Baking turkey can seem daunting, but achieving a moist, tender turkey breast with crispy skin is easy when you use the right temperature The ideal finished temperature for turkey breast is 160-165°F This ensures it’s fully cooked without drying out. Follow these tips on preheating your oven, monitoring temperature, and proper resting time to get perfect results every time.
Why Temperature Matters
Temperature is crucial when baking turkey breast. Too low and the meat stays dangerously undercooked. Too high and it dries out. While white meat needs to hit 165°F for food safety, pulling it between 160-165°F and allowing carryover cooking during resting gives you the juiciest meat.
Preheating the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350-375°F before baking turkey breast. This allows it to fully reach the temp so the turkey cooks evenly. Many recipes say 325°F, but slightly higher helps the skin crisp better without overcooking the meat. Give your oven at least 15-20 minutes to preheat fully.
Use a Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of determining doneness. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding bones, until it reaches the minimum safe 165°F. For juiciest results, remove from oven at 160°F and allow the temp to rise 5-10 degrees during resting time.
Roast Times
Cook times vary based on size, bone-in vs. boneless, and stuffed vs. unstuffed. For reference:
- Boneless turkey breast (2-3 lbs): 60-90 minutes
- Bone-in turkey breast (3-4 lbs): 90-120 minutes
- Stuffed bone-in turkey breast (5-7 lbs): 120-150 minutes
Rely on a meat thermometer over cook times for doneness. Plan approximately 15-20 minutes per pound at 350°F.
Resting & Carryover Cooking
Once the turkey breast hits 160°F, let it rest for 15-30 minutes, loosely tented with foil. The temp will rise 5-10 degrees during this time for perfectly cooked juicy meat. Skipping resting causes it to dry out.
Turkey Roasting Tips
- Loosen the skin and rub seasoning directly onto the meat for added flavor.
- Use a rack in a pan for air flow circulation.
- Cook skin-side up for crispy skin.
- Avoid basting, which can lower the temperature.
- Brining adds moisture and flavor.
Trust your thermometer over cook times for doneness. With the right preheating, monitoring of temperature, resting period, and roasting techniques, you’ll achieve tender, flavorful turkey breast every time.
Sample Turkey Breast Recipes
Once you know the proper method, try these delicious baked turkey breast recipes:
Easy Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy
- Brush turkey breast with herbed butter
- Roast at 350°F until 160°F
- Rest 15 minutes before slicing
- Serve with easy homemade gravy
Simple Oven Baked Turkey Breast
- Rub turkey breast with paprika, oregano, rosemary
- Roast at 375°F
- Cook until 165°F and skin is browned
- Let rest then slice; save for amazing sandwiches
Both use the ideal roasting temp to deliver juicy, tender meat with crisp skin. The herb butter and spice rubs add incredible flavor.
Common Turkey Roasting Questions
What is the best oven temperature for turkey breast?
350-375°F is ideal. Higher than 325°F helps the skin crisp without overcooking.
Should I cook turkey breast covered or uncovered?
Cook uncovered for crispiest skin, then tent with foil if skin browns too fast.
Is it better to bake bone-in turkey breast at 325°F or 350°F?
350°F is best for bone-in. Cook until the minimum safe 165°F for doneness.
What is the minimum internal temperature for turkey to be safe?
165°F for the safe doneness temperature. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
How long does it take to bake a 3 pound turkey breast?
About 2-2.5 hours at 350°F, but use a meat thermometer for doneness.
Should I let turkey breast rest after roasting?
Yes, let it rest 15-30 minutes. The internal temperature rises 5-10 degrees for juicy meat.
What temperature do I cook a stuffed turkey breast to?
Cook to 165°F, a little higher than unstuffed since stuffing can harbor bacteria.
Get Perfectly Cooked Turkey Breast Every Time
Baking turkey breast between 350-375°F and monitoring temperature delivers ideal results. Allow it to rest before slicing so the juices redistribute. With the right method, you’ll get moist, tender turkey breast with crispy skin every time.
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Straight to the Point
For taking the temperature of your turkey, you need a thermometer. The very best is the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE. Its lightning-fast, super responsive, and has an automatic backlight for taking the temperature of turkey in cavernous ovens.
Want to guarantee that your turkey will be tender and juicy? Throw out the timing charts and forget about cooking “until the juices run clear.” Just use a thermometer. Its the only way to guarantee perfectly cooked meat—provided that you know where to check the turkeys temperature and know what that temperature should be. For the best results, you want to check the turkeys temperature in three locations: the deepest part of the breast, the joint between the thigh and the body, and the joint between the drumstick and the thigh.
The video below will show you exactly how to do that. 2:32
The Right Way to Take the Temperature of Your Turkey
The government recommends cooking turkey breast to 165°F (74°C). I prefer my turkey breast at 150°F (66°F), at which point it is far, far juicier (especially if you dry brine it!). But is it safe?
Well, heres the thing: Industry standards for food safety are primarily designed to be simple to understand, usually at the expense of accuracy. The rules are set up in a way that any cook can follow then, no matter their skill level, and so that theyre easily enforceable by health agencies. But for single-celled organisms, bacteria are surprisingly complex, and despite what any ServSafe chart might have you believe, they refuse to be categorized into a step function. The upshot is that food safety is a function of both temperature and time.
What the USDA is really looking for is a 7.0 log10 relative reduction in bacteria. That is, a reduction that ensures that out of every 10,000,000 bacteria living on that turkey to start, only one will survive.
Take a look at this simplified chart I drew using data from a USDA guide.
| Pasteurization Time for Poultry with 5% Fat Content (7-log10 lethality) | |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Time |
| 136°F (58°C) | 65.3 minutes |
| 140°F (60°C) | 29 minutes |
| 145°F (63°C) | 10.8 minutes |
| 150°F (66°C) | 3.7 minutes |
| 155°F (68°C) | 1.2 minutes |
| 160°F (71°C) | 26.1 seconds |
| 165°F (74°C) | Instant |
According to the USDAs own data, as long as your turkey spends at least 3.7 minutes at or above 150°F (66°C), it’s safe to eat. In other words, by the time its done resting (you do let your turkey rest before carving, right?), you should be good to go.
Simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
FAQ
Is it better to cook a turkey breast at 325 or 350?
Is it better to cook a bone-in turkey breast at 325 or 350 degrees? Cook a bone-in turkey breast at 350°F. It will typically take 12-15 minutes per pound. So an 8-9 lb bone-in turkey breast will roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours (90 to 120 minutes).
What is the best temperature to cook a turkey breast?
The best oven temperature to cook a turkey breast is 350°. An oven temp of 325° can be used, but it will take longer, and the skin will not be as crisp. 375° is too high–you will cook the skin rapidly and need to tent it with aluminum foil near the end of cooking to prevent over-browning.
Should I cook my turkey breast covered or uncovered?
Should You Cover a Turkey When Cooking? To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven.Nov 13, 2024
How do you cook the turkey so that the breast doesn’t dry out?
The light, tender breast meat is prone to overcooking, while dark meat portions of the bird needs extra time. A simple solution is to flip the bird over and roast the turkey upside down. This technique protects the white meat from drying out, and cooks the thigh meat faster.
How long does it take to cook a turkey breast?
A: A turkey breast will take approximately 2-3 hours to cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the turkey breast. Q: What is the best way to check if a turkey breast is done cooking?
What temperature should a turkey breast be cooked at?
Many turkey breast recipes call for roasting at 325°F, but a slightly higher oven temp helps crisp the skin better without overcooking the meat. Make sure you give your oven at least 15-20 minutes to fully preheat. Opening the door often to check on the turkey will lower the oven temp. A meat thermometer is essential for perfect turkey breast.
How do you cook a boneless turkey breast?
Measure the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the breast. Actual cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey breast. Boneless turkey breasts will cook faster. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
How do you cook a turkey breast in the oven?
Season the breast all over with salt and pepper (with some under the skin, if desired). Rub the seasonings into the skin. If you’re cooking a half-breast, pull the skin to cover the meat as much as possible. Lower the oven to 350°F and roast the turkey for 1 hour. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F.
How do you cook an undercooked turkey breast?
Here are a few tips for cooking an undercooked turkey breast: * Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan and add 1/2 cup of water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. * You can also cook the turkey breast in a slow cooker.
What temperature should a Turkey be in the oven?
Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop increasing. If it is not ready, return it to the oven. According to the Department of Agriculture, a turkey must reach 165 degrees F to be safe, but you can take it out of the oven as low as 160 degrees F because the temperature will rise at it rests.