One of the things we want to do on our blog is
post delicious, healthy recipes. Not that we won’t post delicious, non-healthy recipes either. Ha! Seriously, though, we know that we are overweight and since so many people struggle like we do, we really want to showcase the difference that positive, healthy eating and exercise can have on your mind and body.
About a week ago, a friend posted a turkey recipe on Facebook. It looked so tasty that I had to save it, knowing full well that it would stay “saved” along with hundreds of other recipes that I would try “someday.” Well, maybe because it’s almost Thanksgiving, I don’t know, but that turkey recipe stayed on my mind. So much so, that a certain 5lb turkey found its way into my wholesale club shopping cart.
Two days later, I got that sucker thawed, rubbed down with garlic and herb butter, and roasted to a moist, savory perfection. It tasted sooooo good y’all! And to complement it, I found a great green bean recipe to try. You really need to try both of these recipes. I posted them below along with the links as to where I found them. I did slightly alter the green beans, instead of just bacon grease, I added bacon, and I used red and yellow bell pepper. Enjoy!
Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
Total: 1 hr 50 mins
Course: Mains
Servings: 6 to 8 people
Calories: 598 kcal
Notes
1. TURKEY: You can also use a 4-5lb single breast with no bone. This can also be with a whole bone in turkey breast.
BRINED TURKEY: Frozen packaged turkey sold in the freezer section of supermarkets is often brined (if ingredients include salt, it’s brined). This recipe will be too salty if you use brined turkey, so reduce the salt in the butter to 3/4 tsp.
THAW TURKEY: You MUST thaw turkey properly before cooking it. Thaw in the refrigerator in a large bowl/tray 24 hours for every 4 – 5 lb. Or for a quick thaw, use cold tap water (not warm or hot) and allow 30 minutes for every 1lb of turkey, changing the water every 30 minutes. Ensure the turkey is submerged.
Do not even think about microwave thawing it -unless you want dry turkey. And cooking a partly frozen turkey is a no-no too.
2. COOK TIME: Rely on your thermometer, because so many variables will affect the cook time – the accuracy of your oven, the coldness of your turkey, how often you open/close the oven, how much heat escapes every time you do that etc etc!
3. RACK POSITION: Put the rack just below the middle so the turkey itself is in the middle of the oven. If the turkey is too high, the top can brown too fast, especially in standard ovens.
4. Choose a baking dish or ovenproof skillet the breast will fit in comfortably without loads of space around it.
5. BASTING: Use a large spoon and scoop up the pan juices, pour it all over the turkey. Do this about 8 – 10 times, then return to oven.
6. BUTTER SAUCE: Taste the sauce for saltiness (depends how much salt came off skin). Too salty: Add melted unsalted butter OR lemon juice (a bit at a time) if you want lemon flavor. Key is to taste test as you go. Not salty enough: Add salt. Not enough Sauce: Add butter and salt.
You will not need loads of sauce, it’s rich . You’ll need about 2 tsp per serving. Remember there are turkey juices combined with the butter, it’s not just butter.
7. SERVINGS: Turkey should be sliced fairly thin for optimal experience! Carve from the fat end of the breast which is juicier (it’s inevitable the thin end will be a bit overcooked). Ensure every slice has a bit of skin OR some of the underside, it is seriously loaded with flavor in this turkey!
Ingredients:
Turkey:
- 5-6 lb. single turkey breast, skin on, bone in (Note 1), NOT BRINED
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- Small bunch of fresh herbs – 4 rosemary sprigs, 8 sprigs sage, 10 thyme sprigs
- 12 garlic cloves, smashed with side of knife
Butter:
- 150 g / 5 oz (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 tsp table salt or 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp finely chopped sage, fresh
- 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary, fresh
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, fresh
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves, fresh
Instructions:
- Take turkey out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking (or 30 minutes if it’s super hot where you are).
- Preheat oven to 200C / 390F (all oven types). Put rack in the lower middle position. (Note 3)
- Place garlic and bunch of herbs in the middle of a baking dish. (Note 4)
- Butter: Mix Butter ingredients together.
- Use an upside teaspoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh (easiest to go under the paper-thin layer under the surface skin).
- Use about 2/3 of the butter and smear it under the skin on the top half of the breast. Best to smear using hands under the skin (not on surface), to ensure it spreads as evenly as possible.
- Turn turkey upside down. Reserve about 2 tbsp butter for the surface, smear the rest on the underside.
- Place turkey in pan on the herbs, skin side up. Now smear skin with remaining butter – you don’t want much on the skin because the herb bits burn.
- STOP HERE for make ahead – the turkey can be left like this for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge 45 minutes before serving then proceed.
- Sprinkle top and sides of breast with salt and pepper all over. Place turkey in oven, turn DOWN to 350F.
- Roast for 1 hr 30 minutes, basting all over every 30 minutes. (Note 5)
- COOK TIME / INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: The turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part is 165F. Check in several places.
- COVER turkey with foil when it becomes golden to your taste, at any point during the cook time.
- Remove turkey from pan and place on serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
- Butter Sauce (Note 6):
The pan will have melted butter and roasting juices. Remove herbs and garlic, squeezing out juices. Pour sauce into jug, serve with turkey.
Bonus: Leftovers
Keep leftover turkey whole. The salt under the skin seems to sort of cure the turkey so the next day, it slices like deli meat, rather than being dry leftover turkey. Make sure you save the butter and pan juices too! I made a sandwich with leftover turkey, muenster cheese, and garlic butter. It’s a brioche roll lightly toasted in the iron skillet. I piled turkey in the skillet to warm up. Then I melted muenster cheese on the bottom bun, added some of the turkey juice “jelly” so it could warm and ooze on the bread, and topped it with the turkey, finishing it off with the top bun. This was the best turkey sandwich!
![04b - Herb Garlic Butter Roast Turkey Breast - sandwich with leftovers[1807]](https://whatsnewwithus.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/04b-Herb-Garlic-Butter-Roast-Turkey-Breast-sandwich-with-leftovers1807-e1551235616992-866x1024.jpg)
Green Bean Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 2 table spoons butter)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
· Snap the stem ends of the green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d prefer.
· Melt the bacon grease in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add the green beans and cook until the beans turn bright green, about a minute. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape.
· Cook until the liquid evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp, 20 to 30 minutes. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can start to caramelize.
