Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Try this air fryer turkey breast if you’re hosting a small gathering this holiday season. Classically flavored with garlic, butter, and herbs, this turkey breast recipe yields succulent, tender results with minimal effort.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 10

Rest Time 10

Total Time 2

Servings servings

Calories 332kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Air fryer
mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 (3-pound) bone-in skin-on turkey breast
3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1 teaspoon salt divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided

Instructions

Let the turkey breast sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat both sides dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, stir together the butter, garlic, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Loosen the skin on the breast and rub ½ of the butter mixture under the skin. Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the turkey breast. Sprinkle all over with the remaining salt and pepper.
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
Place the turkey in the basket skin-side up and air fry for 10 minutes. Flip the turkey over and air fryer for 30 minutes. Flip the turkey again and air fryer until the skin is golden and crispy and the internal temperature is 160F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Opt for bone-in skin-on turkey breast. Bone-in turkey breast is so much more juicy and flavorful than a boneless turkey breast! If desired, you can use a boneless breast, but the cooking time will be 20 to 30 minutes less.
Thaw the turkey breast completely. A turkey breast takes a fraction of the time of a whole turkey to defrost, but don’t forget this important step if you purchase it frozen! Thaw the breast in the refrigerator a day ahead, or overnight, depending on its size.
Let it sit at room temperature. Set the turkey breast on the counter about 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking so it warms up just a bit. This will help the turkey cook more evenly in the air fryer.
Pat the turkey dry. This seemingly unimportant step is absolutely vital if you want crispy, crackly skin on your air-fried turkey breast.
Use a meat thermometer. When cooking poultry, it’s important to ensure the meat is fully cooked before you eat it. A meat thermometer or instant read thermometer is the best way to check the internal temperature of the turkey breast. According to the USDA, all poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. In this recipe, I cook the turkey breast in the air fryer until its internal temperature reaches 160°F. While it rests, the residual heat from cooking will cause its internal temperature to rise to 165°F, and it will be ready to enjoy after the resting period. This little trick safeguards from overcooking and results in the best juicy turkey breast!
Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes. As I mentioned above, while the turkey rests, its internal temperature will continue to rise. But flavor magic happens during this time, too! In those 10 minutes, the juices will be absorbed and redistributed in the turkey, so you have succulent, incredibly tender turkey.
Ingredient substitutions: You can use ¼ to ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. You could also use other fresh herbs, such as thyme, marjoram, oregano, or sage, instead of rosemary. You can also use olive oil in place of butter if necessary, but butter does add the most flavor.
Make a gravy with the drippings. Though this method won't produce as many drippings as an oven-roasted turkey, there will still be a delicious, super flavorful fond in the bottom of your air fryer. So, please don't waste it and make a turkey gravy! Add some broth to the air fryer basket and swirl it around to help loosen the drippings.

Nutrition

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