This boneless Butterball turkey breast recipe uses an easy steam-bath method to produce juicy, flavorful results every time. Made with a three-pound boneless turkey breast and just five ingredients (minus salt and pepper), this recipe will impress and is ideal for a small holiday gathering or family dinner!
For more poultry recipes, try my vinegar chicken and potatoes, oven-braised chicken thighs, or chicken quesadillas.
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Quick Look: Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🍳 Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
👥 Servings: 4-6
📊 Calories: ~467 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
🔥 Cook Method: Oven-based
👩🍳 Main Ingredients: Turkey, butter, chicken broth
⭐ Difficulty: Easy-baste, roast, broil
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Why You'll Love This Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
Ideal for small gatherings: Don't worry about serving a whole turkey for a small crowd. This holiday-worthy turkey roast is easy to cook, slice, and serve, and you won't be saddled with tons of leftovers.
Juicy and flavorful: Butter, garlic, and rosemary lock in flavor while a steam-bath method cooks the meat slowly, keeping it moist all the way through.
Easy yet impressive: With straightforward ingredients and steps, this turkey is low on stress but high on flavor.
What makes this recipe better than Butterball's?
Butterball's instructions suggest covering the roast with nonstick cooking spray before roasting it. Although there's nothing wrong with that, the combination of my recipe's herb-butter rub and chicken-broth steam bath makes it more flavorful and plenty juicy.
If you're looking for a moist, flavorful, and easy way to cook turkey, this boneless Butterball turkey breast recipe is the perfect choice. It's virtually foolproof (like my easy meatloaf recipe) and ideal for serving at a small dinner or holiday gathering.
In my experience, the secret to a juicy roasted turkey breast requires two simple steps: roasting it in a chicken-broth steam bath and covering it loosely with aluminum foil.
It creates the perfect breast every single time, and I've been making it since at least 2019 in both gas and electric ovens. It's also beginner-friendly, so if you're skittish about cooking a whole bird, make this delectable turkey breast instead.
For more holiday or special dinner recipes, try my Italian Thanksgiving stuffing; roasted Parmesan carrots; beef, pork, and veal meatballs; or potato-tomato bake with Gruyère.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
- What makes this recipe better than Butterball's?
- Key Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make This Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
- Pro Tips
- Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions for This Recipe
- Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Unsalted Butter: This helps keep the turkey juicy during roasting and helps it brown when placed under the broiler.
- Chicken Broth: This also helps keep the turkey juicy by creating a delicate steam bath.
Variations & Substitutions
➢Use a variety of herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage, or marjoram.
➢Instead of melted butter, you can use very softened butter to rub into the turkey.
➢Chicken stock is fine to use. So is turkey broth/stock.
➢For leftovers, use the turkey to make a Thanksgiving-style panini, turkey salad, or turkey orzo soup.
➢If you want to cook a bone-in turkey breast, follow the same ingredient measurements; if it's bigger than 3 pounds, then adjust accordingly. You'll also have to cook it for longer. Use a meat thermometer to ensure a temperature of 165°F for doneness.
How to Make This Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
Step 1: Whisk the salt, some pepper, the garlic, and the rosemary into the melted butter.
Step 2: Pour it over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, getting beneath the netting as much as possible.
Step 3: Pour the chicken broth directly into a 9x13 roasting pan fitted with a rack.
Step 4: Place the seasoned turkey breast on the rack.
Step 5: Cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F for 2.5 hours. Baste the turkey at least twice with the chicken broth from the pan.
Step 6: After the turkey breast finishes roasting, place it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tips
➢Leave on the netting: This will help the turkey breast hold its shape while cooking.
➢Reposition the netting: Lift it and shift its position slightly to make it easier to remove after cooking.
➢Butter under the netting: Ensure that the garlic-herb butter coats as much of the meat's surface area as possible. Gently massage it beneath the netting to help it penetrate better.
➢Don't skip the resting time: Tent the turkey with foil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
➢Use an oven-safe thermometer: You can leave a probe in the thickest part of the breast while roasting for foolproof doneness without opening the oven.
➢Use a sharp carving knife: This will ensure nice, clean slices as you cut against the grain.
Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe FAQs
Butterball turkeys come pre-brined, but you can add a small amount of salt to your seasoning if you'd like. My recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon of salt.
In my experience, covering it helps ensure a juicy turkey breast. Of course, the skin won't brown if it's covered, but that's why this recipe calls for placing the turkey under the broiler for a few minutes. It won't dry out the meat.
I recommend fully defrosting the turkey in the fridge first. Cooking it straight from frozen may not allow it to cook properly. For a frozen 3-pound boneless turkey breast, transfer it to the refrigerator 48 hours before cooking to allow it to thaw fully.
It takes longer because it sits on a rack (restricting direct heat), it's covered with foil, and it basically steams in a bath of chicken broth, which slowly creates a juicy breast inside and out.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: Freeze the cooked turkey for up to 2 months. It's best to repurpose frozen cooked turkey for things like leftover Thanksgiving turkey soup, turkey panini, or quesadillas.
Reheat: Cover and reheat in the oven until just warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave.
Serving Suggestions for This Recipe
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Boneless Butterball Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless turkey breast (Note 1)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (Note 2)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Remove the turkey from its packaging and discard the gravy packet (if any). Leave the netting in place.
- Whisk the salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary into the melted butter. Pour it over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, getting it beneath the netting as much as possible.
- Place a roasting rack into a 9x13 roasting pan and pour the chicken broth directly into the pan.
- Place the seasoned turkey on the rack and cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. Place the pan on the oven's bottom rack, and cook the turkey for 2.5 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 165℉.
- Baste the turkey with a turkey baster at least twice while it roasts. If the chicken broth becomes too shallow, add more to the pan.
- Transfer the turkey to a shallow pan and place under the broiler to crisp up the skin and turn it golden. Watch it carefully! Cover the turkey with foil and allow it to sit for 15-30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- If your turkey breast is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator for 48 hours before cooking.
- Basting the breast with the butter mixture will be a bit messy, but don't worry! It doesn't have to be perfect. Some of the butter will drip into the pan where you pour the broth, which is totally fine; just try to rub as much butter onto the breast as possible.
- Don't skip the resting time. The juices will run right out if you cut into the turkey breast immediately after removing it from the oven.
- Make sure to use a sharp carving knife for nice, clean slices. Slice against the grain, on a slight angle.
Nutrition
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This turkey was so juicy and flavorful, and it really is easy to make. You don't have to babysit it, which makes it a great holiday recipe.