This skillet roasted turkey breast recipe is savory spiced + simple

I’m stoked to be sharing this turkey breast recipe because it is not only easy (and roasted in a cast iron skillet – what?), it’s also flavored with savory spices (and a hint of something you might not expect) which takes the flavor of the meat to the most joyful of places.  Oh, and there’s lots of butter.  Lots and lots of butter.

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What’s with the cast iron skillet?

Couple reasons I chose to use a skillet for this turkey breast recipe.  Number one, I didn’t have a roasting pan.  Number two, I didn’t have a roasting pan.  As you can see, there was no clear deciding factor other than lack of cooking vessels to use a skillet, but I’m SO glad I did and I don’t know if I’ll ever change it up.

For starters, I 1000 percent believe the cast iron (and my awesome seasoning) is what created such a crispy, beautiful skin for this turkey breast recipe.  And, that turkey was perfectly moist when sliced. OMG. I don’t know if I’ve ever tasted such a moist, but well-cooked meat.  Maybe it was the skillet?

Washing the meat

We purchased a 4.5 pound turkey breast from the grocery store, that conveniently came with washing and roasting instructions.  I went ahead and followed them, by rinsing the breast under cold water, ensuring I get up under the skin and in all the weird parts.  When I tell you I dispise prepping meat, I am not exaggerating.  But, I also know that if I wanted to create this turkey breast recipe I was going to have to get my hands dirty (lit-tra-ly).

Just make sure you clean the you-know-what out of your sink when you’re done.  And, if you think you splashed raw turkey juice on to your sponges or countertop, sanitize, sanitize, sanitize.  The Kitchn has some tips on that, here.

Prepping your turkey

I’m not gonna sugarcoat this.  You’re gonna need a lot of butter.  I used an entire stick of butter as a cozy little bed for my turkey.  I use grass-fed butter from Kerrygold that comes in a huge block, so I sliced long thin pieces so that the turkey breast would lay flat on top of it as it melts.

I then used a little more butter (half a stick?) and rubbed it all over the top side of the skin.

After that, I cut up smaller pieces of what butter remained, and placed it up inside and underneath the skin, so that when the turkey was roasting, the butter would melt directly into the meat.  Maybe that’s what it was so moist?

Savory spices, garlic + other goodies

After I buttered up my turkey, I put together a savory spice mixture of Italian seasoning, rosemary, garlic powder, and pink salt. I then, dropped a heaping (and I mean, heaping) tablespoon of minced garlic into about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.

I mixed that up and poured it into the bottom of the skillet to flavor my butter for basting.  I then sprinkled and rubbed the seasoning all over the turkey and up underneath the skin with my butter.

Done and done.

Roast for 2 hours + baste every 30

Your roasting schedule is going to depend on how many pounds of turkey you are roasting.  For this turkey breast recipe, I roasted at 325 degrees for about 2.5 hours (to be real, I popped it another 15…or maybe 25 minutes after the meat thermometer popped because I’m terrified of underdone meat).  Even with that, the turkey was perfectly cooked.

I set my timer to go off every 30 minutes and when it did, I would baste my turkey with the juices (they smelled SO GOOD, OMG).  I didn’t have a fancy turkey baster, so I just used a spoon and made sure I covered the entire turkey each time I basted.

Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe

If you don’t eat it all up in the first sitting your leftovers will keep about 3-4 days in the fridge (in an airtight container).  This is perfect if you have out of town guests or like to follow up the “big feast” with a turkey sammy (or lettuce roll-up). Either way, the spices in this turkey breast recipe create such a cozy, flavorful vibe – I hope you love it!

If you’re looking for more dishes to serve this holiday season check out my…

Pumpkin Spice Muffins | Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Skillet roasted turkey breast

This skillet roasted turkey breast recipe is savory-spiced and simple. Perfect for small gatherings, holidays or meal prep, you'll love the flavor of the crispy outside and the melt in your mouth buttery taste of the finished product.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 4.5 pound bone in turkey breast (with the skin)
• 2 sticks (8 oz total) salted butter
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt
• 1 heaping tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 2 hours Servings servings Ingredients 1 4.5 pound bone in turkey breast (with the skin) 2 sticks (8 oz total) salted butter 1 tsp italian seasoning 1 tsp dried rosemary 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt 1 heaping tsp minced garlic 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix your spices, including the Italian seasoning, dried rosemary, garlic powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix your apple cider vinegar with your minced garlic. Set Aside
4. Slice one stick of butter into strips (lengthwise) and lay in the bottom center of your skillet, side by side (not touching). After washing your turkey breast in cold water and patting it dry, place your turkey breast on top of the butter.
5. Rub the entire outside of your turkey with the second stick of butter. Then, cut small strips into your remaining butter (width-wise) and individually place those strips underneath the skin on both sides (over each breast). If you have any butter left, place that in the skillet around the turkey for basting.
6. Next, sprinkle your spice mixture on top of the turkey and rub it in with your hands. Place additional spice under the skin (wherever you can) and sprinkle any remaining spice in the skillet over the butter for basting.
7. Place your apple cider vinegar and garlic mixture into the skillet (around the turkey, not on it) to flavor your butter for basting.
8. Roast for 2-3 hours, basting every 30 minutes until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees F. When basting, make sure you cover the entire turkey breast with the juices! If your turkey breast is smaller or larger than 4.5 pounds, you can estimate approximately 15 minutes of roast time per pound of turkey. Make sure you insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey when you think it is done to make sure it has reached 165 degrees F. Enjoy!