SIMPLE OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY
on Sep 13, 2024
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Juicy, delicious slices of turkey breast with an incredibly simple gravy, this will be the star of your next Thanksgiving table without the hassle of cooking a full turkey.
Let’s talk turkey! For all my friends who want a traditional turkey dinner without all the mess and prep of a full-size turkey, this recipe is for you.
My Simple Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy gives all the feels of a big bird minus the hassle and time required to cook it. This recipe takes about half the amount of time as it would to roast a full-size bird.
And speaking of easy, the following two-ingredient gravy recipe comes together while the turkey is resting. It’s so easy you’ll never be tempted to buy jarred gravy again. Not to mention, a bowl of hot, homemade gravy is worthy of all the praise.
This turkey breast and gravy recipe doesn’t require many fancy kitchen tools or gadgets. And you don’t need to brine it days in advance.
It’s simplicity at its finest, which is something you can surely be grateful for. Enjoy!
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Ingredients for Roasted Turkey Breast and Gravy
- Turkey Breast: Look for an organic turkey breast that is around 5 to 7 pounds at your local grocery store (shoutout to Texas favorite HEB which is where I typically buy my Thanksgiving bird). This will serve around 6 to 8 people, or less with leftovers! If you bought a frozen breast, make sure it’s fully defrosted. Depending on its size, it can take a while for it to defrost so I’d recommend popping it in the fridge at least 24 to 36 hours ahead of time.
- Veggies: The trick here is to use a combo of carrots, celery stalks, and onions as the base of a roasting rack. The turkey sits right on top of the veggies, so all the juices drip into them. You can do a rough chop here as you’re just looking for them to settle in evenly on the bottom of the baking pan.
- Turkey Stock: The base of the gravy is store-bought stock—how easy is that? I try to look for an organic brand with lower sodium so I can control the salt myself. I love @kettleandfire broth or stock from @thrivemarket.
- Arrowroot Powder: This gluten-free starch helps thicken the gravy, similar to creating a roux with flour. You can also substitute with cornstarch.
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Pin ItHow to Cook a Turkey Breast
The first step: Don’t be intimidated. Think of this as a larger chicken breast and you’ll be fine!
To start, preheat the oven to 350°F. Take out a 9×13” baking dish or roasting pan. Lay the carrots, celery, and onions in a single layer on the pan. Don’t fret if they don’t all fit. You’re just looking for a shelf of sorts for the turkey breast to lay on top of.
Remove the turkey breast from the packaging and set on top of the veggies. Add enough turkey stock (roughly 1 cup or so) to cover the bottom of the dish by about ¼-inch.
Using a paper towel, pat the turkey breast dry. Rub a drizzle of avocado oil onto the breast and season generously with salt and pepper. I like to put on a pair of kitchen gloves for this step, but that’s just my preference. You do you!
Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, then place the roasting pan into the preheated oven. Roast until the temperature reads 160°F. For a 7-pound bird, this will take roughly 2 hours. You’ll know it’s done when the juices run clear.
Remove the pan from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the meat to rest for about 20 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise as it rests, finally getting to 165°F.
In the meantime, start on the gravy. Strain out and discard the veggies from the pan drippings. Add the pan drippings and 2 cups of turkey stock to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking often, while the stock reduces.
In a small bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of turkey stock with 3 tablespoons of arrowroot starch. This will create a slurry that will help thicken the gravy. Pour the arrowroot mixture into the gravy and whisk to combine.
Season the gravy with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat once you’re happy with the thickness. Slice the breast and place on a serving platter, drizzle with gravy, and serve!
Pair This With:
- Dairy-Free Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pomegranates
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Maple Roasted Honeynut Squash
SIMPLE OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH GRAVY
Ingredients
- (1) 5-7 pound turkey breast
- Avocado oil to coat the turkey
- Salt and pepper to generously season
- 3 large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- ½ onion, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 3 cups turkey stock
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Instructions
Make the Turkey:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Lay the carrots, celery, and onions in a single layer at the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish or roasting pan. It doesn’t matter if they don’t all fit perfectly. You just want to create a relatively flat veggie surface for the turkey breast to lay on top of.
- Set the turkey breast on top of the veggies in the roasting dish and add enough turkey stock to cover the bottom of the dish by about ¼-inch.
- Pat the breast dry and rub a drizzle of avocado oil into the breast and then season generously with salt and pepper.
- Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Roast in your preheated oven until the internal temperature reads 160°F. This will roughly take about 2 hours for a 7 pound turkey breast.
- Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and allow the turkey to rest for about 20 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise during this time to 165°F.
Make the Gravy:
- While the turkey rests, make the gravy by first straining out and discarding the veggies from the pan drippings.
- Add the pan drippings and 2 cups of turkey stock to a saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking often, while the stock reduces.
- In a small glass, whisk together 3 tablespoons of turkey stock and 3 tablespoons of arrowroot starch.
- Pour the arrowroot mixture into the gravy and whisk to combine.
- Season the gravy with salt and pepper and remove from the heat once it has reached the desired thickness.
- Serve the sliced turkey breast, add to a serving platter, and pour a generous amount of gravy over the meat. Enjoy!
