🦃🍁⏰ Air Fryer Turkey Breast makes it possible to create a complete Thanksgiving or holiday meal in an hour! No brining, no fuss, no stress! Just a few ingredients needed for juicy turkey breast with a crispy exterior that the whole family will rave about!
Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe
- If you’ve been wanting to enjoy tender, juicy turkey breast with crispy skin or a golden browned exterior, minus the hefty prep time, cook time, and overall stress of making a whole bird, then making a turkey breast in an air fryer is ideal!
- Sometimes you just don’t need a ton of turkey and this recipe is great for those times. Or let’s say you need to free up your oven for a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, this easy air fryer turkey recipe is the perfect solution.
- Perhaps you’re trying to work more lean high-protein meals into busy weeknights, there’s no quicker way to make turkey than in an air fryer. In fact, in just one hour it’s ready!
- Not to mention, this is just about the easiest way to make turkey breast because you don’t need to brine it or dry rub it in advance. A bit of olive oil and herbs rubbed on top and you’re set!
- Although if you want to make a Baked Turkey Breast, Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, Foolproof Oven Roasted Whole Turkey or Easy Citrus Roasted Turkey, I’ve got those options too!
Ingredients in Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Turkey breast: I’ve made this recipe with both boneless turkey breast and bone-in turkey breast.
- Most boneless turkey breasts are about 3-4 pounds (here’s looking at you Butterball and Jennie-O) and come with netting or string on them. Keep it on because after removing the bone, the netting gives the meat structure so it doesn’t flop around, but if it doesn’t come with it on, no big deal. Ultimately you may need to cook it a bit longer since the meat is being compacted, or held together tightly, so cooking time may take a bit longer.
- With bone-in turkey breast, they’ll be a bit heavier at ~4 to 5 1/2 pounds. Make sure your air fryer can accommodate it, but most models can.
- Olive oil + herbs: Garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and black pepper. You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs. If you want to add oregano, lemon zest, or other seasonings, go for it.
- Optional Gravy: I recommend my Easy Chicken Broth Gravy which does not need drippings. Or if you have them, my 5-Minute Perfect Turkey Gravy is perfect.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Turkey Breast in Air Fryer
- To a small bowl, combine the herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the turkey breast dry, drizzle with olive oil, and then rub it in all over. Evenly sprinkle the seasonings all over including the sides of the turkey breast.
- Place in air fryer basket with the top side or skin side down for 20 minutes.
- Flip and continue cooking until the internal temp is about 158F. See the box below for more info.
- Rest it so the juices don’t run out AND so the internal temp comes up, slice it on a cutting board, and serve. Tip – Make my Easy Chicken Broth Gravy if you don’t have drippings or 5-Minute Foolproof Gravy if you do.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
How Long Should I Air Fry It?
In general, I aim for about 15 minutes per pound of turkey when air frying at 350F.
This means that an average 3 to 5 pound turkey breast, with or without a bone, will take about 45 to 75 minutes. Of course, this is dependent on the size of your breast and your air fryer.
The best judge for doneness with a protein, especially of this size, is to use an instant-read thermometer. When it registers about 158F at the deepest part, pull it from the air fryer and then let it rest for about 15 minutes. During the resting time, the internal temperature will rise to 165F which is the safe temperature to cook poultry.
My favorite Air Fryers
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
🦃🍁⏰ Create a complete Thanksgiving or holiday meal in an hour! No brining, no fuss, no stress! Just a few ingredients needed for juicy turkey breast with a crispy exterior that the whole family will rave about!
Equipment
- Air Fryer (I suggest a large or XL air fryer of ~5.8 quart capacity or larger)
Ingredients
- 3- pound boneless turkey breast, thawed if frozen (budget ~24-36 hours) and keep netting or string on if it has it (OR use a 4 to 5.5 pound bone-in turkey breast, thawed if frozen)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced and to taste (or sub with 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely minced and to taste (or sub with 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced and to taste (or sub with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
Instructions
- Thaw: Make sure your turkey has been properly thawed in the refrigerator if using a frozen turkey. Tips – Plan for it to take 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey, plus a bit more. If your house is cold and your fridge runs cold, it could be more like 36-48 hours. There's no harm in letting it sit in your fridge an extra day. Better that than to cook a turkey that hasn't been fully thawed.
- Prep: To a small bowl, add the salt, pepper, and all remaining spices and seasonings, and stir to combine.
- Place the turkey breast on a cutting board or plate, and lightly drizzle it with olive oil all over, and using clean hands, rub it in all over.
- Evenly sprinkle the seasoning mix all over the turkey and pat it in with your hands all over on the top, bottom, and sides. Tip – I usually season it with a bit more salt and pepper at this point too.
- Air Fryer: Place the turkey in your air fryer with the skin side, or top side, facing down. Air fry at 350F for 20 minutes.
- Flip: Flip it over, and continue air frying for another 20-30 minutes, or until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of ~158F at the thickest or deepest part.
- Doneness Tips: I cannot stress the important of taking the temperature rather than guessing! Poultry is safe to consume at 165F but if you wait to pull it from your air fryer at 165F, it'll likely dry out. Therefore, I like to pull mine at about 155-158F, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes, during which time the internal temp will continue to rise to a safe 165F. Boneless turkeys are usually more tightly bound with netting so they may take longer to cook; however, bone-in turkeys are heavier in general so it can be a toss up which will take longer. Rather than going by the time on the clock, you really need to check the temperature.
- Rest: The turkey breast needs to rest for 10-15 minutes so that the internal temperature can rise properly and to lock in the natural juices and redistribute them. Slicing too early will cause the juices to run out, and unnecessarily creating dry turkey. Slice against the grain.
- Gravy, optional: While the turkey rests, since you likely don't have drippings (from a whole turkey involving butter and natural fats), I recommend making my Chicken Broth Gravy.
- Serving: Optionally garnish with additional fresh herbs, parsley, or as desired and serve immediately.
Notes
Storage: Leftover turkey will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leftovers Tips – If you don’t nibble at it as-is, my recommendations are to make 30-Minute Turkey Noodle Soup, Turkey Sliders, or Turkey Tetrazzini.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 295cal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 856mg, Potassium: 567mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 64IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Good day Averie, just wanted to thank you so very much for this recipe. The seasonings and juiciness of this turkey was the absolute perfect, best turkey we’ve ever had for a meal. Second was a deep fried on our 2nd thanksgiving together. We’ve been making turkey breast in a roast or the oven for years 37. Never had the “perfect” dinner. This one most definitely was! We’re still talking about it and made it on the 19th. This is the ONLY recipe I will make all throughout the year! Thank you again!!! God Bless you and your family and have a most wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!!!
Thank you so much Mem for the 5 star review and for sharing that this was the perfect turkey and dinner for you after 37 years of making turkey other ways! So Glad to hear that you’ll also make this during the year. That’s another one of my goals with this recipe is to help people make turkey not only on Thanksgiving or Christmas but throughout the year.
I absolutely love comments like yours and it truly inspires me to keep creating recipe and sharing. God bless and have the most wonderful Thanksgiving week with your family!🦃