Dutch Oven Turkey Breast

Looking for a juicy, tender, and flavorful turkey breast recipe? This Dutch oven turkey breast recipe features perfectly roasted bone-in turkey breasts with crispy, delicious skin, coated in homemade herb butter roasted over onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and fresh herbs. You can even make a luscious gravy with all the pan drippings from the roasted turkey breasts.

If you’re in the need for some turkey but don’t want to roast an entire bird, try this easy and delicious herb butter Dutch oven turkey breast recipe. It’s perfect for a small holiday gathering or just as a Sunday family dinner. You’ll love the bright, fresh flavor from the lemon and herbs. It’s so much easier than roasting a whole turkey!

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You don’t need a special roasting pan, you don’t need to baste the turkey breasts, and you don’t have to constantly check up on the Dutch oven turkey. There is also no time consuming brine for this recipe. Just pop it into the oven in a Dutch oven and you’re all set!
• Herby butter makes everything better! This roasted turkey breast recipe is adapted from my garlic herb butter Dutch oven whole chicken recipe that has many rave reviews!
• Cooking the turkey breasts in an uncovered Dutch oven in this recipe will help yield crispy skin but not sacrifice juicy meat. The Dutch oven helps the turkey cook evenly and by not adding additional liquid, you don’t end up braising the turkey or having a soggy bottom and you get more even browning.
• This recipe uses split bone-in turkey breasts as the bone acts as a thermal insulator. This means that the bone slows down heat transfer to the center of the meat and distributes the heat evenly through the thickest part of the turkey breast. This prevents the white meat from overcooking and drying out before the inside is done!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• turkey breasts — I’m using two split turkey breasts, bone-in skin-on. If you’re using a bone-in turkey breast where there is still a cavity of sorts, make sure to remove the giblets and you’ll want some extra lemon, garlic, and herbs to stuff into the cavity. I would not swap out the bone-in turkey breasts for boneless turkey breasts as the bone helps keep the turkey juicy. You will have to adjust the cooking time if you swap out the bone-in turkey breasts. I use two turkey breasts as they fit more easily in a Dutch oven and you can easily adjust them as needed. It is also easier to portion for a smaller gathering. Make sure you are using two similarly sized turkey breasts so they cook evenly.
• onions, carrots, celery — a classic flavor combo. You can hold onto these vegetables (or add additional ones) to serve with your turkey breasts.
• oil — I use olive oil. You’ll need some to toss the vegetables in and a healthy drizzle over the top of the turkey before roasting.
• salt & pepper — I’m pretty generous with my salt and pepper in this recipe. You’ll need it for the vegetables, herb butter, and gravy.
• butter — I use unsalted butter as I’m adding salt to the herb butter.
• herbs — you’ll need a combination of basil, thyme, and rosemary. Don’t have enough of one or another, you can adjust the ratios as needed!
• lemon — I add lemon zest and lemon juice to the herb butter and I also add lemon slices to the pot to impart a fresh, bright flavor.
• garlic — the more garlic, the merrier!
• flour — to make the roux for the gravy.
• garlic powder & onion powder — for the gravy.
• chicken broth — or turkey broth! I depending on how much drippings you end up with, you might have to add chicken broth to bulk it up or thin out the gravy.

How to Make Dutch Oven Turkey Breasts

• Pull the turkey breast out of the refrigerator and leave it on your countertop for about 30 minutes before cooking. Adjust the oven racks so there’s one on the second lowest position. Heat the oven to 350F.
• In a large Dutch oven, add the chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Toss them with salt, pepper, and around 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

• In a large bowl, add the softened butter, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, and half of the thyme and rosemary. Mix to combine.

• Start preparing the turkey by patting the skin dry with paper towels. Loosen the skin of the turkey breast by gently pulling the skin away from the breast, so you create a pocket.

• Spread half of the butter mixture under the skin in the pocket you created and spread the other half over the top of the turkey.

• Add garlic cloves, lemon slices, and the rest of the rosemary and thyme to the Dutch oven before placing the turkey breasts on top. Scatter any additional rosemary and thyme you may have leftover around the turkey.
• Add a drizzle of olive oil over the tops of the turkey breasts (approximately 1 tablespoon) before transferring the Dutch oven to the second lowest rack in the oven.

• Cook for around 2 hours (or 20 minutes per pound of turkey you have) or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165F.
• When done, set aside the turkey breasts to rest before slicing.

• Pour the liquid from the Dutch oven through a strainer, you can keep or discard the vegetables. If you do not have 2 cups worth of drippings, supplement with chicken broth.

• Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Whisk in a portion of the flour at a time until smooth. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes until a thick paste forms, forming a roux. The roux should be thick. If you run a spoon or spatula through it, the roux should coat the spatula without dripping off.

• Slowly whisk in the strained liquid while whisking constantly. Start with 1 cup and continue to add the rest of the drippings until enough is added to your liking. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook while whisking until it has thickened to your liking, about 5 minutes. Feel free to add additional chicken broth as needed.
• Serve gravy with the turkey. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• If I’m feeling for a garlicky gravy, I’ll grab the wonderfully roasted garlic cloves from under the turkey breasts and add them to the gravy by blending them together with an immersion blender.
• If the tops of the turkey are browning too much, you can place the lid of the Dutch oven on top or cover it with foil.
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the turkey breast is at least 165F/75C to tell when the turkey is ready.

• You can also season the exterior of the turkey breasts generously with some salt and pepper before placing the butter mixture on top.
• I don’t recommend using frozen turkey for this Dutch oven recipe. Be sure to thaw your turkey breast out thoroughly first.
• Make sure to pat the exterior dry before rubbing the butter on it. If the turkey has moisture on the skin, it’ll steam in the oven instead of roast.  You want the skin as dry as possible for the crispiest skin!
• I use a Staub round Dutch oven for this recipe. Feel free to use a larger one or an oval one if it fits your turkey better.
• Don’t skip putting the butter underneath the turkey skin! This helps keep the turkey breasts moist as the butter melts in the oven, it coats the meat with the butter and prevents it from drying out. You also lock in the flavor as the butter compound is also directly on the meat. On top of that, the rendering fat from the skin and melting butter help fry the skin from underneath, creating a golden, crispy crust on your turkey breasts.

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked dutch oven turkey in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Feel free to portion it out into containers to make your lunches easier.
• Freezer: allow the dutch oven turkey breasts to cool before shredding the turkey and transferring into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. Shredded turkey can last for up to 3 months.
• Leftovers: Try this Pesto Turkey Sandwich with your leftover turkeys! You can also hold onto the bones to make this easy slow cooker bone broth.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some recipes I like to serve with my Dutch turkey breast recipe:

• Boursin Mashed Potatoes
• Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage and Sage
• Brioche Stuffing with Rosemary and Sausage
• Maple Mustard Brussels Sprouts
• Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
• Avocado Corn Salsa

More Turkey Recipes to Try

• Air Fryer Turkey Thighs
• Simple Roasted Turkey Thighs
• Instant Pot Turkey Breast and Gravy
• Baked Turkey Meatballs
• Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
• Simple Airfryer Turkey Dinner

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