Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast (2024)

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This Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is ready in less than an hour! A simple herb seasoning and SO much flavor, you’ll think it was deep fried!

What do you do when you don’t want to make a whole turkey for Thanksgiving? Well, in my case, I usually make a turkey breast!

Here on Blackberry Babe, I have two ways to make juicy turkey breast. If you bought a bone-in turkey breast, try out this Italian Grilled Turkey Breast recipe. If you bought a boneless breast, I recommend the tender air fryer turkey breast recipe below, or this Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving. Cooking a turkey breast makes for the perfect turkey dinner for a smaller Thanksgiving dinner.

“I will make this again and again. Thanks for a go to recipe for turkey.”

– Tammy, Pinterest User

The first time I tried to air fry turkey breast, it was out of frustration! I had intended to grill the turkey breast for a weeknight meal, but it was so unwieldy and wouldn’t hold together. I ended up using the air fryer method instead!

My logic was that I’m always air frying chicken wings and chicken thighs, so I thought with some added fat (oil or butter) and good seasonings, air frying a turkey breast could work.

And, it did! This air fried turkey breast recipe was totally a happy accident. I ended up with a pretty crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat! It was almost like it had been deep fried, it was so tasty.

The spice rub was delicious and the meat was juicy and tender.

Theonlything I would consider doing differently in the future is injecting the meat for even more flavor. You can buy turkey injection liquid at the store (I like this injectable marinade), or make homemade turkey injection.

If you do inject your turkey breast, you can do it right before you air fry, or up to 8 hours prior to give the liquid more time to season the meat.Just make sure to keep it chilled while it’s marinating!

Check out the other air fryer recipes on Blackberry Babe.

Serving Suggestions:

I think this is the best turkey for a small get together! Serve it sliced with fresh herbs for garnish. I also love to add cranberry sauce or cranberry relish, and a few of my favorite side dishes.

If you need suggestions, check out all of my side dish recipes on Blackberry Babe.

If you have leftover breast meat, use it in my awesome Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders!

Storing Leftover Turkey Breast:

Store any leftover turkey meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Leftovers also freeze well! Freeze in freezer bags with all air removed for up to 6 months.

“I made this for the first time and will definitely be doing it again. It was perfectly browned, moist and tender.”

Yvonne, Pinterest Comment

Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Yield: Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is ready in less than an hour! A simple herb seasoning and SO much flavor, you’ll think it was deep fried!

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) boneless turkey breast roast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp thyme, dried
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Before cooking, pull the turkey breast from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to remove the chill.
2. Pre-heat your air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a small bowl, mix dry seasonings together.
4. Place thawed turkey on a plate. Pat dry with paper towels.
5. Next, rub or brush turkey breast with the oil.
6. Season turkey breast on all sides with dry seasoning blend.
7. Place turkey breast in air fryer basket.
8. Air fry for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning turkey breast every 5-10 minutes to avoid burning. If the outside of the turkey looks dry at any point, spray with cooking spray to help it out.
9. Your cooking time will depend on the power of your air fryer, so be sure to measure doneness with an instant read thermometer. When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees using a meat thermometer, it is done. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. I like to pull my turkey at 162, knowing that it will continue to cook while it rests.
10. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. You can tent the turkey with aluminum foil to
11. Allow the turkey to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing, to allow the juices time to redistribute.

See Also

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Notes

You will need a larger air fryer (6 or 8 quart) to fit the turkey breast and leave room for the air to circulate.

The size of the turkey breast will impact cook time. I've had readers report that their 5-pound turkey breasts took 55 minutes total.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 45Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 11mgSodium 367mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 4g

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originally published on Oct 26, 2020 (last updated Oct 24, 2023)

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