Small turkey breasts of about three pounds are perfectly adequate for a party of four or so, and larger ones—they’re available in sizes of six pounds and even more—can be counted on to serve about ten, especially if you make a few side dishes. The greatest advantage of roasting a turkey breast in lieu of a whole bird is that you can produce white meat that is truly moist—as opposed to the dried-out white meat that is the nearly inevitable result of roasting a whole turkey until the legs are cooked through. Perfectly cooked white meat (all you need is an instant-read thermometer) does not require tons of gravy to become edible, although you may like to serve it with a light sauce.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 to 10 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the turkey in a roasting pan; you can place stuffing under its breastbone if you like; if you want crisp stuffing, however, add it to the pan (or bake it separately) when about 30 minutes of cooking time remain.
Step 2
Brush the turkey with oil, butter, or stock if you like and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Put it in the oven. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size, basting with the pan juices (or a little more chicken stock) every 15 minutes or so, then begin checking for doneness every few minutes with an instant-read thermometer. The turkey is ready when the thermometer reads 155°F. Let the turkey rest for 5 to 10 minutes (during which time its internal temperature will rise to about 160°F) before carving and serving.
Variation
Step 3
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast: Increase the melted butter, oil, or stock to 1/4 cup and combine with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, along with a mixture of other fresh herbs, like tarragon (about a teaspoon), dill (about a tablespoon), or celery or fennel leaves (a tablespoon or more). Baste and roast as directed.
Turkey Safety
Step 4
For safety, the USDA recommends roasting white-meat poultry to 170°F, at which point it will be unpalatably dry (especially when you consider that the internal temperature typically rises at least five degrees during the resting period). Should you choose to do this, I strongly recommend that you serve the turkey with plenty of gravy. I stop the cooking at a lower temperature and have never regretted it.
