Juicy air fryer turkey breast with crispy skin and tender meat—perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner or an easy weeknight meal. Ready in under an hour!
I love turkey all times of the year, except the main time when you’re supposed to. Because at Thanksgiving time, I want all of the sides instead – like hi, hello butternut squash Mac and Cheese and Slow-Cooker Stuffing. I want to stuff my plate with the fun stuff, you know?
If you’re having a small Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving this year, this turkey recipe is perfect for a smaller crowd. We do a big family dinner during the holidays, but for just the two of us, I love a small turkey breast the week before that’s perfect to enjoy for dinner at home, with loads of leftovers for pot pie soup and Harvest Salad when my body misses veggies at the end of a holiday weekend.
Ingredients to make air fryer Turkey Breast
Depending on the size of your air fryer, a 3 to 4 pound boneless or bone-in breast should fit fine in a 5 quart or larger air fryer. Make sure that the height of the breast is below the top of basket before you start to air fry.
- Turkey Breast: 3-4lb. boneless or bone-in breast.
- Spices: Rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. You can add fresh herbs or dried spices.
- Oil or Butter: I love butter for a crispy skin in the oven, but I’ve personally had better success using a neutral oil (like avocado or olive oil) in the air fryer; way less smoky. This is a personal preference and up to you.
How to cook a turkey breast in your air fryer
First, make sure you have a fully defrosted turkey breast that will fit in your Air Fryer basket. I’m including methods for bone-in and boneless. Boneless will always need more time, but not much more!
Boneless Turkey Breast
- Season. Rub olive oil or melted butter all over the boneless turkey breast – this helps to keep it juicy and moist and also helps the herbs or spices to stick to the bird.
- Air fry. Preheat your air fryer if it needs it and roast for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the internal temp is 160 degrees F. Using an instant-read thermometer for best results. Full instructions in the recipe card below.
- Rest. Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10-minutes before carving.
Bone-in Turkey Breast
- Season. Rub olive oil or melted butter all over the boneless turkey breast – this helps to keep it juicy and moist and also helps the herbs or spices to stick.
- Air fry. Preheat your air fryer if it calls for it. Cook skin side down 20 minutes, turn over and cook until the internal temperature is 160F using an instant-read thermometer about 30 to 40 minutes more depending on the size of your breast. Full instructions in the recipe card below.
- Rest. Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10-minutes before carving.
How to carve turkey breast
- rest: let turkey rest for about 10 minutes under a loose foil tent so the juices stay put.
- Carve: I like a sharp chef’s knife, but a serrated one works too. Start at the top of the breastbone, follow the ribs down, and pull the meat away as you go.
- boneless turkey breast: just slice against the grain for juicy, even pieces.
How long does it take to thaw a turkey breast?
- Thaw in refrigerator: not at room temperature. Place unopened roast on a tray in refrigerator for 1½ to 2 days, or until thawed. Cook within 4 days of thawing.
- To thaw faster. (been there, done that in a crunch my very first Thanksgiving!), place unopened breast in cold tap water for 3 to 5 hours. Change water every 30 minutes to keep turkey cold. When thawed, keep in refrigerator until ready to cook. Cook within 4 days of thawing.
How much turkey should I buy per person?
First, make sure to decide if you want a bone-in turkey breast or boneless. Boneless will cook in less time, but bone-in gives a crispy skin you cannot beat. It’s up to you.
- Bone-in. Generally, you want to buy a pound per person which includes the bone. This should give you at least a half pound of meat per person.
- For boneless, 1/2 pound per person is perfect.
For this recipe, I used 3-pound boneless turkey breast that will feed approximately 4-6 people with a couple of sides, or up to 8 people with small portions and loads of sides.
Thanksgiving Sides to Serve
Round out your menu with a few of my cozy sides. Try my Butternut Squash Soup, Winter Salad with Fig Jam Vinaigrette, or Homemade Cranberry Sauce for a stacked, classic menu.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 4 pound turkey breast - bone-in or boneless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter/ghee
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme - chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage - chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
If using dried herbs
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- First, make sure you have a fully defrosted turkey breast that will fit in your Air Fryer basket. See notes below
- To a small bowl or ramekin, mix olive oil or melted butter and fresh herbs or dried spices to create a paste. Season turkey breast liberally with paste.
Boneless turkey breast
- Preheat your air fryer to 360F. Roast for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the internal temp is 160 degrees F. Using an instant-read thermometer for best results.
- Transfer the boneless turkey breast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10-minutes before carving. See notes below to carve.
Bone-in turkey breast
- Preheat your air fryer to 360F. Cook skin side down 20 minutes, turn over and cook until the internal temperature is 160F using an instant-read thermometer about 30 to 40 minutes more depending on the size of your breast.
- Transfer the bone-in turkey breast to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10-minutes before carving. See notes below to carve.
Notes
leftover turkey breast:
- TO STORE: Refrigerate turkey breast in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, pouring some broth over the top. You can also add a pat of butter but this is optional. Cook for 15-20 minutes until warmed through.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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