Air Fryer Turkey Breast (VIDEO) – Juicy & Tender!
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My Air Fryer Turkey Breast is juicy, tender, and cooks beautifully in just a fraction of the time that a whole turkey would take in the oven! Perfect for weeknight dinners or even a smaller holiday celebration!
Watch the Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe video!
A Note from CJ
Make my Air Fryer Turkey Breast!
This recipe is for when you need a juicy, tender turkey but you don’t want to cook a whole one in the oven! I love how easy and quick this recipe is – anyone can make turkey at home in the air fryer!
By now you know how much I love my air fryer – I have so many recipes for it like Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Chicken Tenders, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Air Fryer Chicken Skewers , Air Fryer Crispy Pork Belly, Air Fryer Fried Fish, Air Fryer Steak Bites, Air Fryer Salmon or Air Fryer Tofu!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- 1 large turkey breast, bone in – I recommend using a 2.5lb, bone-in turkey breast for best results. This is usually sold as a “half turkey breast” (which is a single breast).
- fresh herbs – if you need to use dried herbs, use half the amount listed.
- baking powder – Baking powder helps break down the proteins in the turkey skin by increasing the pH levels as well as draws moisture to the surface of the turkey skin, where it can evaporate. These two things help the turkey skin become extra crispy (while keeping the meat juicy) when cooked in the air fryer!
How to Cook Turkey Breast in the Air Fryer
Season the Turkey Breast – Gently separate the skin from the meat of the turkey using your hands (ensuring one side of the skin is still attached to the breast). Dry brine with kosher salt for 15 minutes, while you mix softened butter to a bowl and season with the remaining salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Add Butter and Baking Powder then Air Fry the Turkey – Add the softened compound butter directly onto the meat across the entire surface area under the skin. Pull over the skin and ensure that it is fully covered over the turkey breast. Add the neutral oil evenly onto the skin followed by a sprinkling of baking powder. Use your hands to rub the baking powder onto the skin until no longer visible. Air fry skin side down at 350°F for 20 minutes then flip the turkey breast and air fry at 400°F for 20-30 minutes until the skin is crispy and thickest part of the breast reads at least 155°F. Remove, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Don’t Remove the Skin – When seasoning the turkey, make sure to gently separate the skin from the meat of the turkey using your hands but do not remove the skin completely – make sure one side of the skin is still attached to the turkey breast. The skin must be attached for it to trap moisture and keep the turkey meat juicy, as well as crisp up in the air fryer!
Use a Thermometer – My #1 tip to avoid overcooking your Air Fryer Turkey Breasts is to use an internal thermometer. Remove the turkey from the air fryer as soon as it hits 155°F internal. The carryover heat will continue to cook the turkey and the thermometer should read at least 165°F.
Storage and Reheating – Store any leftover Air Fryer Turkey Breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can use the air fryer, microwave, or oven:
- Air fryer: reheat at 350°F for 15 mintues until the meat is warmed through
- Microwave: slice first, then cover with a damp paper towel and reheat at 1 minute intervals until the meat is warmed through.
- Oven: reheat for at 350°F for 20-30 minutes until the meat is warmed through
If you tried this Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Turkey Breast (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey Breast, bone in (about 2.5lbs)
- 1 tsp + ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped; if using dried rosemary use 1/2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped; if using dried thyme use 1/2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped; if using dried sage use 1/2 tbsp
- ½ tbsp neutral oil, avocado or vegetable
- ½ tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Gently separate the skin from the meat of the turkey using your hands (ensuring one side of the skin is still attached to the breast). Carefully pull back the skin and season both sides of the turkey breast with 1 tsp kosher salt and let sit for at least 15 minutes or most of the salt has absorbed into the meat.
- Add the softened butter to a bowl and season with the remaining salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. Mix until combined.
- Add the softened compound butter directly onto the meat across the entire surface area under the skin. Pull over the skin and ensure that it is fully covered over the turkey breast.
- Add the neutral oil evenly onto the skin followed by a sprinkling of baking powder. Use your hands to rub the baking powder onto the skin until no longer visible.
- Air fry at 350°F for 20 minutes skin side down.
- Flip the turkey breast and air fry at 400°F for 20-30 minutes until the skin is crispy and thickest part of the breast reads at least 155°F. Remove, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. The carryover heat will bring the meat to 165°F.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can i use olive oil instead of butter?
Yes you can!
Just made this today for thanksgiving. Great recipe. Tysm CJ. It’s a keeper
I’m so glad you liked it, Liz!
Made it and it turned out great!
So glad you loved it, Shawn!