Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe

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

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Tender Baked Turkey Breast Recipe

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. It’s a wholesome, comforting dinner perfect for any night of the week.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Brining Time4

Total Time5 20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 539kcal

Author: Irina

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Brined Turkey Breast

½ cup kosher salt
4 cups water warm water, or unsalted broth
1 turkey breast skinless, boneless (about 2 - 2.5 lbs)

For the Rice Bed

2 cups long grain white rice rinsed
1 carrot grated
½ cup dried cranberries
3 cups water
1-2 garlic heads sliced in half crosswise (keep skin on)

Seasoning for Turkey

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional Lemon-Garlic Dip:

roasted garlic from the baked garlic halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch salt or to taste

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Brine the Turkey:

In a large bowl, dissolve the salt in water. Submerge the turkey breast in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Drain and pat the turkey dry before seasoning.
½ cup kosher salt, 4 cups water, 1 turkey breast

Prepare the Rice Bed:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°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.
2 cups long grain white rice, 1 carrot, ½ cup dried cranberries, 3 cups water, 1-2 garlic heads

Season the Turkey:

Rinse the turkey breast and dry it 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. Optionally, drizzle a bit more olive oil over the top of the meat.
½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, ½ teaspoon chili powder, 2 tablespoons olive oil
Place the turkey on top of the rice mixture in the baking dish.

Bake:

Tightly cover the dish with foil to trap the steam and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–60 minutes. Once the turkey is nearly cooked through (and the smell is amazing by the way!), remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, or until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the rice is fully cooked. If the rice seems a bit dry at this stage, splash in a little water and cover it again for a few more minutes.

Make Roasted Garlic Dip (optional but delicious):

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 (about 1–2 teaspoons, to taste). Add a pinch of salt and stir until smooth. It's perfect spooned over slices of turkey served on the side as a dip.
roasted garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, pinch salt

Notes

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.

Nutrition