Herb-Rubbed Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
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Black peppercorns, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon zest, and rosemary are blended into a paste that gives this turkey breast a flavor that falls between a traditional Thanksgiving bird and Italian sweet sausage.
What to buy: Uncooked bone-in turkey breasts may need to be special-ordered from your butcher.
This recipe was featured as part of our Thanksgiving for Six menu.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 bone-in turkey breast halves (weighing 6 to 7 pounds total)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 8 medium garlic cloves, halved
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 1 medium lemon, zested
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rinse turkey and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Rub each breast all over (including under the skin) with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Place in a large dish, cover loosely, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Meanwhile, combine remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and lemon zest in a food processor and process until mixture is a coarse paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
- Remove turkey breasts from the refrigerator and rub all over with the paste (including under the skin). Let sit at room temperature while the oven heats up, about 30 minutes.
- Arrange turkey breasts skin side up in a roasting pan fitted with a rack (ensuring that the meat is not crowded and the breasts don’t touch). Roast until skin starts to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and roast until internal temperature of turkey reaches 160°F and juices run clear when pierced with fork, about 40 to 50 minutes more. Let turkey rest at least 10 minutes before carving.
Absolutely fantastic! Used this for our Thanksgiving in Italy where we hosted a large group of people from all over the world--this is how they'll remember the holiday and Thanksgiving. I followed caseypons's excellent advice to let the paste rest on the bird for several hours. I also subbed marjoram for the rosemary and anise for the fennel seeds. Now I just need to convince my family back home to let us use this recipe for future feasts!
That's good stuff casey. Maybe I will add this recipe as one of the meats for future holidays.
Aida,
I prepared this recipe as stated...with one exception...an oversite on my part....but I would not do it differently next time. I combined the spice mixture and rubbed the entire surface under the skin with the mixture and refrigerated closer to 8 hours and then proceeded to follow the balance of the recipe exactly. I was totally pleased with the end product and will put this way up on my list of keepers.
PS I even brined it for 8 hrs before rubbing it down and it was not in the least bit overly salty for my guests or my liking. Rave reviews all around. Thank you so much for sharing this Gem of a recipe.
Great tasting recipe! I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and the turkey breast turned out great. I didn't have access to a food processor, so I blended the herbs and olive oil in a blender. I then used the mixture as noted in the recipe. The flavors and the aroma permeated the entire breast. Everyone commented on the flavor and the moistness.
Woops...I didn't see this was inclusive of your Dinner for Six presentation. I see we are NOT serving Dressing with this option.
Sorry, Aida for not fetching the ball.
BAD Dog is me...Woof!!!
Casey
Aida,
I don't know what to think...only that I know what I AM having for dinner this Thanksgiving. The combination of herbs/corns/zest used here sounds quite unique and I can't wait to try it.
As usual, I like your twist on this traditional main stay. Do you have a recommended dressing recipe to accompany this little twist......
Thanks Much,
Casey