
But a small-scale Thanksgiving isn’t the only reason why you might think about baking turkey breast on its own. You can make it during fall and winter season to treat your guests at a dinner party or as a Sunday family dinner.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
The Key for Juicy Turkey Breast
The key for juicy, tender turkey breast is brining. Be sure to start brining the day before you plan to cook.
What is brine? Brine is a salt solution made by mixing salt and water. Some recipes include sugar and other ingredients to add flavor, but a basic brine is a salt-water solution.
How does it work? The turkey absorbs some of the brine liquid, and since the meat starts out cooking with more liquid within, it ends up juicier when cooked. Brine also helps to dissolve some of the muscle fibers, which helps to reduce the toughness of the meat. This results in a more tender cooked turkey or any other meat.
What’s the Best Temperature for Cooking Turkey Breast?
We start by cooking it in a skillet until nicely browned, then add sprouts and carrots. We transfer the skillet to the oven and roast it at 400°F/200°C so that the meat can cook through. The turkey breasts cook faster than a whole turkey, so after 30 minutes when the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F/74°C in the middle, we’re done. Because it’s quick to cook, we don’t need to bother with basting or placing the turkey on a roasting rack.
Ingredients Needed for Baked Turkey Fillet
- Turkey breasts: Boneless/skinless part of the turkey breast. You can also use turkey tenderloin.
- Shallots and garlic: To add a fragrant aroma and lots of flavor.
- Carrots and Brussels sprouts: You can also use or add other vegetables like broccoli rabe or delicata squash.
- Herbs: Thyme sprigs and sage leaves, for delicious earthy flavors.
- Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- White wine: To deglaze the skillet and add a complex, acidic flavor. You can leave it out and use more chicken broth.
- Chicken broth: You can substitute it with vegetable broth.
Helpful Tips
- You can easily vary the flavors the herbs in this recipe, rosemary, oregano or tarragon are great alternatives. You can also swap sweet paprika for smoked paprika.
- Make ahead: Start by brining the turkey the day before you plan to cook. Then, prepare the recipe until step 7, cover and transfer to the fridge. Then bake the turkey following the recipe as written below.
- Leftover cooked turkey breast can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
- What to make with leftover turkey? Sandwiches, creamy orzo soup, shawarma soup, one-pot stroganoff with orzo, pair it with a creamy mushroom sauce, make a creamy parmesan lemon spaghetti or serve it over a leafy salad drizzled with a caesar dressing.
What Can I Serve with Baked Turkey?
- Potato and vegetable gratin
- Mashed potatoes
- Crispy garlic potatoes
- Cheesy potato gratin
- Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Beer Braised Onions
- Green Beans with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs
- Roasted Carrots with Mustard Miso Dressing
- Creamy cucumber salad
- Buttery Hasselback potatoes
Cooking Video: How to Make Juicy Baked Turkey Breast Recipe
Juicy Baked Turkey Breast
Ingredients
Brine
- 4 cups warm water
- ¼ cup salt
- 3 pounds turkey breast boneless/skinless
- 2 tsp salt divided
- 2 tsp black pepper divided
- 2 tsp sweet paprika divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder divided
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning divided
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 carrots peeled, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 pounds Brussels sprouts halved
- ½ cups white wine like Pinot Grigio
- 4 shallots peeled, cut lengthwise
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 8 sage leaves
- ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 garlic head cut in half
Instructions
- Make the brine. Mix warm water with salt in a shallow dish and add turkey breasts. Be sure that the brine is covering the tenderloins. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Let the turkey brine for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel.
Season the breasts with 1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and brown sugar. Massage the spices into the turkey, making sure that both sides are covered. Set aside. - In the meantime peel and cut carrots into smaller pieces, halve the Brussels sprouts, slice the shallots lengthwise and cut the garlic head in half.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Heat oil and butter over medium in a large ovenproof skillet or pan. Add turkey and cook, 5 minutes per side. Transfer onto a clean plate.
- To the same skillet, add sprouts and carrots. Season with the remaining salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Cook for 3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, simmer for 2 minutes. Add shallots, thyme sprigs and sage leaves. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Return turkey to the skillet and place the garlic head cut-side-down.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the turkey is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F/74°C when inserted into the thickest part, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Slice thinly crosswise and serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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