Lemon & Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Every year I’m in one of two places for Thanksgiving. I’m either here in Redondo Beach hosting the holiday, or I’m up in Marin helping my mother while she hosts. Either way, one thing always remains the same: we order a big turkey. I don’t mean some littler Butterball I pick up at the grocery store. I mean, a 16 to 20 pound bird that we’ve ordered waaaaay in advance from the organic grocery store. I won’t be doing that this year. As with everything else, say it with me, Thanksgiving “will look a little different this year”.
Normally, Mom and I host anywhere from 15 – 20 people for Thanksgiving. Not this year. This year, my mom wants to keep it small. She wants it to be just my parents, my sister and my little family of four. That’s a total of seven people. Quite a difference from years past. So, since there are going to be substantially fewer people, we definitely don’t need a huge turkey. We still need a turkey though, it is Thanksgiving after all. While we could by a little eight or 10 pound turkey, another way to go would be to simply buy the turkey breast.
Yes, believe it or not, you don’t need to buy a whole turkey for Thanksgiving. These days a lot of grocers sell both the whole turkey and the turkey breast. The whole turkey is great if you have a large Thanksgiving party planned. But the breast is great when it’s an intimate gathering of just family. The benefit of the turkey breast is you get the same delicious turkey, with the same tender meat and crispy skin in a smaller package which is ideal when you have a smaller party.
Just like a full turkey, the breast can still be brined and you can still make a delicious rub for it. There really isn’t anything you can do with a turkey breast that you can’t do with a full turkey… except stuff it. Since there’s no cavity in a breast you can’t stuff it. Sorry. But that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on that classic Thanksgiving stuffing. Just turn it into a dressing. But I was talking about turkey. Stuffing is for another post.
Since I love a flavorful skin (and turkey) I always brine my bird in plenty of chicken stock and herbs. Then I smother it with an herbed butter. The butter not only packs the bird with tons of flavor, it makes that skin super crispy, and I don’t know about you, but I love a crispy skin. (It’s actually my favorite part of dinner.) This time I did all that but I added fresh lemons to the mixture. I tucked sliced lemons under the skin and then rubbed a lemon zest, rosemary and sage butter over everything. The lemons really brightened up the herbal component making for one moist, delectable, finger-licking bird!
So, if you’re having a smaller Thanksgiving this year (and honestly, who isn’t), a breast is absolutely the way to go. Sure, you may not have a ton of leftovers, but you also won’t have your oven occupied for five, six, or eight hours. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 lemon
- 1 6-7 pound turkey breast
- salt and lemon pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, herbs and zest from the lemon until well combined, set aside. Slice the zested lemon.
- Take the turkey breast and loosen the skin. Slide the lemon slices under the skin. Using your hands, rub the herbed butter all over the turkey. (You may need to re-butter your hands more than once.) Once the bird is covered, sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper.
- Place the breast on the roasting rack. Cook for 30 minutes or until the skin is a nice golden brown. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, tent the breast with tin foil and cook for another 90 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 (it'll continue to cook once it's been pulled out). Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice and serve with your favorite gravy and dressing.
