Pan-Roasted Turkey Breast With Balsamic Gravy
This recipe for pan-roasted turkey breast is a straightforward and practically foolproof method for roasting tender, juicy turkey with crispy, well-seasoned skin. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving turkey recipe for a small group.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the turkey breast:
- 3-4 pound bone-in turkey breast with skin
- 2 medium carrots cut into big chunks
- 2 medium shallots or ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery cut into big chunks
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary stemmed and minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme stemmed and minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage stemmed and minced
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper to taste I used ¼ teaspoon
- Zest of 1 lemon minced
- 1 cup homemade turkey broth or low-sodium chicken broth
For the balsamic gravy:
- 1 ½-2 cups turkey broth or chicken broth, low-sodium
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast the turkey breast:
- Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and place it on the counter for 20-30 minutes to allow it to warm up.3-4 pound bone-in turkey breast with skin
- While the turkey is warming, place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 375°F.
- Roughly chop the carrot, shallot or onion, and celery, and spread them in the bottom of your roasting pan. If you have extra herbs, you can add some to the vegetables. Toss with a little olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper.2 medium carrots, 2 medium shallots, 2 ribs celery
- Mince your garlic and herbs, and combine them in a small bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves garlic , 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary , 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , 1 tablespoon fresh sage , Zest of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Ground black pepper to taste
- Take the turkey breast out of its packaging and place on a cutting board or baking sheet. Pat it dry with a paper towel, then use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the main part of the breast meat, being careful not to tear it. Rub the meat with a third of the olive oil and herb mixture, then pull the skin back over the breast.
- Turn the turkey breast upside down and rub the bottom and the insides of the front and back cavities with a third of the herb mixture. Flip it over, place it on top of your chopped vegetables, and rub the rest of the mixture all over the top.
- Pour 1 cup of turkey broth into the bottom of the skillet and place the pan in the oven. Set a timer for 45 minutes.1 cup homemade turkey broth
- After 45 minutes, rotate the pan a half turn. Check the moisture level in the bottom of the pan, and add another ½ cup of broth or water if it is dry. Set another timer for 15 minutes.
- When your 15-minute timer goes off, take the turkey breast out of the oven and close the oven door to preserve the heat. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer, deep in the breast, close to the bone, but not touching it.
- Return the turkey to the oven and set a timer for one minute for every degree needed to come to 150°F, minus 5 minutes. Example: if the meat thermometer reads 125°F, set your timer for 20 minutes. If the skin is turning too brown, tent your turkey breast with foil.
- If the turkey is not done when that timer goes off, continue roasting it in 7-minute intervals, checking the temperature each time. Take the turkey out of the oven the first time you get a reading around 155°F. Move it to a cutting board, and cover it with foil. Allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes (it will come up to 160°F during this period).
Make the gravy:
- Place a potholder or tie a towel over the handle of your skillet to avoid burning your hands.
- Prepare your cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir very well to make sure there are no lumps, and set aside.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- In a measuring cup, combine 1½ cups broth, the honey, and the balsamic vinegar. Whisk to combine.1 ½-2 cups turkey broth , 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from your skillet, and try to scoop out any pockets of grease in the pan. You can also soak up some of the grease very carefully with a paper towel. It’s okay if there is some left.
- If the drippings are minimal, add the remaining ½ cup turkey or chicken broth. Set the skillet over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until the drippings deepen in color, but be careful not to let them burn. If there is a lot of broth left, let it cook down by at least half. This could take 1 minute or 5-10 minutes, so watch carefully. Note: if you added broth, you’ll get less color. That’s fine, it’ll still taste good!
- Turn off the heat, stand back a bit (it will spit), and carefully add the broth/balsamic mixture. Whisk vigorously to incorporate everything well, scraping to deglaze the pan.
- Bring back to a simmer over medium heat, whisking, then cook for 3-4 minutes (keep whisking!) to allow the vinegar flavor to mellow a bit. You want it to smell less sharp when you take a good whiff. If you have a really acidic balsamic vinegar, this may take an extra minute or two.
- Whisking constantly, add the cornstarch slurry. Cook for 30 more seconds or until the gravy thickens. If it doesn’t thicken, you may need to add more cornstarch slurry.
- Taste the gravy and add salt and pepper by the pinch as needed. Pour into a gravy boat and cover to keep warm.Salt and pepper to taste
Carve the turkey and serve:
- To carve the turkey, cut carefully down along the breastbone, working your way to the bottom, then angle your knife outward to cut the breast away from the bone. Do the same for the other side.
- Place a platter in your warm oven for 2 minutes or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to take off the chill.
- Laying the breasts flat, skin-side up, slice into ½-inch slices, holding the skin in place as best you can.
- Arrange the turkey slices on the platter, and garnish with herbs and a couple of lemon slices. Drizzle with a little gravy and serve, with the rest of the gravy on the side.
Notes
- You can use any heavy skillet-type pan for this recipe. I tested this recipe a 12-inch All-Clad Stainless Steel Sauté pan and a 12-inch cast iron skillet. They both worked great. You can also just roast the turkey in a roasting pan.
- If you purchase a turkey breast that is labeled natural, with no saltwater solution added, you can dry brine your turkey breast the night before. To do that, rub your turkey all over with 1 teaspoon of salt for every pound of turkey, and place it on a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, until you are ready to roast. There’s no need to rinse your turkey after brining, simply proceed with the recipe, leaving out the salt in the olive oil and herb mixture.
- There is so much variance with ovens and I assume you will be familiar with yours. The timing I’ve listed works great for my oven and I’ve tested it with a few other ovens too. It will not work for convection ovens.
- Always take your turkey breast out of the oven and close the oven when checking its temperature. This preserves the heat in the oven and leads to faster, more even cooking.
- I recommend making your own turkey broth ahead of time to enrich the turkey drippings and make the gravy. Check out my recipe for homemade turkey broth.
- If your turkey breast comes with a bag of drippings, I you can add some to your gravy to enrich it.
Nutrition
Calories: 441.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.1g | Protein: 46.5g | Fat: 23.8g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 122.2mg | Sodium: 1176mg | Potassium: 177.5mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 6.4g | Vitamin A: 3474.6IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 34.3mg | Iron: 0.8mg
