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One-Pan Roast Turkey Breast with Herb Stuffing

Serving a turkey breast is a great way to celebrate on a smaller scale, and this one-pan feast makes a festive, flavorful turkey dinner as foolproof as can be. To start, we sautéed fresh herbs and aromatics right in the roasting pan before placing an her butter-rubbed turkey breast on top. There was plenty of room for a side in our roasting pan, so we worked in a stuffing, sprinkling the turkey's flavorful juices. Starting at a high temperature allowed the juices to render for a supercrisp, deeply browned skin; we later lowered the heat to allow the breast to cook through gently. Served with our hands-off stuffing, this all-in-one meal kept things easy without shortchanging flavor. If using a self-basting turkey breast (such as a frozen Butterball) or kosher turkey, do not brine in step 1, but season with salt after rubbing with butter in step 2.
Photograph by J. Kenji Lopez

December 10, 2019 by Cook's Illustrated Holiday Entertaining
One-Pan Roast Turkey Breast with Herb Stuffing

Main ingredient

Turkey

Pairs well with

Stuffing

Cook time

2 hours 30 minutes

Serving size

4 to 6

Ingredients

  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 (6 to 7 pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 2 celery ribs, minced
  • 1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup chicken broth, plus extra as needed
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Recipe Preparation

  1. Dissolve 1/2 cup salt in 1 gallons cold water in large container. Submerge turkey in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours; remove from brine and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels.
  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Mash 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Using your fingers, gently separate skin from meat. Spread half of butter mixture under skin directly onto meat. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over skin.
  3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in large roasting pan over medium heat (over 2 burners, if possible). Add onion, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sage and raining 1 tablespoon thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, place turkey, skin side up, on top of vegetables and arrange bread around turkey. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast turkey until breast registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour.
  5. Remove pan from oven. Transfer turkey to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 15 minutes. Stir broth and parsley into stuffing left in pan, cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes; add extra broth if stuffing is dry. Carve turkey and serve with stuffing.
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