November 15, 2023 6 Comments
This is the only time of year you can buy turkey breast. I don’t know why because you can always find it at the deli counter.
How many of us buy sliced turkey breast to make sandwiches? Turkey breast is one of those lean meats that nutritionists recommend we eat. It is famous for being low in fat, high in protein and easy to serve.
But the things we buy at the deli counter are not so good. The difference between a packaged cooked and sliced turkey breast and a fresh roasted turkey breast is quite stark.
For example, the turkey breast you roast is not shaped like a circle. Right there you will know that the turkey has been processed for easy carving. Additionally, a large amount of salt is usually added to give some flavor to the packaged turkey.
Roasting your own turkey breast will save you money and it will taste much better. In my opinion, it’s not even the same animal.
I bought this 8 pound turkey breast at Aldi for about $1.70 a pound. It has a bone because I think bones are good for flavor.
I’ve included my roasted turkey breast recipe below, but I’ve included a few other methods for cooking turkey breast on Snack Girl. See: Cook turkey breast in an ovenproof bag and turkey breast in a slow cooker.
I want to be clear that I am not cooking this for Thanksgiving. I made this for a meal and then froze half, which I then took out for sandwiches. The counter at my local deli was selling turkey breast for $8 a pound (not even close to what I paid for frozen turkey breast, even when you factor in the bone).
This frozen turkey breast did not come without added ingredients, which seems pretty common to me. This is what appears on the label:
turkey, turkey broth, salt, sugar, panela, natural flavor
It is extremely important that you check the ingredients on the package because you do not want to add more salt or sugar if there is already some in the bird.
If the ingredients say “turkey,” then you can rub a couple teaspoons of kosher salt under the skin and let it marinate for 24 hours.
The key to great turkey breast is to IGNORE THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE. I used all caps because I felt like you need to know that they are okay but not the best.
Start the bird at a higher temperature to seal in the juices and then lower it to finish the roast. I think this technique makes a big difference in the moisture of the final product.
I have a convection setting on my oven that I use for this process. Roasting is faster and also cooks the bird evenly. Use it if you have it!
Do you buy extra turkey breasts this time of year? How do you cook turkey breast?
Roasted turkey breast recipe
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Ingredients
1 frozen bone-in turkey breast (7-10) pounds
Instructions
Defrost the turkey breast in the refrigerator for 2 days. Heat oven to 425 F. Remove breast from package and place on a roasting rack, skin side up. Add 1 cup of water to the pan to prevent burning.
Roast the turkey breast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until turkey registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. The time it takes to roast will vary depending on the size of the brisket and your oven.
Point values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for informational purposes only. See all Snack Girl recipes
