Learn how to make my juicy, never-dry roast turkey breast recipe boldly flavored with garlic, parsley, allspice, and nutmeg then paired with the sweet roasted grapes and shallots. It’s an easy turkey recipe perfect for small gatherings.
Today, we’re diving into the holiday season with a roast turkey breast recipe that’s so incredibly flavorful and easy to make, it’s perfect for any family dinner or special occasion. This easy turkey breast recipe has juicy roasted grapes, aromatic vegetables, and a medley of warm spices; it’s a symphony of flavors that will have your tastebuds dancing.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s so versatile. Like a classic whole roast turkey, you can serve it with a variety of sides, from mashed potatoes to salad. It’s also a great option for leftovers; it makes the most epic turkey sandwiches! And let’s not forget the roasted grapes. They soften slightly in the oven and add a burst of sweetness and acidity that complements the savory turkey, plus, they just make the whole thing a little more special.
If you’re looking for a delicious and easy-to-make recipe that will impress your family and friends for Thanksgiving or any other special meal, I’ve got your back. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients to Make this Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
- Ingredient Spotlight
- How to a Roast Turkey Breast
- How Long Does it Take to Roast Turkey Breast?
- Why Salting and Chilling is Important
- Swaps and Substitutions
- What to Serve with Roast Turkey Breast
- How to Store and Reheat Roasted Turkey Breast
- Main Meal Recipes for Small Gatherings
- Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients to Make this Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
The trick to making the most delicious and never-dry turkey breast is adding layers of flavor, starting with salt and ending with delicious roasted vegetables. Big flavors don’t require a million ingredients, though. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Bone-in turkey breast half. My family is on the smaller side, so when I make roast turkey I only use one bone-in breast half, which is half of a whole bone-in turkey breast. Thaw the breast completely in the fridge a few of days ahead of time if you buy it frozen. The recipe also includes instructions for making a whole bone-in breast if you’re cooking for a crowd!
- Kosher salt helps tenderize the turkey. Adding it first, before any other seasoning, helps it permeate the meat.
- Roasting seedless red grapes adds pops of sweetness to spiced roasted turkey (they’re also great with Braised Chicken Thighs).
- Extra virgin olive oil. I like the peppery fruitiness of our Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil from Greece in this recipe.
- Spices: Ground allspice and nutmeg add a warming, autumnal flavor. Paprika adds earthiness, a beautiful red color (and a layer of smokiness, if you choose smoked paprika). Black pepper brings a subtle earthy heat.
- Garlic: You know I wouldn’t make a holiday roast without a good amount of garlic. I mince an entire head, about 14 cloves, to give this turkey that wonderful sharp flavor that mellows in the oven.
- Chopped parsley adds freshness to the flavor profile of roast turkey. Adding it under the skin helps protect the meat against drying out.
- Shallots and celery, roughly chopped into rustic pieces, form a bed for the turkey to roast on and add wonderful savoriness to contrast the sweet roasted grapes.
Ingredient Spotlight
Nutmeg, is a key ingredient in the pumpkin treats people love this time of year, and a natural in autumnal dessert recipes like Apple Strudel.
But the woodsy flavor of nutmeg is also a frequent player in savory recipes like Greek Moussaka, bechamel sauce, and Creamed Spinach where it adds complex aroma. It’s especially wonderful combined with other spices to make a warm, autumnal blend for roasted turkey. Grate it fresh using a microplane or a zester for the most nuanced flavor.
How to a Roast Turkey Breast
Adding layers of flavor to turkey breast before roasting it is the most involved part of this recipe. Besides that it’s as simple as chopping a few veggies!
- Salt the turkey. Pat a 2 1/2 pound bone-in turkey breast half dry and season it with kosher salt on both sides. Carefully lift the skin up and salt underneath as well. Once salted, set it aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or, if you have the time, in the fridge uncovered for 2 hours or overnight. If you do chill the turkey, take it out of the refrigerator and set it aside at room temperature while you preheat the oven.
- Roast the grapes. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 450°F. Add 1 pound seedless red grapes to a 9 1/2 x 13 baking pan. Toss them with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt. Roast in the heated oven for 15 minutes, until slightly softened. Transfer the grapes to a plate. Set the pan aside and leave the oven on.
- Season the turkey. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Once the spices are mixed, season the turkey with the mixture on all sides. Carefully lift skin and rub spice mixture underneath. In a large, shallow bowl, combine one head (about 14 closed) of minced garlic, a large handful of chopped fresh parsley, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Mix well. Gently press the garlic and parsley mixture all over the turkey. Again, apply the mixture underneath the skin.
- Prep the vegetables. In the same pan in which you roasted the grapes, add 8 small halved shallots and 7 roughly chopped stalks of celery. Next, season the vegetables with kosher salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the turkey breast on top, skin side up.
- Roast the turkey breast. Put the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F. While the turkey roasts, check on it occasionally and if you notice the turkey skin browning too much, cover it with foil.
- Return the grapes to the pan. Once the turkey has roasted for about 40 minutes, carefully remove it from the oven and add the grapes back to the pan. Return the turkey to the oven and roast until its internal temperature registers 155°F, about 45 minutes total. If your turkey needs a little bit of color, switch the oven to broil, and broil it until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pay close attention to the roasted turkey breast while it’s under the broiler so it doesn’t burn. When the breast has gained some color, remove it from the oven.
- Rest the turkey breast. Cover the turkey breast loosely with foil and let it rest undisturbed for about 15 minutes. The turkey meat will continue to cook and its internal temperature should rise to 165°F.
- Slice the turkey. Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board. Place the edge of a knife against the breast bone and carve the breast away, using the rib bones as a guide. Once the meat is off the bone, move the bones aside. Cut the breast crosswise into slices. When ready, serve the sliced turkey breast with roasted vegetables and grapes.
How Long Does it Take to Roast Turkey Breast?
The size of your turkey breast and the oven temperature determine how long you need to roast it, but as a general rule, plan on 15 minutes per pound when roasting a turkey breast at 350°F.
Why Salting and Chilling is Important
Do not skip the step of salting the turkey! This process of salting it and chilling it is called dry-brining. If given time, the kosher salt tenderizes and flavors the turkey.
Refrigerating the turkey breast uncovered for 2 hours or overnight allows the air in the fridge to dry the skin which helps it cook to a crispy golden brown while the salt keeps the turkey breast nice and juicy.
Swaps and Substitutions
It’s easy to customize this roast turkey breast recipe to suit your preferences or the rest of your menu, if you’re planning to serve this for a holiday. Or you can use this method to make more of a weeknight meal using chicken. Here are a few other ways to change it up.
- Turkey breast: Whole turkey, turkey legs, or a whole chicken. Cut the cook time for smaller pieces, but you can follow the same temperature guidelines for other types of poultry.
- Grapes: Feel free to leave them out or replace them with a pound of apples, peeled and chopped, if you need something lower in sugar.
- Shallots: Red onions or chopped leeks.
- Parsley: Any other fresh herbs including chives, tarragon, fennel fronds, or fresh sage.
What to Serve with Roast Turkey Breast
The options for sides and salads to go along with this turkey breast are endless. I think all it needs is something like Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Greek roasted potatoes, which are particularly great because you can make them the night before and simply warm them through before serving.
Autumnal dishes like this simple Kale Salad or this Fall Rotini Pasta are also great options. Want more color and crunch? Add a big festive salad like Balela!
If you’re serving this for Thanksgiving or another holiday, follow it up with a holiday treat like Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake or a gorgeous French pear tart.
How to Store and Reheat Roasted Turkey Breast
- To store leftover roast turkey breast, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
- To freeze leftovers, place them in a freezer-safe container and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You freeze the cooked turkey breast whole, or slice it, layer it into between pieces of parchment and freeze it. That way you can take out just the portion you need when you need it.
- To thaw the turkey breast, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight in the before reheating.
- To reheat leftover turkey breast place it in a skillet over medium heat, with a little water or stock. Warm it up, covered, for a few minutes until it’s heated through.
Main Meal Recipes for Small Gatherings
Meat and Poultry
Cranberry Chicken
Meat and Poultry
Citrus Rosemary Chicken
Meat and Poultry
Pomegranate Chicken Thigh Recipe
Meat and Poultry
Roasted Cornish Hens with Warming Spices and Garlic
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Roast Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pound bone-in turkey breast half (half of a whole bone-in turkey breast), completely thawed if previously frozen
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound seedless red grapes stemmed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 head garlic, about 14 cloves, peeled and minced
- Large handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 8 small shallots, peeled and halved
- 7 celery stalks, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Salt the turkey. Pat the turkey breast dry and season with kosher salt on both sides (be sure to carefully lift the skin up and salt underneath as well.) Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or, if you have the time, in the fridge uncovered for 2 hours or overnight. If you do chill the turkey, take it out of the refrigerator and set it aside at room temperature while you preheat the oven.
- Roast the grapes. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 450°F. Add the grapes to a 9 1/2 x 13 baking pan. Toss them with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt. Roast in the heated oven for 15 minutes, until slightly softened. Transfer the grapes to a plate. Set the pan aside and leave the oven on.
- Season the turkey. In a small bowl, mix together the allspice, paprika, black pepper, and nutmeg. Season turkey with the spice mixture on all sides. Carefully lift skin and rub spice mixture underneath. In a large, shallow bowl, combine the minced garlic, parsley and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Mix well. Add the turkey to the bowl and gently press the garlic and parsley mixture all over (again, apply the mixture underneath the skin).
- Prep the vegetables. In the same pan in which you roasted the grapes, add the shallots and celery. Season the vegetables with kosher salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the turkey breast on top, skin side up.
- Roast the turkey breast. Put the turkey in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350°F. Roast the turkey, checking it occasionally; if at some point you notice the turkey skin browning too much, cover it with foil.
- Return the grapes to the pan. After 40 minutes, carefully remove the turkey from the oven and add in the grapes. Return the turkey to the oven and roast until its internal temperature registers 155°F, about 45 minutes total. If your turkey needs a little bit of color, switch the oven to broil, keeping close attention to it, and broil it until nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
- Rest the turkey. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and let it rest undisturbed for about 15 minutes. The turkey meat will continue to cook and its internal temperature should rise to 165°F.
- Slice the turkey. Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board. Place the edge of a knife against the breast bone and carve the breast away, using the rib bones as a guide. Once the meat is off the bone, move the bones aside. Cut the breast crosswise into slices. Serve the sliced turkey with roasted vegetables and grapes.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the spices and olive oil used in this recipe.
- How to double the recipe: Need to feed more people? Use this recipe to cook a whole bone-in turkey breast rather than a half turkey breast. The method remains the same, but you can double the amount of spices and increase the garlic and fresh parsley mixture to cover the full breast. Follow the same temperature guidelines. It will take about an hour or a little more to fully cook.
- How to store roast turkey breast. Once cooled, store leftover roast turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze, tightly wrapped, for up to two months.
Nutrition
The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner
125 Easy Mediterranean Diet-Inspired Recipes to Eat Well and Live Joyfully
*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit. Enjoy!
I so appreciate this recipe and all the tips! We have a smaller family that it’s hard to justify making a whole turkey. I gave this recipe a try last night just to see how it turned out, and it was FANTASTIC! Every bit as juicy as you said and the flavors were amazing. Will be making it for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone should also read the tips, lots of good information there…I know you can’t say every tidbit in a video, so reading the post is important.
Wonderful, Cindy! So glad you gave it a try!
Hi Suzy,
This looks delicious and I’m eager to try. I can only get boneless and skinless turkey breast – how do I adjust cooking time and do I need to add anything to compensate for the lack of skin?
Oh the skin is quite important here because it will the fresh herbs and galic. I highly recommend finding bone-in, skin-on turkey breast for this recipe.
I know salt is an important component in this recipe, but we are supposed to avoid sodium. Is there a substitute for the salt we could try?
I can’t advise you fully on this, Sharon. I do use a lower-sodium kosher salt and you don’t have to use much of it if you don’t want to. Alternatively, you can skip the salt and air-chill the turkey without it and follow the remaining tips in terms of cooking and allowing the turkey to rest before serving.
YouTuber Helen Rennie (also has a cooking school) suggests using a product called LoSalt. Says the flavor is very good. However, you need to watch using bitter ingredients so perhaps lay off a lot of onion, leafy greens, etc. She has a video whcih I’d recommend: “There is a Salt without Sodium” (BTW, I think this is half and half.
Note I am not a medical professional and don’t play one on the internet. It’s best to talk to your doctor re: sodium. It looks like this is consistent (in small amts) with the DASH diet (Mediterranean plus restricted sodium and saturated fat) though.
Thank you for sharing, Jay.
I am allergic to carrots and celery. Is there another option instead of celery that would work with this recipe? I’d like to make this for my family and, hopefully, get one of my sons to enjoy turkey like the rest of us.
I would simply omit the celery, Eliza. You could always add some more shallots.
What do you use the celery and shallots in the bottom of the pan for?
We typically eat them with the Turkey.
This is FABULOUS! The juices also made the best gravy me & mine have ever had. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Maddie!
Would love to hear how you made the gravy after the birds was cooked!
this is my go-to turkey breast recipe. best turkey breast we have ever had. love it!!!
Fabulous!!! Thanks, Shannon!
Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
Thanks so much!
This recipe looks amazing! Question- my husband cannot have garlic, unfortunately. Is there a substitute for garlic that can be done for low FODMAP diet??
Hi Kate, thanks for reaching out. I am not aware of a good substitute for garlic that would meet your criteria. I often use onion as well, grated or minced finely. But I am not sure this meets what you’re looking for.
Hi Kate,
I just saw your comment now, so I’m not sure my answer will help, but here it is anyway. My daughter was also on the low FODMAP diet. Even though she couldn’t have garlic, she could have garlic infused olive oil. You can either buy that, or just put garlic in a bottle of oil.
This sounds great. I bought a kosher turkey breast.(what was available at Trader Joe’s) The meat is already salted in the processing. How would you change the recipe? I don’t want to over salt.
I haven’t tried an already salted turkey, but I would imagine maybe skipping the salt?
Hi Susy, this recipe looks very delicious and attractive I’m going to make it for a gathering of 10 people, I personally prefer boneless turkey breast which it’s what a mostly use. Would a boneless turkey breast works for this receipt? The cooking time might be different I assume which is fine but I really want boneless turkey instead if I can.
Hi there! Glad to hear it. Yes, boneless turkey will work! But as you said, watch the cooking time 🙂 Enjoy
My first time making Thanksgiving dinner for my Boyfriend and I in our new place and the first thing my boyfriend said was “This is the best turkey he has ever had” he never eat Turkey on Turkey day but with your recipe it changed his mind. It was so juicy and tender and so……damn delicious.. I’m definitely going to keep this one for the books. Thanks for sharing and Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m glad it was a hit! I love trying to think of new ways to serve my Thanksgiving turkey!
I love this recipe! Made a recipe with chicken and grapes and it was delicious, so this sounds fabulous! Thank you Suzy!!
Hello is it possible to roast turkey wings like this? Thank you
Sure, Latisha! Cooking time will vary.
Can I use chicken breast with the bone as every day meat instead of tickets and is the temp. the same?
I was looking for something a little different this year rather than a whole turkey. This recipe was delicious. I bought a whole breast and split in into 2 pieces. Everyone really liked this and I was quite pleased at how this turned out. Thank You so much for sharing this recipe. I will make this again.
Bill, I am so thrilled you gave this turkey recipe a try! And really glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to share!