Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe {Easy & Juicy!}

Name: Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 320 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup kosher salt; 4 cups water (warm water, or unsalted broth); 1 turkey breast (skinless, boneless (about 2 - 2.5 lbs)); 2 cups long grain white rice (rinsed); 1 carrot (grated); 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 3 cups water; 1-2 garlic heads (sliced in half crosswise (keep skin on)); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 2 tablespoons olive oil; roasted garlic (from the baked garlic halves); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; pinch salt (or to taste)

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This Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe makes a flavorful and satisfying meal with minimal effort. Skinless, boneless turkey breast is brined to keep it juicy and well-seasoned. It’s then baked over a bed of rice mixed with grated carrot, dried cranberries, and whole garlic cloves, turning it into a complete one-pan dish. After baking, the roasted garlic is mashed into a smooth dip that complements the turkey beautifully.

Tender Baked Turkey Breast over rice, in a white serving platter.

One of the best parts of this dish is the rice itself. The layer directly beneath the turkey stays soft and infused with juices from the meat. But the rice closer to the bottom, where it touches the parchment paper, crisps up beautifully, creating a golden, slightly sticky layer with a toasty bite. You get the best of both worlds: moist, aromatic rice up top and crisp, caramelized bits underneath.

If you use a standard-thickness baking sheet, the bottom layer of rice gets beautifully crispy where it touches the pan (like a golden crust). But if you use a thicker casserole dish or heavy-duty pan, that heat doesn't transfer the same way, and the rice stays soft throughout. Choose your pan based on how much crispy texture you want!

If you love flavorful rice dishes like this, you might also enjoy my Curried Rice Sautee and Chicken, Sausage and Rice recipe.

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Reasons to Love This Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe
The Ingredients
Why Kosher Salt is Best for Brining
Substitutions and variations
Preparation
Top Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Serving suggestions
Storing and reheating
You may also like to try
Recipe
Comments

Reasons to Love This Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe

It's Juicy Every Time: Brining the boneless, skinless turkey breast ensures it stays moist and flavorful after baking.
Perfect for Meal Prep: Like this 7-Layer Taco Salad, this dish is also great for meal prep. Pack the rice underneath, add the turkey breast in container and its good for several days.
Simple Ingredients: No fancy tools or hard-to-find ingredients. Just wholesome, pantry staples.
It's Healthy and Light: A lean protein meal that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, perfect for any time of year.
Family-Friendly: Mild spices, a hint of sweetness from cranberries, and garlic-infused rice make it a hit with both kids and adults.

The Ingredients

labeled ingredients of the Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe.

Turkey Breast: We use boneless, skinless turkey breast. It's lean, easy to cook, and perfect for brining to keep it juicy. It's also easier and quicker to cook than a whole turkey, so it's ideal for smaller Thanksgiving dinners or when you want something low-effort but still impressive. Plus, leftovers are so good! We love turning them into this Leftover Turkey and Gnocchi Salad.
Rice: Long grain white rice (like basmati or jasmine) works best here. It cooks up fluffy and absorbs flavor without getting too sticky. You’ll get that nice contrast of soft rice under the turkey and crispy golden bits at the bottom where it touches the parchment paper.
Carrot: Like in this Sautéed Cabbage with Mushrooms and Bacon recipe, grated carrot adds subtle sweetness and color to the rice.
Dried Cranberries: Bring a pop of tartness and texture contrast. Plus, it's perfect with Turkey.
Whole Garlic Head: We'll roast garlic head halves in the rice for a mellow, caramelized flavor. It's great for a post-roast garlic dip that we'll be making after.
Seasoning: A simple mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and dried parsley. That's it!

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and quantities

Why Kosher Salt is Best for Brining

Kosher salt is the go-to choice for brining because of its pure, clean flavor and larger, flakier crystals, which dissolve more evenly in water. Unlike table salt, it doesn’t contain additives like anti-caking agents. In brining, it helps the turkey absorb moisture and flavor, keeping the meat juicy and well-seasoned all the way through.

Substitutions and variations

Turkey Breast: Swap with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs for a smaller, quicker version. No need to brine.
Dried Cranberries: You can also use raisins, chopped dried apricots, or chopped prunes (like I also sometimes like to substitute when cooking the sweet and tangy Baked Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas. Though you won't have that tang as you would with the dried cranberries.
Garlic Head: If you’re out of whole garlic, use a few whole cloves or skip it altogether.
Add nuts: Toss in some slivered almonds or chopped pecans with the rice for crunch. mix them into the top layer of the rice during the last 15–20 minutes of baking. This gives them some heat without fully softening.
Add herbs: Add chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill on top after baking for a fresh pop.
Spiced brine: Make the brine more aromatic by adding bay leaves, peppercorns, smashed garlic, or even a cinnamon stick.

Preparation

STEP 1: Brine the turkey

turkey breast brining in a large bowl of saltwater.

In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in water. Submerge the turkey breast in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, and up to overnight. Drain and pat the turkey dry before seasoning.

STEP 2: Prepare the rice

rice, carrot, dried cranberries and garlic in a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking dish with parchment paper. In the baking dish, combine the rice, grated carrot, and dried cranberries. Pour in the water, then nestle the garlic head, cut side down.

STEP 3: Season the turkey

Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley flakes, chili powder, and olive oil. Rub the spice mixture all over the turkey breast. Place the turkey on top of the rice mixture in the baking dish.

STEP 4: Bake

baking dish covered tightly with aluminum foil.

Tightly cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven 375°F (190°C) for 50–60 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake uncovered for 10–15 minutes, or until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the rice is fully cooked.

Optional STEP 5: Make garlic dip

Gently squeeze out the softened garlic cloves from their skins and mash them into a paste. Stir in olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and stir until smooth. It's perfect spooned over slices of turkey served on the side as a dip.

Step 6: Serve

Slice the turkey and serve it over the flavorful rice. Spoon over any juices from the dish for extra moisture and flavor. Optionally, use the garlic dip to spread over a turkey slice or to dip the turkey into.

Top Tips

Don’t skip the brine! A simple saltwater brine keeps it juicy and tender all the way through.
You can make the brine more fancy by adding aromatics like bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves, or a splash of apple cider vinegar, but for the purpose of simplicity, we stick to just salt (and a bit of sugar if you like).
Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels before seasoning so it roasts up nicely without steaming.
Roasting a whole head of garlic (sliced in half) adds delicious flavor to the rice and gives you a bonus spreadable garlic to turn into a dip.
Using a thinner baking sheet helps the bottom layer of rice crisp up nicely, while a thicker casserole dish keeps the rice soft throughout.
Turkey breast can dry out if it goes much past 165°F, but using a thermometer ensures you know exactly when to take it out of the oven, preventing overcooking and keeping it juicy.
After baking, rest the meat for 5-10 minutes before slicing to keep the juices from running out.
That lemon-garlic dip is quick and so flavorful! It’s worth making extra for drizzling over everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cook a turkey breast so it doesn't dry out?

To keep a turkey breast juicy and tender, brining is a game-changer! It adds moisture and flavor from the inside out. You’ll also want to cover the turkey while it cooks to lock in steam, then uncover it toward the end to let the top brown. Cooking at a moderate temperature and using a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking also helps.

Should I cook my turkey breast covered or uncovered?

Start with the turkey breast covered tightly with foil to retain moisture and help it cook evenly. About 10-15 minutes before it’s done, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to let the top brown. This method gives you the best of both worlds: moist meat with a bit of golden color on top.

What's a good seasoning for a turkey breast?

We use a simple blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, and chili powder gives great flavor without overpowering the turkey. You can also get creative and try adding paprika, onion powder, or even a squeeze of lemon for some brightness. The brine will already add a base level of flavor, so the seasoning is just the finishing touch.

Serving suggestions

This baked turkey breast with rice is already a meal, but adding a fresh salad like this Asparagus Kale Salad or this Arugula and Spinach Salad make it a complete meal. Instead of the optional garlic dip, serve the turkey with this Cranberry Mustard Sauce. You can also serve it alongside an appetizer, such as these Roasted Eggplant and Sweet Potatoes or Burrata Bruschetta.

Storing and reheating

Let the turkey cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To keep it from drying out when reheating, add a splash of broth or water and cover it with foil before warming it in the oven at 300°F (150°C). You can also reheat it gently in the microwave. Just cover it with a damp paper towel to help retain moisture.