Air Fryer Turkey Breast comes out juicy and tender, with a crispy brown skin that takes less time than it would in the oven!
Air Fryer Turkey Breast cooks in a little under an hour and comes out tender and juicy every single time. Roasting a turkey breast in the air fryer saves on oven space, so you can prep more sides – which, hello! That’s a win right there.
Turkey Breast in the Air Fryer
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 turkey sandwiches throughout the week.
Some of the best sides to serve with this Air Fryer Turkey Breast are Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Winter Salad with a Fig Jam Vinaigrette and Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
Cooking in your air fryer is a solid way to snag a flavorful and juicy turkey breast so you have more oven space for things like this Smoked Gouda Cauliflower Casserole!
Ingredients for this Turkey Breast
- 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.
- Spice Rub – You will make a rub using oil or butter, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. You can add fresh herbs or dried spices. Scroll down to the recipe card for more precise measurements and cooking instructions.
- 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; less smoky. This is a personal preference and up to you.
I have the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven and love it. It’s large enough to cook a whole turkey breast, or chicken tenders, pork chops, and of course chicken wings. It’s so easy to use and easy to clean. And with a stainless steel basket, I feel safe cooking with this air fryer.
How to Cook a Boneless Turkey Breast in an Air Fryer
First, make sure you have a fully defrosted turkey breast that will fit in your Air Fryer basket.
- 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.
How to Cook a Bone-in Turkey Breast in an Air Fryer
First, make sure you have a fully defrosted turkey breast that will fit in your Air Fryer basket. Bone-in breasts can have an odd shape that won’t fit in an everyday air fryer basket. Aim for a bone-in turkey breast that is 3-4 pounds max.
- 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
- Allow the cooked breast to rest on a carving board for at least 10ish minutes under foil loosely tented to allow the juices to evenly redistribute.
- Some people prefer a serrated knife but I prefer a sharp chef’s knife that I like to use. If you are using a chef knife use long even strokes. If you are using a serrated knife use a sawing motion.
- Bring your knife around to the front and connect where you started carving at the top of the breast bone.
- Cut down the ribs. Follow it around and down to the bottom to connect to the bottom of the first breast bone cut.
- Pull the meat away from the bone and slice. Repeat the same on the other side.
- To slice the boneless breast(s), slice or saw against the grain.
Turkey Cooking Questions
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 (and dessert!)
Thanksgiving sides to serve
- butternut squash soup
- brussels sprouts salad with bacon
- garlic parmesan mashed cauliflower
- parmesan roasted asparagus
- butternut squash risotto
- twice baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows
If you decide to air fry a turkey breast, I would be honored if you would take the time to leave a star rating and comment below! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience.
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
- Allow the cooked breast to rest on a carving board for at least 10ish minutes under foil loosely tented to allow the juices to evenly redistribute.
- Some people prefer a serrated knife but I prefer a sharp chef’s knife that I like to use. If you are using a chef knife use long even strokes. If you are using a serrated knife use a sawing motion.
- Bring your knife around to the front and connect where you started carving at the top of the breast bone.
- Cut down the ribs. Follow it around and down to the bottom to connect to the bottom of the first breast bone cut. Pull the meat away from the bone and slice. Repeat the same on the other side.
- To slice the boneless breast(s), slice or saw against the grain and serve immediately.
- 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. 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.
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