Air Fryer Turkey Breast
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My air fryer turkey breast is extra juicy and tender, and takes a fraction of the time compared to baking in the oven.
As much as I love to roast a boneless turkey breast, cooking it in the air fryer takes much less time and yields almost identical results. It’s been quite the holiday-time game changer, making the festive season much more stress-free and delicious.
I tested this recipe with both bone-in and boneless turkey breasts, and while bone-in gave more flavor, the boneless version was consistently juicier and cooked more evenly in the air fryer. That’s why I recommend boneless here for the best results.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Extra juicy and tender. No one likes dry or rubbery lean meat, and I promise you, this air fried turkey breast is perfectly juicy and moist in the middle.
- Tested for reliability. After many trial runs (and FAR too many turkey sandwiches later), I found this method yields evenly cooked turkey breast every time – no dry patches or undercooked centers.
- FAST. The total air frying time is under 20 minutes.
- So easy! It is a much easier and more convenient option than a traditional roast turkey. Besides, the breast meat is always the best part.
- Healthy. Not only is turkey breast extra lean, but when I cook it in the air fryer, I only need to add a dash of butter (or oil).
READER REVIEWS
★★★★★ – “I make this every holiday season and it’s SO easy and fast” – Morgan
★★★★★ – “This turned out so juicy and flavorful! I made it for a weeknight dinner and couldn’t believe how fast it was compared to roasting- definitely making it again for the holidays.” – Rachel
Ingredients needed
- Turkey breast. Choose a boneless turkey breast with its skin intact. The skin will retain the juices, and you can discard it once the turkey is cooked.
- Garlic. Chopped finely.
- Salt and black pepper. To season.
- Poultry seasoning. The secret ingredient that takes this meat to another level. I’m lazy and stick with a grocery store brand, but you can easily make your own with lemon salt, salt, and any other herb of choice.
- Fresh rosemary. Just a sprig of rosemary for a touch of flavor.
- Butter. Melted. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
How to air fry turkey breast
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the herb butter. Melt your butter and add it to a mixing bowl with garlic and rosemary.
Step 2- Season. Rub the butter all over the turkey. Season with salt and pepper, then rub on the poultry seasoning so it sticks.
Step 3- Air fry. Lay the turkey breast skin side down into the air fryer basket and air fry for 17-20 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (carryover cooking will bring it to 165°F).
Step 4- Rest the turkey for 5 minutes then slice.
Air fryer turkey cooking time
Turkey breasts come in different weights, so we’ve tested out the best cooking times depending on the size of the bird. As a reference, my photos, video, and cooking time are using a one-pound turkey breast.
- 1 pound breast meat: 17-20 minutes
- 2 pounds of breast meat: 30 minutes
- 3 pounds of breast meat: 45-50 minutes
For every extra pound of turkey, add 8-10 minutes of extra time.
Of course, an instant-read thermometer should also be used to check the doneness.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a meat thermometer. This is my #1 tip when working with lean protein (or any protein, really) to ensure the meat does not overcook. Once it reaches 160°F, it’s ready. In culinary school, we were taught never to rely just on time when cooking lean protein. An instant-read thermometer is the only way to guarantee perfect doneness.
- Use fresh turkey. In my testing, frozen turkey that wasn’t fully thawed led to uneven cooking, with dry edges and undercooked centers. Fresh (or fully thawed) always gives better results.
- Let the mixture sit. If you let the melted butter and herb mixture sit for a while, the herb’s flavor really comes out. For this, 10 minutes should do the trick, but I sometimes keep it overnight, and let me just say that the flavor is incredible!
- Use hands. Sure, it is a little bit messier, but trust me on this. Using your hands to rub the butter and seasonings on the turkey instead of utensils makes all the difference.
Frequently asked questions
If you’d like to use the drippings to make gravy, add a thick layer of tin foil to the base of the air fryer.
Yes, bone-in turkey breast will work, but you’ll need to increase the cooking time by 3 minutes per pound, in addition to the base cooking time.
Yes! In fact, I tested this by letting the herb butter sit overnight on the turkey, and the flavor was deeper and more aromatic. Just pat it dry before cooking so the skin still crisps up.
Yes, I recommend leaving the skin on during cooking- it locks in the juices. You can discard it after air frying if you prefer leaner meat.
Serving suggestions
Besides the classic stuffing or holiday side dishes, you can pair this turkey with almost anything. Here are some favorites:
- Sauteed vegetables. Keep it simple with some sauteed asparagus, sauteed broccolini, or sauteed eggplant.
- All the potatoes. I like to whip up some air fryer French fries, air fryer baked potato, or even an air fryer baked sweet potato at the same time in a second batch (it works!).
- Hearty salads. Use the turkey as the main protein source and pair it with a rice salad or green goddess salad.
- Grains and starches. Cook your favorite pasta or steam some rice.
Storage instructions
To store. Place leftovers in an airtight container before refrigerating it. It retains the juices and keeps them moist for 3-4 days. For food safety, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (per USDA guidelines).
To freeze. Put the turkey breast slices in freezer bags, and after getting out all the air, you can freeze them for up to 6 months.
To reheat. When ready to consume again, simply grease the air fryer basket, place the turkey inside, and heat it at 350°F. When reheating, always check that the slices reach 165°F in the center.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound turkey breast skin on
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 180C/350F.
- Whisk the melted butter with the garlic and rosemary until combined.
- Rub half the butter mix all over the turkey, then season With salt and pepper. Drizzle with the remaining butter then rub the poultry seasoning all over.
- Place the turkey breast, skin side down, into the air fryer basket.
- Cook the turkey for 17-20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160F.
- Let your turkey rest for 5 minutes, before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
More air fryer dinners
- Air fryer chicken thighs
- Air fryer hamburgers
- Air fryer fried chicken
- Air fryer cornish hen
- Air fryer Italian sausage
Originally published December 2022
Incredibly juicy and easy to prepare. Turkey however I prepared it in the past always meant dry and chewy meat and thumbs down from my family. No longer! This recipe is a Game changer or fowl changer.
Excellent! I have made air fryer turkey breasts in the past, and I have always been disappointed. I followed your recipe, and the breast was juicy, flavorful, and thoroughly cooked. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing it.
Just ate turkey breast for Christmas. I think that is maybe my favourite type of meat!
Delicious recipe! Took a little longer than the recipe said, but it was worth it.
Dude! Your recipes are hot … I wish I had an air fryer! Im so jealous lol
An affordable investment!!
How would you cook this in a conventional oven?