What herbs are good in butter for turkey?

Rosemary, sage, and thyme are excellent, though you can also use chives, parsley, and lemon zest for a different spin on that herb butter.

What are the best herbs to go with turkey?

Sage, rosemary, and thyme are the most complementary flavors to go with turkey breast. Bay leaves, garlic, and lemon also add a nice flavor.

How do you inject a turkey with herb butter?

You’ll need a meat syringe to inject it, though there’s no need for all that drama unless you want to. I massage the herb butter into the skin and then lift the skin to get it under the meat, which perfectly infuses it with flavor.

How to make herb butter?

Herb butter is simply butter and fresh herbs, and the best way to make it is to set a reminder to leave your butter out on the counter to soften for about an hour first. Then mix in your chopped fresh herbs.

What kind of butter is best for turkey?

Some people go with salted butter or clarified butter, but as for me, I can tell you that herb butter is the way to go. It’s full of flavor, less sodium, and makes the meat moist and tender.

Herb Butter Turkey Breast (Perfect Oven-Roasted Turkey Meat)

Name: Herb Butter Turkey Breast (Perfect Oven-Roasted Turkey Meat)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Full Butterball Turkey breast (room temperature); 1/3 cup Softened butter; 6 sprigs (1 tablespoon) of fresh thyme (chopped); 2 sprigs (1 tablespoon) of fresh rosemary (chopped); 6 large leaves (1 tablespoon) of fresh sage (chopped); 2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun seasoning; 2 teaspoons Knorr chicken seasoning; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon dry thyme (optional); 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Description

There are turkey breast recipes, and there is this herb butter turkey breast recipe. This is one dish you need in your arsenal. It is easy to make, basically hands-free, yet so tasty, moist, and perfect for your family and guests. You can never go wrong with this recipe. How about you make this recipe and thank me later! Oh, did I mention that this is a gluten-free recipe? Such a perfect holiday dinner main that your family and guest will enjoy!

Ingredients

Scale

1 Full Butterball Turkey breast (room temperature)
1/3 cup Softened butter
6 sprigs (1 tablespoon) of fresh thyme (chopped)
2 sprigs (1 tablespoon) of fresh rosemary (chopped)
6 large leaves (1 tablespoon) of fresh sage (chopped)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Knorr chicken seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry thyme (optional)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

Gather. Round up all the ingredients in one place. Wash and chop the herbs.
Make Herb Butter. Place the softened butter into a bowl and add the chopped/thinly sliced fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and sage); combine and set aside.
Prepare and Season the Turkey Breast. Clean the turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels, then place it in a big bowl. Season the turkey with all the dry seasonings- salt, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, Knorr, dry thyme, ground black pepper, and onion powder. Make sure you marinate the meat with the seasonings, then rub the herb butter all over the meat.
Roast. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163 °C), and place seasoned turkey breast on the rack inside the turkey roasting pan, then cover with foil. Cook your turkey breast for (2hrs 45 mins to 3hrs) until fully cooked and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74 °C). Use a meat thermometer to check doneness. Remove the foil covering 30 minutes before finishing cooking, which allows the meat to tan and brown a bit.
Rest. After cooking, allow your turkey breast to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. To slice your turkey breast, gently debone it from the breastbone, and then cut the meat into medium-sized pieces.
Make Gravy. Gravy is necessary. It is the stuff of life. Use some of the drippings from the turkey to make gravy to serve with the meat. I typically do not add all drippings to my gravy. I suggest 1/4 cup of the drippings and 1 cup of chicken broth. Increase your quantity as needed to get your desired consistency.

Notes

Make sure to use a room temperature turkey breast

When you rub the herb butter on the turkey, lift up some of the turkey skin to apply the herb butter. This way, the herb butter properly enters the meat.

If you have two separate single turkey breasts, season both separately well.

Make sure you have a rack to use in your roasting pan. DO NOT PUT THE TURKEY DIRECTLY INSIDE THE PAN WITHOUT THE RACK! See this pan and rack.

Use a meat thermometer to ensure proper internal temperature. When I made this recipe for Thanksgiving in 2024, I cooked two of them for exactly 3 hours and 15 minutes. And I noticed that (on 2025 New Year’s Day), when I cooked only one Butterball turkey breast, it took about 3 hours. My point – cooking time can vary, and the best way to make sure it’s done is by checking the internal temperature.

Optionally, midway through cooking, you can use a meat injector to extract the dripping in the pan and inject it back into the breasts.