Bacon and herb roasted turkey breast is a flavorful and juicy main course perfect for holiday gatherings, special occasions, or a hearty Sunday dinner. This dish features a succulent turkey breast marinated in a blend of fragrant herbs, garlic, and savory spices, then roasted to perfection with crispy bacon and a golden-brown skin. The accompanying recipes in this article offer variations on the classic bacon and herb roasted turkey breast, including a delicious cranberry-apple stuffing, a creamy mashed potato casserole, and a simple yet elegant roasted vegetable medley. These recipes are carefully crafted to complement the main dish and create a complete and satisfying meal that will impress your guests and leave them craving for more.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
HERB-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST
Rather than roast an entire bird, try Ina Garten's Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast for a flavorful alternative. Rosemary, sage and thyme star in this recipe.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time 2h40m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.
HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH PAN GRAVY
Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat.
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h5m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.
- Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.
- Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.
- Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.
BACON AND HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST
This delicious bacon and herb roast breast of turkey recipe is courtesy of chef Emeril Lagasse.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Pork Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil.
- Place bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat; cook until bacon is crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat. Let bacon cool.
- Finely chop bacon and transfer to a small bowl, along with garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a small spoon, mix until a paste is formed.
- Using your fingertips, gently loosen the skin on both sides of the turkey breast so that it is separated from the flesh. Divide herb paste in half and gently spread half of the paste between each half of the breast. Season turkey with remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Brush skin with reserved bacon fat.
- Place turkey in prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and let rest 20 minutes before carving. Serve with any pan drippings.
ROAST HERITAGE TURKEY WITH BACON-HERB AND CIDER GRAVY
Provided by Nancy Oakes
Categories Herb Mustard Poultry turkey Marinate Roast Christmas Thanksgiving High Fiber Dinner Vinegar Apple Bacon Fennel Fall Family Reunion Christmas Eve Bon Appétit Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 35
Steps:
- For bacon, dijon, and herb butter:
- Blend all ingredients in processor until bacon is finely chopped. Transfer to sheet of plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap as aid, roll butter mixture into 2-inch-diameter log; chill until firm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
- For cider gravy base:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine turkey neck, 1/4 cup turkey fat, and turkey leg in heavy large ovenproof pot. Place in oven; roast uncovered until turkey parts are deep, dark brown, turning once, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving fat from pot. Reserve 1/4 cup fat for gravy; return 1 tablespoon fat to pot. Return turkey parts to pot; stir in celery, onions, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Return pot to oven; roast uncovered 10 minutes. Add apple cider and vinegar; roast 10 minutes longer. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Add 8 cups stock and sage to pot; cook in oven uncovered 1 1/2 hours. Strain gravy base through fine strainer; discard solids in strainer (there will be about 5 cups gravy base). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
- For turkey:
- Cut bacon butter into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat, then slide hand between skin and thigh meat. Carefully slide butter slices between skin and leg, thigh, and breast meat to cover (there will be a generous amount of butter mixture). Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper over turkey, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in main cavity of turkey. Place turkey on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or foil; chill at least 1 day. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
- Set rack at lowest position in oven; preheat to 350°F. Mix onions, celery, fennel, carrots, apples, oil, and bay leaves in large roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey atop vegetable mixture. Tuck wings under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey in oven; roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes and tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 4 hours total. Transfer turkey to platter (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
- Pour vegetable mixture and pan drippings into large strainer set over large bowl; press on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids in strainer. Spoon off fat from pan drippings; discard (there will be a large amount of fat in pan drippings). Reserve degreased pan drippings for gravy (about 1 cup). Remove fat from surface of gravy base; reserve 1/4 cup fat. Rewarm cider gravy base.
- Melt reserved 1/4 cup fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir 3 minutes. Gradually add warm cider gravy base and degreased pan drippings. Simmer until smooth, thickened, and reduced to 51/2 cups, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
- Serve turkey with gravy.
EMERIL'S BACON AND HERB ROAST TURKEY BREAST
This is Emeril's recipe off the Food Network site. I wanted to spread around the goodness. Just a heads up that some of the other Food Network reviewers felt the salt content was a little high. Otherwise,...BAM!
Provided by Hunkle
Categories Turkey Breasts
Time 1h25m
Yield 1 Turkey Breast, 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Rinse the turkey breast and pat dry.
- Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until crisp then transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat.
- Finely mince the cooked bacon when it has cooled and transfer to a small bowl.
- Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, butter, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper.
- Mix thoroughly to combine and form a paste.
- Gently loosen the skin on both sides of the turkey breast so that it is separated from the flesh.
- Divide the herb paste in half and gently spread half between the skin and flesh on each side of the breast.
- Season the outside of the turkey breast with the remaining teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Brush the turkey all over with the reserved bacon fat.
- Place prepared turkey breast in the prepared pan and roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deep portion of the breast registers 165 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving into thin slices.
- Serve with the pan drippings.
Tips:
- Use a turkey breast that is between 6 and 8 pounds for the best results. - If you don't have a roasting pan, you can use a large baking dish. - Make sure to cover the turkey breast with foil for the first part of the cooking time to keep it moist. - Baste the turkey breast with the butter mixture every 30 minutes to keep it from drying out. - Let the turkey breast rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. - Serve the turkey breast with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy.Conclusion:
This bacon and herb roasted turkey breast is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any special occasion. With its crispy bacon, flavorful herbs, and juicy turkey, this recipe is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a special meal to make, give this recipe a try!
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