I host Thanksgiving every year for family and friends. Coming from an Italian background, I always worry there won’t be enough food, so I make a separate turkey breast to serve alongside my main bird. This easy, flavorful turkey breast guarantees there’s plenty of turkey for everyone and extra leftovers for guests to take home.
Make this turkey breast for Friendsgiving, an office party, or a simple family dinner — it’s a crowd-pleaser. If you’re looking for holiday side dishes, desserts, or appetizers, plan those to complement this main course and round out the meal.
I prefer Butterball turkey for this recipe because their breasts are consistently tender and juicy. Choosing a quality turkey makes a noticeable difference in flavor and texture.
Butter is essential at Thanksgiving — it helps keep the turkey juicy and adds rich flavor. I season and prepare the turkey breast the same way I do my whole bird so the flavor is consistent across the table.
Using a cooking bag is not cheating — it locks in moisture and yields fantastic drippings when you remove the turkey from the oven.
I add roughly chopped onion, celery with leaves, and carrots to the bag. The vegetables create steam and add depth to the pan juices, enhancing the overall flavor.
I like serving this on a classic turkey platter and with a gravy boat — both are useful for serving and make a lovely hostess gift if you bring them to a party.
🗒 More Holiday Recipes You May Enjoy
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover turkey breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days.
🤔 Common Questions
Classic sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy are perfect. Add seasonal vegetables and a salad to round out the meal.
Leftover turkey breast is great in sandwiches, salads, casseroles, and soups. It also freezes well for future meals.
Turkey Breast 🍗
It’s ideal for holiday gatherings or any dinner where you want flavorful, moist turkey without cooking a whole bird.
10
2
2 10
8 people
18 kcal
Ingredients
- 3 pound Butterball turkey breast
- Salt & pepper
- 2-3 tbsp rubbed sage
- 1 stick salted butter sliced
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 2-3 stalks celery with leaves roughly chopped
- 2-3 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 oz fresh sage
Instructions
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Butterball turkey is my favorite for turkey breast; it delivers consistent results.
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Leave the netting on the turkey breast. Sprinkle liberally with salt and cracked black pepper, then rub in the rubbed sage so the seasoning adheres well.
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Slice the stick of salted butter into pats and let them soften to room temperature. Tuck the pats under the netting and press them gently into the meat so they melt into the breast while roasting.
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Place the turkey breast in an oven-safe cooking bag. Add the roughly chopped onion, celery (with leaves), carrots, and fresh sage on top of the breast. Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper, seal the bag with the provided tie, and cut a small slit at the top to allow steam to escape.
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Position your oven rack in the middle or lower third of the oven so the bag has room and won’t touch heating elements. Bake at 325°F, allowing about 20 minutes per pound as a guideline. Remove when the internal temperature reaches 160°F and let the breast rest; the temperature will rise to 165°F during resting.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 4g
Protein: 0.5g
Fat: 0.3g
Sodium: 11mg
Potassium: 86mg
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