This Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast recipe is perfect for a holiday menu or an easy, comforting meal anytime. Lean turkey breast is coated with a flavorful blend of seasonings and cooked until golden brown and perfectly tender.
Have you seen the little Butterball turkey breast roasts in the freezer section and wondered what to do with them? I finally brought one home and made this tasty boneless turkey breast in my air fryer. This recipe is perfect for the holidays and so much more!
To create a golden brown crust, I seared the turkey breast at a high temperature for the initial cooking time. Then, I reduced the temperature for the remaining time and ended up with an exceptionally tender and juicy turkey breast. If you’ve had issues with dry turkey in the past, this recipe is for you!
A boneless turkey breast is a great way to scale down a holiday menu for a smaller group. Or, serve it with another entrée to bulk up your menu for a large group.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Oven Space– Free up oven space for your side dishes or an additional entrée.
- Versatile – Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or a delicious meal anytime.
- Lunch Meat – Allow the turkey breast to cool and slice it thinly for the BEST turkey lunch meat.
- Availability – Unlike other cuts of turkey, you can find boneless turkey breast roasts in the freezer section all year long.
Ingredients
- Boneless turkey breast roast – I used a 3 pound frozen Butterball Turkey Breast Roast. Butterball states these little roasts are gluten-free and contain no hormones or steroids. See the FAQ below for more details on which cuts of turkey will work with this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Seasoning – Dried herbs you probably stock in your pantry pack a punch and work really well in this recipe. Onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, paprika, dried crushed rosemary, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast
This is a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post for detailed instructions and amounts.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels and loosen the string netting. Drizzle olive oil over the turkey breast and use your hands to rub it all over, coating the entire roast. Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the roast, being sure all sides are coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with propellant-free nonstick cooking spray (like avocado oil spray). Place the seasoned turkey roast in the basket and cook for 15 minutes.
- Use tongs to carefully flip the turkey. Reduce the temperature to 370 degrees F. Continue to cook for an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The turkey is done when the center of roast reaches 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. Remove from the air fryer and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting off the netting and slicing the turkey.
Frozen Boneless Turkey Breast Tips
- String Netting – If your turkey breast roast came enclosed in an inner string netting (like Butterball), it should not be removed before cooking. Just lift and stretch it away from the turkey to loosen it a bit before cooking and it will be easier to remove afterwards.
- Salt – Frozen turkey breast roasts are injected with a salt solution so you don’t need to use a large amount of salt in the seasoning. If using a fresh, unprocessed turkey breast, I recommend increasing the salt an additional 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Size – Most major grocery store chains stock 3 pound Butterball boneless turkey breast roasts in the freezer section. I found a larger, 4.75 pound Butterball at Costco. Both sizes fit well in my Cosori basket style air fryer and will work with this recipe. Check your local big box store for the larger roast if you’re feeding more people or want to be sure you’ll have leftovers.
- Gravy Packet – If your turkey came with a gravy packet, I recommend tossing it and making your own gravy from scratch. My healthier Gluten-Free Gravy is perfect for this recipe and only takes about 10 minutes to make.
- Total Weight – Keep in mind that weight included on the label includes the gravy packet inside. Without the packet, a 3 pound roast has a total weight of about 2.5 pounds. The larger 4.75 package I found at Costco came in at 4 pounds when weighed outside the packaging.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast FAQ
A typical serving size of turkey breast per person is 4 ounces, but to be sure you’ll have enough or just to be sure there are leftovers, I recommend counting on 6 ounces per person. A turkey breast roast with a total weight of 3 pounds should be enough to feed 8 to 10 people, depending on appetite and what else you’re serving.
If using a frozen turkey breast, it should be completely thawed before cooking. To thaw a 3 to 4 pound turkey breast, place it on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 days.
Yes! You can use any cut of turkey that will fit in your air fryer. Follow the directions as written and be sure to cook it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured in the thickest portion. The total cooking time will vary depending on the weight.
Many brands of frozen turkey breasts, including Butterball, are injected with a water and salt solution prior to packaging. This process has a similar affect on the turkey as brining so there’s no need do a brine yourself. It will be indicated on the packaging on any portion or whole turkey you buy so always check the label before brining.
What to Serve with Turkey Breast
If you’re making this turkey breast for the holidays, complete your healthy feast with these recipes.
- Gluten-Free Gravy
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Leek Gratin
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples
- Perfect Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon
Storing Leftover Turkey Breast
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container or zippered plastic storage bag for up to 3 to 4 days. You can freeze slices of cooked turkey breast, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 to 3 months.
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Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 4 pound boneless turkey breast roast, safely thawed with inner string netting intact
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees F. Remove the turkey from its packaging but leave the inner string netting in place to hold the roast together while cooking. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Lift the string netting and stretch it away from the roast a bit to make it easier to remove after cooking. It will still be pretty snug but not pressed into the flesh anymore.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, rosemary, and pepper.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the turkey breast and use your hands to rub it all over, coating the entire roast. Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the roast, being sure all sides are coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with propellant-free nonstick cooking spray (like avocado oil spray) and place the seasoned turkey roast in the basket, skin-side down. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Use tongs to carefully flip the turkey, skin-side up. Reduce temperature to 370 degrees F and continue to cook for an additional 35 to 45 minutes or until the center of roast reaches 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- Remove the turkey from the air fryer and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting off the netting. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
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