Dutch Oven Turkey Breast is a flavorful alternative to cooking a whole turkey for Thanksgiving. Perfect for a smaller gathering, enjoy the holiday tastes you love in a fraction of the time. Also great for everyday and weeknight cooking!
Perhaps you have a small family, or you're heading into your first Thanksgiving as empty nesters or the in-laws are planning a cruise instead of traveling to your house for the holidays. Don't fret, you can still enjoy a traditional-style dinner without the work of roasting a whole turkey.
Cooking an entire turkey for Thanksgiving when just a few will be dining can be overwhelming. It's a lot of work and then you are faced with a mountain of leftovers that need to be eaten within a few days.
Fortunately, Dutch Oven Turkey Breast is perfect for a smaller group of guests, especially white meat lovers. Serve the roast turkey breast with your favorite recipes for side dishes like orange cranberry sauce, dressing, mashed potatoes and more. (See our list of suggested side dishes below.)
Why Cook a Turkey Breast in a Dutch Oven?
Dutch oven turkey breast cooks much faster than a whole turkey and it stays moist and flavorful. Searing before cooking means you get brown, crispy skin and a meal that is delicious.
Enjoy juicy turkey in less time with less prep work than cooking the whole bird. Dutch oven turkey breast may be a little non-traditional but it is a great way to enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving and it's the perfect size for a small group.
Looking for other non-tradional Thanksgiving recipes for a small feast that cook quickly? Try my Easy Cornish Hen recipe or Cuban Roasted Chicken in a Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil – or use your favorite light, neutral flavored oil.
- Seasoning – Use a combination of dried Rosemary, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt (or sea salt) and black pepper. Or use my homemade turkey rub and seasoning recipe and keep some in your pantry.
- Turkey Breast – Look for a 4 to 6 pound bone-in turkey breast with the skin on.
- Carrots and Celery – clean, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Broth – use either turkey or chicken stock or broth.
See recipe card below for exact quantities and instructions.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the turkey breast on a large pan, plate or cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Coat well with olive oil. In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the turkey breast with the seasoning and get some under the skin.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat on top of the stove. Brown the turkey breast for 5 to 10 minutes, turning on each side so all of the skin browns. Remove turkey breast from pot and let rest.
3. Add the carrots and celery to the pan and saute for 5 minutes, using a spoon to turn vegetables. Add the broth to the pot and cook for a few minutes or until it comes to a boil. Remove pot from heat and place turkey with skin side up on top of the vegetables.
4. Bake in the oven, breast side up, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check temperature of turkey. It should be removed when the thickest part of the turkey registers 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. If turkey is not done after first check, cook in 10 to 15 minute increments until it gets to 165 degrees F. Turkey can be covered with the lid if skin gets too browned.
Once the turkey is done, let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving. It can be served with pan juices or premade gravy.
Hint: Bring the turkey breast to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
Variations/Substitutions
- Add Citrus - Sprinkle the turkey breast with lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bright flavor. Alternatively, you can use orange zest and juice. You could also stuff the cavity with cut lemons, limes or an orange.
- Use Butter - Instead of rubbing with olive oil, combine the spice mixture with softened butter and make a herb butter to rub all over the surface of the turkey skin..
- Fresh Herbs – Replace the dried rosemary with fresh rosemary. You can also add other fresh herbs such as thyme or sage. Toss a bay leaf into the bottom of the dutch oven to add more flavor to the pan drippings.
How to Carve a Turkey Breast
- Let turkey breast rest for at least 15 minutes on cutting board.
- Use a sharp knife and run it down the center of the turkey breast along the bone. Repeat on the other side. You should be able to remove both sides easily.
- Place the turkey meat, skin side up and slice into pieces of desired thickness.
- Transfer to a platter.
Equipment
You will need a large Dutch Oven with a lid. You can use a well-seasoned heavy bottomed cast iron Dutch oven or one with enameled cast iron. Both work well and can be used on the stovetop and in the oven.
Storage/ Leftovers
Leftover turkey can be sealed in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Divide turkey into meal-sized portions for easy use in recipes.
Leftover turkey can be used in various recipes like Turkey Orzo Soup , Turkey Tortellini Soup or these light and fresh turkey wraps. I love making Leftover Turkey Salad with grapes also. It's great for a light meal.
Top tip
Don't overcook the turkey. Turkey should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Immediately remove from the oven for a nice, moist turkey.
More Tips
- Bring the turkey breast to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.
- Use a large Dutch oven that's at least 6-quarts or larger.
- Mix the seasoning blend in a small bowl.
- Season the turkey breast in a bowl or directly in the dutch oven. The bottom of the dutch oven will collect the extra seasoning along with the turkey's own pan juices to create a flavorful base for a sauce or gravy.
- When searing the turkey you do not need to fully cook the meat. You are simply browning and crisping the skin.
- Roast turkey breast with the skin side up.
FAQ
Turkey should be cooked to 165 degrees F when an instant-read meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast. The skin should be crispy and golden. Many turkey breasts have pop-up timers but I always suggest using a meat thermometer rather than relying on the pop-up timer alone as they are not always accurate.
Can I make this with boneless turkey breast?
Boneless turkey breast will be smaller and cook much faster. You can follow the same method, just begin checking for doneness at the one-hour mark. I prefer cooking a bone-in turkey breast because it turns out much juicier.
This recipe is fairly simple so I wouldn't recommend preparing it in advance. Turkey breast tends to dry out the longer it sits and everyone prefers juicy, moist turkey.
It takes approximately 90 minutes to bake but could be more or less depending on the size of your turkey breast
Food safety
Turkey should be completely thawed before cooking. If you begin with a frozen turkey breast, you will need to defrost it in the fridge. Depending on the size of the turkey breast, you may need to allow for a longer defrosting time. Check the package for instructions.
You can also defrost by soaking the wrapped turkey breast in a bowl of cold water.
- Cook turkey to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Promptly refrigerate any leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this roasted turkey breast with traditional side dishes. here are some of my favorites:
- Gluten Free Gravy
- Stove Top Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash with Bacon
- Classic Stuffing from Recipe Girl
- Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
If you like this Dutch Oven Turkey Breast, please leave a 5-star rating.
RECIPE
Dutch Oven Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried Rosemary
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 teasooons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons Kosher or Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 4 to 6 pound turkey breast (skin-on, bone-in)
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 celery stalks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the turkey breast on a large pan, plate or cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. Coat well with olive oil. In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the turkey breast with the seasoning and get some under the skin.
- Heat a large Dutch oven on medium high heat on top of the stove. Brown the turkey breast for a 5 to 10 minutes , turning on each side so all of the skin browns. Remove turkey breast from pot an dlet rest.
- Add the carrots and celery to the pan and saute for 5 minutes, using a spoon to turn vegetables. Add the broth to the pot and cook for a few minutes or until it comes to a boil. Remove pot from heat and place turkey with skin side up on top of the vegetables.
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check temperature of turkey. It should be removed when the thickest part of the turkey registers 165 degrees on a meat thermomter. If tukey is not done after first check, cook in 10 to 15 minnute increments until it gets to 165 degrees F. Turkey can be covered with the lid if skin gets too browned.
- Once the turkey is done, let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board before slicing and serving. It can be served with pan juices or premade gravy.
Nutrition
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Kathryn
This turkey breast is so delicious and easy! I know what I'll be making for dinner again next week, thanks so much!! 🙂
Min
Very yummy! We enjoyed this very much. Tasty and a lot easier than I initially thought it would be. I think I'm going to try this with chicken next.
Maggie
I had never thought about make it in a dutch oven. We are a smaller group this year, I might have to try this for Thanksgiving.
Kris
I love this recipe as an alternative to a big seasoned turkey on Thanksgiving. This recipe turns out so moist and flavorful, and it takes way less time!
Isa
I like this recipe instead of whole roasted chicken or ham for a family dinner. It's so easy and has a ton of flavor. It may even be the recipe used for Thanksgiving this year.
Erin
This turkey looks so perfectly done! I'll have to try your method since mine never comes out well. Can't wait!
Tristin
Love the idea of making the turkey breast in the dutch oven. I will be trying this out for Thanksgiving this year!
Laura Arteaga
We followed this recipe and the turkey was cooked to perfection. The veggies were just perfect and the meat was delicious. Thank you!
Dennis
What a delicious way to cook turkey breast! My wife wanted to make turkey sandwiches and I refuse to buy deli turkey and your recipe made the perfect turkey for sandwiches!
Jenny
It’s nice to have options at Thanksgiving. This delicious Dutch oven turkey breast fits right in. Love the Dutch ones approach. Can’t wait to try it.
Julie Hannon
This recipe worked great and the directions were easy to follow. It looked beautiful, it was completely done but very juicy, and was flavorful. Thanks for a great method of cooking a turkey breast.
lisa
Julie,
So glad you enjoyed!
Lisa