This juicy, flavorful herb roasted bone-in turkey breast is easy to make and perfect for serving at a smaller Thanksgiving celebration for 2-4 people. The result is just as good as a whole turkey without all the stress or too many leftovers!

sliced herb roasted turkey breast on a grey platter wtih a glass of red wine in the background.

This post is sponsored by Erath Wines. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Lively Table running.

With many people’s Thanksgiving celebrations looking different this year, you may be making the entire meal on your own for the first time, especially if you’re used to a big family gathering. And you may be cooking that entire meal for a handful of people. Maybe even just two people! Whether it’s two or 20, I look forward to Thanksgiving every year, and I will always, always have a homemade, traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought of cooking a turkey for the first time, take a breath. For smaller gatherings, this herb roasted turkey breast is the perfect solution, and it’s so easy to make! Paired with an easy drinking Erath Pinot Noir and a few simple side dishes, this turkey breast makes a homemade Thanksgiving meal totally achievable and delicious!

sliced herb roasted turkey breast with a bottle and glass of wine in the background.

Why You’ll Love This Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Roasting a turkey seems intimidating, but it’s easy, I promise! This roasted bone-in turkey breast is full of flavor with just 5 ingredients thanks to a simple rub of garlic, herbs, and olive oil. It’s tender and juicy, and perfect for serving to a small group - hopefully with just enough leftovers that you can still make a delicious sandwich the next day!

How To Roast a Bone In Turkey Breast

chopped garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small white bowl.

ingredients to make herb turkey rub in a small white bowl.

Open a bottle of Erath wine (I go for the Pinot Gris while cooking) and pour yourself a glass. You’ll need it if you’ve never made a turkey because raw turkeys are gross looking.
Start with a bone-in turkey breast (they’re next to the whole turkeys at the store) and make sure it’s completely thawed.
Finely chop the garlic, rosemary, thyme and sage. Add them to a bowl with the salt, pepper and olive oil and stir it all together. Rub the mixture all over the turkey, getting it under the skin if you can.
Place the turkey on top of a roasting rack in a baking dish. If you don’t have a roasting rack, you can place a quartered onion and/or celery stalks in the bottom of your dish to set the turkey on.
Place in the oven at 425°F, then immediately lower the temperature to 325°F. Roast for about 15 minutes per pound, or about 2-3 hours, checking it early. When the internal temperature reaches 165°F, it’s done.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.

TLDR: Time and Temperature For Roasting a Bone In Turkey Breast

Start with the oven at 425F. Then roast at 325°F as soon as you put the turkey in for about 15 minutes per pound of turkey.

Should You Brine It? How About Basting?

Brining is great! I have a turkey brine recipe that I use every year that also works well for this recipe (just cut the recipe in half). If you have the time and fridge space, I recommend it. But if you don’t have time or forget, no worries! Your turkey will still be delicious.

Since a turkey breast takes so little time and produces a much smaller amount of pan drippings, basting is unnecessary.

Tips For Making The Best Bone-In Turkey Breast

Make sure your turkey breast is completely thawed. It should take about a day to thaw in the refrigerator, so plan ahead!
If you plan on making gravy, remove any piece of neck from the turkey before preparing it (see directions for gravy in the recipe below).
You don’t need a roasting rack if you don’t have one or prefer to use a smaller dish! Cut an onion into quarters and place in the bottom of the baking dish to set the turkey on. You can also use celery stalks. I also throw the herb stems in the bottom of the dish to flavor the drippings.
Get a meat thermometer. This is my single most important tip for making anyone a better cook. It takes all the guesswork out.
If the skin starts to get too brown before the turkey is done, you can tent it with foil.
Rest the turkey for about 30 minutes before carving. This will ensure a juicy turkey that retains all of that delicious moisture.

bottle of wine surrounded by fresh herbs, garlic, onion, salt and peppercorns on a white background.

Wine Pairings For Thanksgiving Turkey

There are always lots of different flavors on a Thanksgiving plate, so you want something versatile. You can never go wrong with Pinot Noir. Erath’s smooth, easy drinking Oregon Pinot Noir is the perfect complement to Thanksgiving turkey (and everything that goes with it!). I also like the Willakia Vineyard Pinot Noir for something a little more special. For the white wine drinkers, Erath Pinot Gris goes perfectly with turkey, as does the White Pinot Noir.

Right now you can use the code ROAST to get 10% off your order of Erath wines when you order from their website!

Homemade Side Dishes To Complete The Meal

Because it’s not Thanksgiving without amazing sides, here are my favorites:

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Easy Herb Roasted Bone In Turkey Breast

sliced herb roasted turkey breast on a grey platter garnished with fresh herbs.

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: roasted
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the turkey:

1 bone-in turkey breast (4-6 lb)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (about 2 stems)
2 tsp fresh thyme (about 2 stems)
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

For turkey gravy (optional):

Onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and/or thyme
Pan drippings
Turkey broth (see directions below)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F.
Removed thawed turkey from packaging. If you will be making the turkey gravy, remove any remnants of the neck with kitchen shears and set aside.
If you don’t have a roasting rack (or one small enough for your dish), place a quartered onion or celery ribs in the bottom or your baking dish to set the turkey on.
Mince the garlic and finely chop the herbs. (You can place the herb stems in the bottom of the pan as well to flavor the drippings.) In a small bowl, combine garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Rub the turkey with the herb mixture all over. I like to loosen the skin and spread the majority of the rub underneath the skin for the best flavor and to avoid burned garlic. Place the turkey on top of a roasting rack or the onion in the bottom of a baking dish.
Place turkey in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 325°F. Roast for about 15 minutes per pound of turkey, or 2-3 hours. Start checking the temperature around the 1.5 hour mark. Once the temperature has reached 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, it is done. (Many turkey breasts also come with a build in temperature probe that will pop out when the turkey is finished.)
Remove from the oven and rest the turkey for 30 minutes before carving.

To make the gravy:

Make turkey broth. Place the turkey neck in a small saucepan and add 1 ½ cups water. Add a small handful of chopped onion, celery, smashed garlic, a bay leaf and/or thyme sprig. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes, or for as long as the turkey cooks, keeping an eye on the liquid level.
Strain the liquid and discard the solids. Add 1 cup broth back to the pan. Pour any pan drippings into the pan with the broth. Bring mixture to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water. Pour the mixture into the boiling broth and whisk. Lower the heat and simmer until the gravy is thickened to your liking. If it’s too thin, add 1 teaspoon more cornstarch and cold water.

Notes

Make sure your turkey breast is completely thawed. It should take about a day to thaw in the refrigerator, so plan ahead!
You don’t need a roasting rack if you don’t have one or if you prefer to use a smaller dish! Cut an onion into quarters and place in the bottom of the baking dish to set the turkey on. You can also use celery stalks. I also throw the herb stems in the bottom of the dish to flavor the drippings.
Get a meat thermometer. This is my single most important tip for making anyone a better cook. It takes all the guesswork out.
If the skin starts to get too brown before the turkey is done, you can tent it with foil.
Rest the turkey for about 30 minutes before carving. This will ensure a juicy turkey that retains all of that delicious moisture.