November 15, 2025 6 Comments Go to recipe
This is the only time of year you can buy turkey breast. I don’t know why because you can always find it at the deli counter.
How many of us buy slices of turkey breast to make sandwiches? Turkey breast is one of those lean meats that nutritionists tell us to eat. It is known for being low in fat, high in protein and easy to serve.
But the products we buy at the deli counter aren’t that great. The difference between a cooked, packaged sliced turkey breast and a fresh, roasted turkey breast is quite stark.
For example, the turkey breast you’re roasting isn’t shaped like a circle. There you know the turkey has been processed to be easily sliced. Additionally, a large amount of salt is usually added to impart some flavor to the packaged turkey.
Roasting your own turkey breast will save you money and it will taste so much better. It’s not even the same animal in my opinion.
I bought this 8 pound turkey breast at Aldi for about $1.70 per pound. It has a bone in it because I think bones are good for flavor.
Below I’ve included my roasted turkey breast recipe, but I’ve included other methods for cooking turkey breast on Snack Girl – check out: cook turkey breast in an oven bag And slow cooker turkey breast.
I want to be clear that I am not cooking this for Thanksgiving. I made it for a meal and then froze half to make sandwiches. My local deli counter was selling turkey breast for $8 a pound (not even close to what I paid for frozen turkey breast, even accounting for the bone).
This frozen turkey breast did not come without added ingredients, which I find quite common. Here is what it says on the label:
turkey, turkey broth, salt, sugar, brown sugar, natural flavor
It is extremely important to check the ingredients on the package because you don’t want to add more salt or sugar if there is already some on the bird.
If the ingredients say “turkey,” then you can rub a few teaspoons of kosher salt under the skin and leave to marinate for 24 hours.
The key to good turkey breast is to IGNORE THE PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS. I used all capitals because I thought you should know that they are good but not the best.
Start the bird at a higher temperature to seal in the juices, then flip it to finish roasting. I find this technique makes a huge difference to the moisture in the final product.
I have a convection setting on my oven that I use for this process. Roasting is faster and also cooks poultry evenly. Use it if you have it!
Do you buy extra turkey breasts this time of year? How to cook your turkey breast?
Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
1 frozen bone-in turkey breast (7-10) pounds
Instructions
Thaw the turkey breast in the refrigerator for 2 days. Heat the oven to 425 F. Remove the breast from the packaging and place it on a roasting rack, skin side up. Add 1 cup of water to the pan to prevent the pan from burning.
Roast the turkey breast for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until turkey reaches 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Roasting time varies depending on the size of the brisket and your oven.
Point values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for informational purposes only. See all Snack Girl recipes
