Discover how to make an air fryer turkey breast recipe that will be the main entree for your next Thanksgiving dinner. Learn how to season and crisp up your food with this small kitchen appliance known as an air fryer.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we all know what that means: time to cook a turkey! For some people, cooking a turkey can be stressful. One of the most common questions asked about cooking turkeys is “how long?” I will show you how easy it is to make an air fryer turkey breast in just a few minutes with this recipe for Air Fryer Turkey Breast.
The air fryer is a great way to cook all types of meats. The air fryers even have built-in sensors that automatically adjust the temperature and timer, so you never need to worry about overcooking your food! Using an air fryer can reduce cooking time by up to 70%.
Serve your turkey breast with a side of mashed potato, green bean casserole, or whatever your heart and stomach desires – the options are endless! Tender and juicy turkey meat is cooked to perfection in a fraction of the time compared to the traditional oven roast turkey method.
And if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, use them up in some delicious family meals for the rest of the week (such as turkey chili) so that you can kick back and relax after all the holiday festivities!
Ingredients needed to make a whole turkey breast in the air fryer
Turkey breast. For this recipe, we’re using a whole turkey breast, about 5-7 lb for our air fryer recipe. The key is finding the right turkey breast to fit your air fryer.
Fresh herbs. We’re seasoning our turkey breast with fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
Butter. Olive Oil. The cool thing about this recipe is that you don’t need a lot of ingredients to cook a turkey. It’s about having the right ingredients like quality olive oil and real butter.
How to cook a turkey in the air fryer
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 5-7 Lb Turkey Breast (With Bones)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 ½ Tsp Fresh Sage (Chopped)
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary (Chopped)
- 1 ½ Tsp Fresh Thyme (Chopped)
Directions on using an air fryer to make turkey
- For the first step, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Remove any excess juices around the turkey and transfer them to a baking tray or piece of parchment paper – somewhere that you can prep the turkey.
- Dry the top of the turkey by patting it with paper towel.
- Spread the butter under the skin of the turkey breast using your hands or a silicone spatula.
- After that, drizzle the top of the turkey with olive oil.
- Rub the top of the turkey skin with salt & pepper.
- Up next, grab the fresh herbs, chop them and sprinkle them on the turkey breast. If it is necessary, pat them, so they stick to the turkey.
- Now place your turkey breast into the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
- After that time went by, flip the turkey over and lower the temperature to 350 degrees cooks for an additional 40 minutes. By reducing the temperature, you prevent your turkey breast from drying.
- You may flip the turkey once more during the last ten minutes if you feel the skin doesn’t seem as crispy as you want.
- The turkey is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving!
Which Air Fryer do I Need for this Recipe?
The simple and quick answer to this question is…no! With that said, air fryers can vary in size, so it’s essential to use an air fryer that can hold the turkey breast that you buy.
If your air fryer basket itself isn’t large enough to comfortably hold the turkey breast, first check to see whether you have a large enough air fryer pot or base dish that will fit the turkey breast. For example, I used a 7-pound turkey breast that didn’t fit the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Air Fryer basket in my recipe, yet it did fit my air fryer’s Indoor Grill (Rectangular base), which is then what I used instead!
In the past, I’ve also made this same recipe in a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Pressure Cooker, using the air fryer round pot instead of the basket. At the end of the day, as long as the turkey breast fits into the air fryer, it doesn’t matter as much if you place it on the basket or another air fryer base.
Of course, apart from the turkey needing to fit your air fryer, make sure that the chicken cooks to the right internal temperature of 165℉. I usually check this by using an instant read thermometer like this meat thermometer.
Tips for making easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- I’ve used fresh chopped herbs for my whole turkey breast, but you can use dried herbs instead if you like. Just remember that you’ll need much less in the way of dried herbs than the quantity listed for the fresh herbs. I prefer using fresh herbs as I believe it elevates the flavor of meat and most other dishes.
- The herbs can also be replaced entirely by your favorite seasoning or spice rubs!
How to reheat leftover turkey
The best way to reheat leftover turkey is in the oven, covered with aluminum foil so that the meat doesn’t dry out while being reheated. Turkey, like chicken, is leaner meat with less fat content than beef or pork, so you need to be careful that you don’t dry the meat out.
Can you use boneless turkey breast in the air fryer?
Don’t air fry turkey boneless breast if you are looking for crispy skin. The air frying process will not crisp the skin of your turkey, but it is possible to achieve the same results with an air fryer as in a conventional oven or grill by adding seasonings and cook time accordingly. Add seasonings like salt (preferably dry brined), garlic powder, paprika, pepper, or poultry seasoning blend according to preference before cooking. For more flavor, add olive oil on top of the raw meat before placing it inside the air fryer basket for even distribution during the cooking process.
Side Dishes for Turkey
With Thanksgiving Day fast approaching, you’ll want to consider serving the following holiday side dishes with this juicy and tender air fryer turkey breast:
- Garlic mashed potato or cauliflower mash (for a low-carb option);
- Sweet potato casserole;
- Green bean casserole;
- Garlic bread or homemade dinner rolls;
- Roasted vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, acorn squash, or baked potatoes;
- Thanksgiving stuffing;
- Honey glazed carrots; or
- A light green salad or pasta salad.
Honestly, the options are somewhat endless when it comes to side dishes for your Thanksgiving lunch or dinner, but these suggestions above should help you get started on your planning.
Apart from side dishes, you may also like to make some cranberry sauce and gravy as delicious holiday table condiments.
Ways to use leftover turkey breast
If you have leftover turkey as a result of holiday celebrations, make use of it in other recipes to create new and delicious meals that can feed your family with ease.
Add leftover turkey to turkey chili, turkey sliders, turkey sandwiches, pot pies, or as part of a tortilla or taco filling.
Leftover cooked turkey will last for 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, so there’s ample opportunity to use up all those delicious leftovers!
Check out these leftover turkey recipes:
Leftover Turkey Idea | Instant Pot Stir-Fry with Turkey + Brown Rice
Spicy Thanksgiving Turkey Dressing Sandwich
Collard Green & Chopped Turkey Wraps {Leftover Turkey Idea}
Now that you have a recipe for making a juicy turkey breast for the holiday season be sure to print the recipe from the recipe card listed below. Making your turkey in the air fryer takes less time than using the oven. Be sure to give you let the turkey rest about 10 minutes before carving and serving. We like to have turkey throughout the year, and this recipe allows us to use a turkey breast vs. a whole turkey. Using the air fryer and following the tips gives you juicy meat and a delicious flavor in a short amount of time.
Air Fryer Recipes to check out:
Air Fryer Salmon Recipe with Cilantro Lime
Air Fryer Indian Spiced Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 5-7 Lb Turkey Breast With Bones
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 ½ Tsp Fresh Sage Chopped
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Chopped
- 1 ½ Tsp Fresh Thyme Chopped
- Directions on using an air fryer to make turkey
Instructions
- For the first step, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
Remove any excess juices around the turkey and transfer them to a baking tray or piece of parchment paper – somewhere that you can prep the turkey.
Dry the top of the turkey by patting it with paper towel.
Spread the butter under the skin of the turkey breast using your hands or a silicone spatula.
After that, drizzle the top of the turkey with olive oil.
Rub the top of the turkey skin with salt & pepper.
Up next, grab the fresh herbs, chop them and sprinkle them on the turkey breast. If it is necessary, pat them, so they stick to the turkey.
Now place your turkey breast into the air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
After that time went by, flip the turkey over and lower the temperature to 350 degrees cooks for an additional 40 minutes. By reducing the temperature, you prevent your turkey breast from drying.
You may flip the turkey once more during the last ten minutes if you feel the skin doesn't seem as crispy as you want.
The turkey is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving!
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