Air fryer boneless turkey breast is the quick air fried recipe you need this Thanksgiving (or any time of year!) Learn how to cook and how long to cook this perfect main dish recipe that tastes so juicy and tender, you'll swear it was a tenderloin made on the rotisserie! Simple roast bursting with flavor and on the table in less than 1 hour!
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Sometimes simple is all you need for Thanksgiving! Or maybe you are getting a craving for turkey, but you don't want to turn on the oven.
This recipe delivers the holiday meal of your dreams - in what seems like no time at all! Deliciously juicy turkey roasted to perfection in a fraction of the time of roasting up the entire bird.
This recipes creates a bird that is golden brown on the outside, juicy and moist on the inside. Perfect for a small holiday meal or a great replacement for rotisserie chicken in your weekly meal prep.
For the holidays you can serve it with roasted colorful carrots or blistered green beans, garlic parmesan Brussels sprouts or air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus and sweet potato casserole for an easy and delicious Thanksgiving or Christmas meal! Don't forget pumpkin pie for dessert!
Got leftovers? Try these healthy leftover turkey recipes.
What Makes This Recipe Work
- FAST! Air fryer boneless turkey breast takes a fraction of the time of a full bird - less than an hour and you have a Thanksgiving worthy main dish on your table.
- Family & Kid Approved. My family almost always goes for the breast meat so sometimes making just that part makes more sense.
- Juicy with no brining. This method gives you the crispy outside skin and a tender, juicy and moist inside that is roasted to perfection. You don't have to brine it if you don't want to!
- Great for a small holiday gathering. If you want to go the easy route for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, you will love this recipe! This air fried turkey breast will make about 12 slices - perfect for 4 full servings, or make for 2 with leftovers!
Ingredients for This Recipe
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- 3 lb boneless turkey breast: Butterball has a frozen variety that you can find in many main grocery stores.
- Garlic: I highly recommend roasted garlic as it is very smooth in creating the butter herb paste that goes on the turkey. Otherwise, grate or finely mince the garlic.
- Fresh herbs: Poultry blends work well here. I used sage, rosemary and thyme.
- Butter: You can also use ghee or use olive oil if you need it to be dairy free.
How to Cook This Recipe
This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cook time and temperatures.
- Begin by preheating your air fryer for 10 minutes at 350F. You can allow it to preheat while you begin mixing up the herbed butter mixture.
- Start by creating the garlic herb butter mixture. Mix softened butter with garlic and herbs and stir to incorporate. Using your hands, rub half of the butter on the top and under the skin of the turkey. Flip and rub the remainder on the bottom.
- Carefully place the turkey in the basket. I like to coat my basket with coconut oil spray to ensure that it does not stick.
- Roast turkey for about 20 minutes then flip over and roast for an additional 30-35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 170F.
Expert Tips
- Select the right size bird for your air fryer model. I made this recipe using my 4 liter Ultrean model and it fit the 3 lb. Butterball perfectly.
- Cook time will vary based on your model as well as size of the turkey breast you are using. Be sure to use an instant read thermometer to ensure that the roast comes to an internal temperature of 170F.
- Allow roast to rest, tented under aluminum foil for 10 to 15 minutes prior to slicing to keep it moist and juicy.
- Do not use frozen meat for this air fryer boneless turkey breast. If your meat is frozen you will want to defrost it for at least 24 hours. The Butterball 3 lb. took about a day and a half to fully defrost.
- The 3 lb. Butterball comes in a few flavors (Cajun and Savory Herb) so that may impact taste if you select one that has a dry rub already on it. For this recipe I recommend using the plain breast meat roast.
- Leave the skin on for roasting even if you are looking to make a skinless version. The skin helps to keep the moisture in during roasting.
- Leftovers? Try this delicious instant pot turkey noodle soup!
Recipe FAQs
Total roast time is about 55 minutes, flipping after the first 20 minutes.
Allow the roast to rest under tented aluminum foil for 10 to 15 minutes prior to slicing. Use a meat knife or an electric knife to cut thin or thick slices, depending on your preference. Slice meat cross-wise using long motions.
I removed the webbing prior to cooking but some people swear by leaving it on. If you leave it on, you will want to check the temperature with an instant read thermometer to ensure it has cooked according to the time in the recipe card. Leaving the webbing on may lengthen the cook time.
This recipe is designed to air fry turkey quickly. You can choose to brine it if you desire but it will add onto the total time.
Related Recipes
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Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3 lb turkey breast
- 3 tablespoon butter or ghee softened
- 6 cloves roasted garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon each fresh rosemary, sage and thyme
- sea salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F. Coat the basket with coconut oil spray.
- Wash and mince fresh herbs. Add garlic to top of minced herbs and work the herbs into the garlic to incorporate. Stir herb/garlic mixture into the butter.
- Spread ¼ of the butter mixture under the skin and ¼ of the butter on top of the skin. Spread remaining butter on the bottom.
- Place turkey skin side down into the basket. Roast for 20 minutes then flip.
- Roast for an additional 30-35 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 170F.
Notes
- Select the right size bird for your air fryer model. I made this recipe using my 4 liter Ultrean model and it fit the 3 lb. Butterball perfectly.
- Cook time will vary based on your model as well as size of the turkey breast you are using. Be sure to use an instant read thermometer to ensure that the roast comes to an internal temperature of 170F.
- Allow roast to rest, tented under aluminum foil for 10 to 15 minutes prior to slicing to keep it moist and juicy.
- Do not put frozen meat into the air fryer for cooking. If your meat is frozen you will want to defrost it for at least 24 hours. The Butterball 3 lb. took about a day and a half to fully defrost.
- The 3 lb. Butterball comes in a few flavors (Cajun and Savory Herb) so that may impact taste if you select one that has a dry rub already on it. For this recipe I recommend using the plain breast meat roast.
- Leave the skin on for roasting even if you are looking to make a skinless version. The skin helps to keep the moisture in during roasting.
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