Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe (2024)

This air fryer turkey breast recipe is juicy and tender, even better than oven-roasted turkey, and it takes less than an hour to make it in the air fryer.

With only a few ingredients like fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, you can make air fryer turkey breast without brining the meat, and the result is the most delicious and juicy turkey breast ever.

Now you can use your oven for all the side dishes you plan to make for Thanksgiving turkey dinner and let the air fryer cook the turkey breast for you in less than an hour, or you can make this instant pot turkey thighs stew which is one of my family favorite recipes.

This whole turkey breast recipe is low carb friendly, and you can serve it with this loaded mashed cauliflower recipe for your keto guest along with this air fryer brussels sprouts or green beans.

Ingredients

Turkey breast: Since it is not easy to find small bone-in, skin-on turkey breast in most grocery stores, I got a 6 lbs. breast and removed the ribs, and I ended with a 4.5 lbs. turkey breast that fit perfectly in the air fryer basket I used to make this recipe.

**When buying the meat, make sure it can fit inside your air fryer after removing the ribs. **

How to cook turkey breast in air fryer

Cooking a bone-in turkey breast in an air fryer is super simple and easy. If you’re someone like me that starts brining the turkey days before Thanksgiving dinner, in that case, you’re going to start wondering where this recipe was years ago.

* Find the print version of this recipe and ingredients at the end of this post in the recipe card*.

• Start by cutting the ribs off the breast with shears to make sure the turkey breast fits inside the air fryer without touching the heating coin once closed.
• Finely chop the herbs and in a small bowl, add the chopped herbs and melted butter, stir to combine.
• Pat dry the meat with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper, including under the skin. Using your hands, season the bone-in skin-on turkey breast under the skin and all over with the herb butter mixture as well.
• Place the breast skin side down in the air fryer basket and air fry for 45 minutes turning halfway through. Or until an instant meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 165ºF.
• Let it rest before carving. Enjoy with all the side dishes you made using the oven, instant pot, or an air fryer.

How long to cook turkey breast in the air fryer

Every air fryer brand is different. It is vital to use an instant meat thermometer to cook poultry meat in the air fryer until the meat reaches 165ºF in its thickest part. With that being said, I use the Cosori air fryer and cook the turkey breast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes skin side down and 20 minutes skin side up.

Remove it from the air fryer and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. I let mine rest for 20 minutes before starting to cut.

Recipe tips

• Use a silicone brush if you don’t want to use your hands and brush the meat all over with the herb butter mixture.
• Cook the meat until an instant meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the turkey breast.
• Let the meat rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing
• The cooking time can vary depending on the size of the bird.
• Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to three months.
• Reheat the leftover for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can you cook frozen turkey breast in the air fryer?

Yes, but it will take longer, and the meat could be bland unless you season it before placing it in the freezer. Have an instant meat thermometer on hand and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

How to keep turkey breast moist

I always cook the turkey with the skin side down first, then turn it over and cook until it reaches a safe internal temperature.

Once the turkey breast has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving. If you don’t want crispy skin, tent with foil and rest for 15 to 25 minutes.

What to serve with turkey breast

Turkey is the main dish for many delicious holiday side dishes like;

• Cranberry sauce
• Mashed potatoes
• Mashed cauliflower
• Green beans
• Roasted Brussels sprouts

And so many more side dishes you can make in the air fryer, instant pot, or oven.

How to store leftover turkey breast?

Let the cooked bird cool before storing. Wrap with plastic wrap and foil, place in an airtight container or freezer bag label and date. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to reheat turkey breast in air fryer?

Reheating the leftover from the fridge: Remove the foil and plastic wrap, wrap loosely with foil, place it in the air fryer, and reheat at 400ºF for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you’re not using foil to reheat, then set the air fryer to 350ºF and reheat for 3-5 minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times to avoid the meat to dry.

These reheating methods only work with sliced turkey breast. If you want to reheat a whole bone-in skin-on turkey breast, you’ll need to reheat it until the meat reaches 165ºF in its thickest part.

Reheating from the freezer: Two days before you’re planning to serve the turkey breast leftovers, remove it from the freezer, put it in a baking dish, and transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw. Then follow the instructions above.

Maybe you’re wondering if you can reheat directly from the freezer. Well, you can, but the meat could be dry because you’ll need it to cook until it reaches 165ºF to be safe to eat.

More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll love

• Air Fryer Turkey legs
• Turkey Thighs in Air Fryer
• Cornish Hens in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
• Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites
• Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
• Air Fryer Turkey Wings Recipe
• Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer

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Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

With only a few ingredients like fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, you can make air fryer turkey breast without brining the meat, and the result is the most delicious and juicy turkey breast ever.

Ingredients

• 4 large sage leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (4-5 lbs.) turkey breast, ribs removed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Finely chop the herbs (sage, parsley, thyme, and rosemary). In a small bowl, add the chopped herbs and melted butter, stir to combine.
2. Pat the turkey breast dry with a paper towel, season with salt and black pepper, using your hands, season the turkey breast under the skin and all over with the herb butter mixture.
3. Place the turkey breast in the air fryer basket, skin side down, and air fry to 350ºF for 25 minutes, flip, cook on the side for 20 more minutes or cook until an instant meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Remove from the air fryer and let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

• Use a silicone brush if you don’t want to use your hands and brush the meat all over with the herb butter mixture.
  
• Cook the meat until an instant meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheits in the thickest part of the turkey breast.
  
• Let the meat rest for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing
  
• The cooking time can vary depending on the size of the bird.
• Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to three months.
  
• Reheat the leftover for 3-5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheits.
  

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 68Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on products used. When the recipe list salt to taste the amount of salt is not calculated​, only the sodium in the other ingredients​ is calculated.