This air fryer turkey breast is amazingly delicious, with crispy skin and tender juicy meat. Making turkey in your air fryer is one of the easiest things to do and you no longer have to only have roasted turkey during the holidays.
Next time try these juicy air fryer stuffed chicken breast.
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Air Fryer Turkey Breast
We only make moist turkey about once a year. As it's a big deal to buy a double digit pound turkey, taking the time to thaw it for days, brining, seasoning, to stuff or not, and remembering to pull out the middle rack from the oven before turning it on. There are so many steps to roasting a holiday or Thanksgiving turkey.
One of the things I like about this recipe is that it can easily be made whenever we crave turkey, requiring only an hour of cooking time! It is incredibly juicy, and there's no guessing if it's fully cooked. Using a meat thermometer, the temperature should be at least 165 degrees F.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 5-6 pound turkey breast, bone-in skin-on
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2-3 teaspoon kosher salt or to your liking
- ½ Tablespoon onion powder
- ½ Tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- ¼ teaspoon dry sage
Instructions
Prepare the turkey:
- Pat dry the turkey breast with paper towels
- In a medium bowl combine oil, melted butter, and all the spices.
- Rub the turkey all over with the butter oil mixture and make sure to rub inside the cavity and if you can under the skin.
Cooking the turkey:
- Preheat your air fryer to 350F.
- Place turkey breast in the air fryer skin side down and air fry for 20 minutes.
- Turn it over and air fry for another 30-45 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 165F.
- Let it rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.
Nutrition
How to Make Turkey Breast in Air Fryer
This recipe uses a delicious combination of dry herbs but feel free if you do not like an herb to substitute or leave it out.
In a small bowl, combine oil, melted butter, and the spices. Pour mixed rub ingredients over the turkey breast then rub turkey breast all over with the mixture and make sure to rub inside the cavity and if you can get under the skin.
Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place turkey breast in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and air fry for 20 minutes. Turn it over and air fry for 30-45 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when inserted in the thickest part of the breast. Let it rest covered with an aluminum foil tent for 15-30 minutes before carving.
You do not have to wait for Thanksgiving to make this easy turkey breast recipe; be sure to serve it with whipped sweet potatoes for the vibe.
Variations to make it your own
- You can try fresh herbs instead; think fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage.
- Although I've used bone-in breast, you can use boneless turkey breast just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
How to store leftovers
Refrigerate - Place leftover turkey breast in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Freeze - Place cooked turkey meat in freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 4 months.
Reheat- Place turkey slices in a baking dish, add 1 cup of low sodium broth per pound of turkey breast and add about 1 tablespoon of butter, cut into pieces, on top. Bake at 350F oven until the slices are heated thoroughly.
My notes
- You must thaw the turkey breast before cooking. The best way is to thaw in the refrigerator. It takes 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey.
- If you are in a hurry, then you can submerge the turkey in cold water, not warm, and allow 30 minutes per pound and change the water every 30 minutes. Do not thaw on the counter or in the microwave.
- Before starting the recipe, it is recommended to check that the size of the turkey fits into your air fryer. A 5-pound turkey breast should fit into a 5-quart air fryer.
- You can use salted butter, but adjust the salt accordingly.
- Letting the turkey breast rest before carving ensures a moist and tender turkey. Also cutting it into thin slices makes it taste more tender.
- In case your air fryer smokes, especially when cooking fatty food or if you are cooking multiple batches, consider adding a couple of tablespoons of water or a piece of bread in the dripping pan or at the bottom of your air fryer. Please refer to your manual for safety and proper use.
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Serve air fryer turkey breast with cranberry sauce, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted vegetables, green beans casserole , fluffy bread rolls or buttermilk biscuits.
FAQs
A good rule of thumb is to know that it takes about 10-12 minutes per pound. The internal temperature of turkey breast should be a minimum of 165F.
The short answer is no. It takes a long while for the turkey to thaw out. Much longer than it takes to cook. The turkey breast will be way over done and dry if you try to cook it while frozen.
Yes! A boneless turkey breast can be used in place of the bone in turkey breast with the same seasoning rub. A 5 pound boneless turkey breast should take about 50-60 minutes to roast. Be sure to flip and check on it half ways as you would a bone in turkey breast. And check that the internal temperature is 165F to signal it's completely cooked.
Related Recipes
Air fryer was a game changer for me, it cooks quicker and the food comes out well done without being mushy or overcooked. Here are some great air fryer recipes for you to try.
Hands down, one of my fav ways to cook turkey. EVERYONE loves this recipe. Let me know what your family thinks ok? Leave a comment below!Thank you.
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