A simple mixture of olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs transform a turkey breast into a dish with incredible flavor. The result is tender, juicy meat with beautifully seasoned, golden brown skin.
“This recipe is FANTASTIC! If I could rate it higher than 5 stars, I would. The meat was soooo tender and my husband even enjoyed it – normally he hates white meat!” -Jill
Finally! A flavorful turkey breast recipe. It’s incredibly juicy and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
It’s all courtesy of two things: a simple brining process, and an olive oil and herb mixture that gets rubbed all over before it bakes.
The brine is simply water and salt, and you can start it the day before Thanksgiving. The olive oil rub goes on the turkey right before it cooks. It has garlic, shallots, and herbs to create a delightful flavor for the exterior.
Admittedly, I’m a dark meat person when it comes to turkey. But this Turkey Breast with Olive Oil and Herbs is welcome on my Thanksgiving table any day.
Jump to:
The Brining Process
This simple brine is just water and salt, and you’ll need 10–12 hours for the turkey to soak in the brine. In order to cook the turkey breast on Thanksgiving day, you’ll want to start this process on Wednesday morning.
Since a boneless turkey breast is relatively small, I brined mine in the bowl of my KitchenAid mixer. A large pot would work, too.
Be sure to cover the bowl with the turkey and brine when you refrigerate it. You do not want that kind of spill in the refrigerator on Thanksgiving!
The Trick To crispy turkey skin
There are two parts to getting exceptionally crispy turkey skin:
- Drying out the brined turkey.
- Rubbing the turkey with olive oil.
Just patting the turkey with paper towels doesn’t quite do the trick to dry it out, so I let the turkey sit overnight in the refrigerator, uncovered. I used a baking rack set on a sheet pan for this.
The olive oil and herb rub
The second step to a tender and juicy herb roasted turkey breast is the olive oil “rub”. It’s less like a spice rub and more like a wet rub. Best of all, it’s really easy to make—you’ll just process everything in the food processor. If you don’t have one, you can chop everything finely by hand.
Half of the rub goes over the turkey before cooking, and the other half mid-way through cooking. This process keeps the turkey nice and juicy, and the olive oil encourages the skin to brown nicely.
Frequently Asked Questions
This turkey breast does not produce turkey drippings for gravy, unfortunately! It’s too lean. This recipe for Make Ahead Turkey Gravy would be a great one you can make ahead of time though. Also, some specialty grocery stores sell their own turkey gravy, which is usually pretty good.
My favorite part about a boneless turkey breast is that it is SO easy to carve! Sharpen your knife and cut into thin slices. You can even do this at the table, since it’s so simple.
Olive oil is key to creating a crispy skin on the turkey. You can use regular olive oil or extra virgin—either will work well for this recipe.
The final temperature for a turkey breast should be 165°F. Take the turkey breast out of the oven when it reaches 155–160°F. It will continue to rise in temperature as it sits, ultimately reaching 165°F, which is considered safe for white meat.
It’s Not Thanksgiving Without the Sides!
Here’s what I made to serve with the olive oil turkey breast. Each has a bit of an Italian twist to pair well with the olive oil/herb rub on the turkey.
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Olive Oil, Thyme, and Parmesan
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Italian Stovetop Green Beans
- Cranberry Relish with Oranges and Apples
And here are a few more traditional sides that I love:
- Old Fashioned Creamed Corn Casserole
- Easy Green Bean Casserole
- My mom’s Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Velveeta Broccoli Casserole
- Old Fashioned Mac and Cheese
And if you have leftover turkey, don’t miss this Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey a la King!
📖 Recipe
Olive Oil & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 4–5 lb boneless turkey breast
- 8–10 cups water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small shallot, peeled
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 4 large fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- For garnish: kumquats, a pomegranate, fresh herbs (sage, thyme, parsley)
Instructions
Wednesday morning
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the salt. Stir to dissolve. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the turkey breast in a large bowl. Add 6 cups of water. Pour in the cooled salted water. Add additional water to cover, if necessary. Refrigerate for 10–12 hours (but no more).
Wednesday evening
- Remove the turkey breast from the brine and pat dry. Place on a small sheet pan fitted with a baking rack. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or up to 24) to dry out the surface (this will create a nice brown crust).
Thursday
- Heat oven to 425°F. Place the garlic, shallot, parsley, sage, and thyme in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add olive oil and pulse until combined.
- Spoon half of the mixture over the turkey and rub it in with clean hands.
- Place the turkey breast (still on the sheet pan/baking rack) into the oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 375°F.
- Pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the top and bake for an additional 45–75 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast reads 160°F.
- Remove from the oven. The temperature will rise to 165°F as it sits. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
This recipe is FANTASTIC! If I could rate it higher than 5 stars, I would. The meat was soooo tender and my husband even enjoyed it – normally he hates white meat!
Thanks, Jill!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Happy Thanksgiving! <3
I can’t wait to try this recipe – how would you adjust for a 20 lb turkey in the oven time?