Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast ready to serve
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Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast

Serves
4–6 servings
Prep
20 mins
Cook
About 1½–2¼ hours
Oven roasted turkey breast with Original Desert Dust butter makes a smaller Sunday or holiday roast. Use a bone-in breast half and check doneness with a thermometer.

Make it with The Original Desert Dust. Use the measured amount in the ingredients.

Ingredients

Allow 20 minutes active prep, approximately 1½–2¼ hours roasting and a separate 15–20 minute rest. Weight, shape and the thermometer determine cooking time.

  • 1 bone-in, skin-on turkey breast half, 3–4 lb, fully thawed
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tsp Original Desert Dust
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 small onion, thickly sliced
  • ½ cup water

Directions

  1. Prepare. Heat a conventional oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove any packaging and pat the turkey dry with paper towels; do not rinse raw poultry. Use a fully thawed bone-in breast half, not a rolled boneless roast. Set onion slices in a small roasting pan with the water.
  2. Season. Mix butter with Dust and lemon zest. Carefully loosen the breast skin without tearing it. Spread half the butter underneath and the rest over the skin. Set the turkey skin-up on the onions, with the thickest meat facing upward.
  3. Roast. Roast uncovered, allowing roughly 1½–2¼ hours depending on weight and shape. Begin checking after 1 hour. If the skin browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Add a little hot water if the pan dries out.
  4. Check the center. Insert a thermometer into the thickest meat without touching bone. Check more than one spot and continue roasting until each reaches at least 165°F (74°C). If the package gives a higher target for its specific product, follow that guidance.
  5. Rest and carve. Rest on a clean board for 15–20 minutes. Cut the breast meat away from the bone, then slice across the grain. Keep raw-poultry utensils separate from those used for the cooked roast.
The Original Desert Dust - Date-Based All-Purpose Seasoning

The Dust In This Recipe

THE ORIGINAL DESERT DUST

$12.99

Original Dust seasons the lemon butter beneath and over the turkey skin; there is no heavy glaze to scorch.
  • THE DUST IN THE DISHOriginal Dust seasons the lemon butter beneath and over the turkey skin; there is no heavy glaze to scorch.
  • SEASON WITH CAREUse the measured amount in the recipe, then taste the finished dish before adding more.
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RECIPE TIPS & FAQS

CAN I USE A BONELESS TURKEY BREAST?

Not with the same timing. This method specifies a 3–4 lb bone-in breast half. Rolled boneless roasts vary in shape and may have netting or added solution; use the package method and confirm the safe center temperature.

WHAT IF THE TURKEY IS ALREADY BRINED?

Read the label for added solution or salt. Start with half the Dust if the breast is pre-seasoned, and use unsalted butter. There is no extra salt in this recipe.

HOW DO I KEEP THE BREAST FROM DRYING OUT?

Check early with a thermometer and take it out once all checked areas have reached the required temperature. Rest before slicing. Color and clear juices alone cannot establish doneness.

CAN I MAKE IT AHEAD?

It is best carved after its rest. For advance preparation, cook fully, refrigerate promptly in shallow containers and reheat portions with a little liquid to 165°F.

HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVERS?

Refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Use within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F.

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