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My friend texted me the other day and asked if there was a turkey recipe she could make in the Air Fryer. My answer was this Air Fryer Turkey Breast. It’s perfect for small gatherings or a meal for two! It’s seasoned with fresh herbs and minced garlic and cooks super quickly (for turkey!) in the air fryer.
Table of Contents
- Recipe At a Glance
- Ingredients to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Popular Substitutions & Additions
- How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Tips for Making the Best Turkey Breast in the Air Fryer
- What to Serve With Turkey Breast
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Turkey Recipes:
- More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe
I love the tradition of making a whole turkey for Thanksgiving. But, it’s a lot. If you don’t want that and aren’t serving a big crowd, this Air Fryer Turkey Breast is the answer. It’s seasoned with butter, fresh herbs, minced garlic, and spices and cooks in the air fryer. The resulting turkey breast is so flavorful and juicy and tender, with perfectly crispy skin.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Air Fryer
Dietary Info: Gluten-free
Key Flavor: Herby with a savory garlic butter
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- It takes way less time than an oven-roasted bird: This air fryer turkey breast takes literally half of the amount of time to cook than a whole turkey!
- Makes a reasonable amount of turkey: While a whole turkey can serve more than a dozen people, this air fryer turkey breast is great for a small family. And you’ll still have leftovers!
- More economical: A whole turkey can be expensive! A single turkey breast costs way less.
Ingredients to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Turkey breast: You can use fresh or frozen, boneless or bone-in! If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it thoroughly before cooking.
- Unsalted butter: I like to use unsalted butter to control the final amount of salt in the recipe. You’ll want to make sure the butter is softened so it’s easy to mix with the seasonings and spread onto the turkey!
- Garlic: Mince the garlic so it’ll mix into the butter well.
- Fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme: I think fresh herbs add the best flavor, but you can absolutely use dried. If you opt for dried, use half of the amount the recipe calls for!
- Paprika, salt, and pepper: I keep the seasonings simple to really let the herbs shine! You can use sweet or smoky paprika.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Switch up the herbs. You could use oregano, tarragon, or dill!
- Add citrus zest. Add grated lemon, orange, or lime zest to the butter mixture.
- Try turkey thighs. If you prefer dark meat, you could use turkey thighs instead of breasts. Just be aware of the weight of the turkey and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Use browned butter: You can swap the softened butter for cooled browned butter, which adds a nutty, caramelized flavor! To make browned butter, add it to a pan over medium heat and swirl the pan occasionally until the butter is foamy and golden brown.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast
This turkey breast is so simple to make! The butter mixture adds so much flavor. It’s herby, garlicky, and just a little smoky from the paprika!
Tips for Making the Best Turkey Breast in the Air Fryer
- Don’t wash the turkey. This is just extra work and possibly contaminates your sink! Save yourself the hassle. Simply patting the turkey dry with a paper towel is enough.
- Use a thermometer. A meat thermometer will tell you if your turkey’s done or underdone—no guesswork! You want to cook it to 160ºF.
- Tent it with foil. If the turkey breast is browning too quickly, tent it with foil. That way, it can continue to cook without the skin burning.
- Let it rest before slicing. This allows the meat to absorb the juices, so it doesn’t pool out of the turkey immediately upon slicing.
What to Serve With Turkey Breast
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover cooled turkey can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It can be reheated in a 350ºF air fryer for a few minutes. It’s also delicious eaten cold!
You can! Just make sure to adjust the air fryer turkey breast time per pound. It will take about 10 minutes per pound.
You don’t have to, but I highly recommend it. It will help the turkey breast cook faster and more evenly!
This Air Fryer Turkey Breast is so simple, delicious, and quick, I’ll be making it outside of Thanksgiving! I can’t get enough of it served with mashed potatoes and gravy, but it’s also excellent the next day on a sandwich. Way less effort than a whole turkey? I’ll take it.
More Turkey Recipes:
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Garlic and Herb Crusted Prime Rib
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Focaccia Charcuterie Board
- Oven Roasted Carrots
- Fall Harvest Salad
If you try this feel good Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound turkey breast
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ tsp chopped fresh sage about 5 leaves
- 1 ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Remove turkey breast from its packaging, leaving the netting on to help keep it together while cooking (for boneless). Place it in a large bowl and pat dry well with paper towels. Let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- If using a bone-in turkey with ribs attached, it’s best to spatchcock the breast. Place the turkey breast side down and use a sharp chef’s knife to score the sternum. Use your hands to press down on both sides to pop open the rib cage and then flip it over and press down firmly to flatten the breasts out.
- To a separate small bowl, add the softened butter, minced garlic, chopped fresh herbs, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the turkey breast.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF.
- For boneless turkey breast: Place the seasoned turkey breast skin side down and cook for 15 minutes. Using tongs, flip the turkey breast over and continue air frying for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
- For bone-in turkey breast: Cook skin side down for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the turkey breast over and continue air frying for another 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. If the top begins to darken too quickly, place a small sheet of aluminum foil on top.
- Remove from the air fryer, tent with foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
