Moist and Tender Turkey Breast

By Addie

"A girlfriend told me about the mayo trick when I was first married and I've never roasted a turkey or turkey breast without it since. The skin is crisp and flavorful and the meat is tender, moist and delicious. If you don't use the butter and broth, you will not have enough pan drippings to make gravy and you don't want to do that because this combo makes the best tasting gravy I've ever had. I've also added 1/2 cup of beer or wine to the mixture before and it was also spectacular. With slow roasting it, the meat stays so juicy I've actually had it squirt out when I insert the thermometer! I've never had a better turkey or turkey breast."

Ingredients

• 1 (5 -20 lb) fresh or frozen turkey breast (thawed) or 1 (5 -20 lb) turkey
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 12 ounces chicken broth or 12 ounces beer or 12 ounces white wine
• 1 -2 tablespoon mayonnaise

Preparation

Step 1

Place turkey or turkey breast in a roasting pan.(I use a foil-lined 13x9-inch pan) Combine melted butter and chicken broth. Pour over turkey. Rub mayonnaise all over turkey's exterior. Salt lightly if desired.


Roast at 300°-325°F until internal temperature reaches 170°F on an instant read thermometer. (I raise the temperature to 350° for the last approximate 30-45 minutes to crisp skin). Remove from oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Note: because the butter and broth are for making gravy, if you need to make a lot of gravy, double the amount of both.


To make gravy:
Pour pan drippings into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add 1 Tbls. cornstarch per cup of broth/drippings to 1/4 cup cold water. (You'll usually need 2-3 Tbls) Mix well to dissolve. Stir cornstarch mixture into broth and stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. If too thin, dissolve more cornstarch in water and add until desired thickness. If too thick, add water or more broth to thin.
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REVIEWS: (100)

I can't say enough good things about this recipe! I made it for my Christmas Eve dinner, and everyone RAVED over it, saying it's the best they've ever had! It was so moist and still moist days after for leftover turkey sandwiches. And oh my gosh, the gravy! My sister-in-law wanted to bathe in this delicious gravy, lol! To answer another rater's question as to how to make the gravy, this is what I did: I poured the cooking juices from the bottom of the pan into a gravy separater and let the fat rise. I saw that I had 4 cups of liquid, so I skimmed 4 tablespoons of fat off the top of the cooking liquid and mixed it with 4 tablespoons of flour in a cooking pot, making a roux. Mix and stir constantly over medium heat for about 4 minutes or so. Then add the liquid very slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a rolling boil and then let simmer for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. It was PERFECT!

I have made bone-in turkey breast using this recipe several times, and it has always turned out moist and delicious! I rub light mayo both under the skin as well as on top, and also add freshly ground pepper, kosher salt (or Lawry's - it tastes great here), and minced garlic under and on the skin as well. I also add about half an onion, a couple carrots, garlic, and a few ribs of celery (all chopped) to the pan to ensure a more flavorful gravy (the veggies can make a nice side after roasting too) - it hasnt failed me so far. In order to make the gravy I go with a roux and whisk the (strained) broth/drippings mix and add a bit of milk to get enough volume. It is perfect every time. I also will tent foil around the bird to keep the broth from evaporating throughout the entire cooking process, and remove it about an hour before the bird is done so that it browns.

Excellent! I made it with a 15 pound whole turkey. The only thing I would do differently, is that I seasoned the bird my normal way, with Lawry's Salt. I would omit that, and make it exactly like the recipe, because it made the gravy too salty. Next time I make this it will be with my homemade chicken broth. The mayo made it so that the turkey did not need to be basted, hooray! It came out very moist.

Wow! I used this recipe for a 3 lb. turkey breast I bought on sale at the grocery. I cooked it on 325 for 1 hour, then on 350 for 30 minutes and it was moist, tender, and delicious! I used the drippings to make gravy and made mashed potatoes as well. It was easily the best tasting and most inexpensive meal I've made in a while!

Superb! I loved that I didn't have to baste it since the mayo kept the skin from drying out. I followed the directions exactly (5 lb bone-in turkey) and turned it up to 350 for the last 30 minutes (total cooking time=2 hr, 45 min). The outside was crisp and the inside was moist--perfect texture all around. Next time I'll double the broth/butter so there is enough gravy for all the leftover turkey and mashed potatoes.

My first attempt at making a turkey and it was a home run! I did double the butter and broth but everything else I followed exactly except I used lite Mayo because I did not have the full calorie kind in the house.. Used a 5 pound bone in breast and it was amazing. Can't wait to share this recipe with others. Yum!

The turkey was very moist, no basting, my turkey was 11 lbs, so I cooked it at 325 and cover it with foil at the beginning, then turn up heat to 350 during the last 30 min. The turkey took 4 hours to cook, but very juicy and 13 people finished the whole turkey. Nothing left for tomorrow. And I only had one small piece. My husband wants me to cook it again tomorrow for another birthday party, cause he also had one piece only. Thanks for the recipe!

WOW!! Include me with the other Reviewers who were skeptical and loved this recipe. I had a turkey breast, just under 6 pounds and 2 turkey thighs. I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and placed the turkey in a greased casserole, 9x13. I spread the turkey with mayo and some seasonings. I did not add the butter and broth, I try to stay away from gravy. I placed the pan in the preheated oven, uncovered for 1 3/4 hours. Then I removed it from the oven and covered with foil and let it set for 30 minutes. Perfect. The skin was a beautiful brown and the meat nice and juicy. Its a keeper.

What an easy take on turkey! We cooked two breasts and one big bird for a big Christmas party. All turned out a beautiful mahogany color and very tender. Forget the old basting ideas...This is a winner!

YUMMMO! This recipe was the outstanding. This was the best turkey breast I have ever made. So juicy and delish. The gravy was to die for. Will definitely make again. YAY!!

I found a turkey breast in my freezer so I tried this recipe and I want to say WOW, THIS WAS GREAT. Looks like I'll be cooking Thanksgiving this year :-)

This is wonderful!!! I will be making this again...and again...I used low fat mayo and reduced sodium broth. I also used Brummel and Brown instead of butter and it was awesome!!

Gosh, this was fantastic. It's one of those "I'm never doing a turkey breast any other way!" kind of recipes. I put a little of the mayo under the skin, then slathered the rest over the skin along with salt and Italian seasoning. Tented with foil and let it slow roast for hours, removing the foil for the last 45 minutes. The taste was excellent, the skin a gorgeous golden brown. Everyone positively loved this! Great recipe!

Delicious! I used a turkey breast and rubbed the mayo under the skin as well as on top. I seasoned it with seasoning salt (contains garlic, celery, onion), black pepper and paprika. I didn't have a chance to make gravy. It was good without it. Thanks.

This recipe certainly lived up to expectations...the meat really was moist and delicious, even when the leftovers were reheated in the microwave. I used the suggestion of adding some white wine to the broth, and the gravy was also exceptional. I used a 6 pound breast (weighed after the backbone was removed) and it took 3 hours to cook in my oven.

I made a turkey breast for the first time with this recipe and it turned out wonderful! I'm not a huge white meat fan because it can be too dry, but this was moist with great flavor. I also added a few sprigs of fresh thyme to give it a little extra flavor. I used dry white wine instead of broth, and the wine and the thyme go very well together. I would highly recommend this to anyone! Try it! :)

I've been cooking turkeys for years, tried tons of "tricks" even brining overnight - but THIS is the recipe that produced THE JUICIEST roasted turkey! (The only other way I've had it this juicy is deep fried but egads the extra fat and expense that way makes it just not doable.)

Thank you for this recipe. I cooked it exactly as the recipe was posted. I used mayo with Olive oil & chicken broth. It was ABSOLUTELY the best turkey breast we have had.I bought the Honeysuckle White turkey breast since it was much lower in sodium than Butterball. The family loved it, so moist & flavorful. I will use this recipe from now on. Probably will even have this more often, not only on holidays. I would highly recommend this recipe.

Was looking for a good Turkey breast recipe and came across this one. Made it for our Christmas Family meal. Did not change a thing and it was ABSOLUTELY the best Turkey breast I have ever made! Moist and juicy and the taste was fantastic. I will be using this recepie from now on. Everyone loved it!!!!!

Not that this needs another 5 star review, but who could give it any less?!?! Our turkey breast was a little over 5 lbs and it took about 2 1/2 hours to cook at 325. I thought I had enough wine left but only had 8 ounces so I used white grape for the other 4 ounces. I used 1 Tablespoon of Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon of Miracle Whip Light. I didn't use any seasonings and the turkey still came out so moist and delicious. This will be my go to turkey breast recipe from now on. So simple to do and fantastic results. Thanks so much Marg!

Mayo - gross right? Not in this case. This is beyond delicious! Everyone is correct in their reviews: this is the only recipe you will ever need! So freaking tender and juicy, so much so that we thought it might not be cooked! No basting, just a foil tent over bird because it browns quickly. Cooked first 15-20mins without foil; kept foil on until the last .5 hour. Used 1cup sauvignon blanc and mixed with cornstarch; strained drippings, combined with wine and cooked on stove top until thick. 18lb butterball bird, cooked for 4.5 hours. I rubbed mayo liberally under the skin and on top/sides of bird. Added herbs inside: thyme sprigs, fresh sage, apple, onion and garlic. Under skin, more thyme springs, minced garlic and sage.

Made this for Thanksgiving and had wonderful, moist turkey! With just a breast, there weren't a ton of leftovers which was great, too. Thanks for sharing the recipe! UPDATE: Used this method for a whole turkey and gravy. Excellent moist turkey, due in part to use of a meat thermometer to ensure I didn't overcook. This really is a fantastic method. White meat was moist and delicious, better than brined turkeys I've made in the past and so much simpler. Strained the drippings and made gravy which was a good, simple turkey gravy. Honestly, no one around here seems to eat gravy so I'll probably just skip that step next time. Will make again! Thanks!

This is the best turkey breast recipe you will ever have ever!

This was the best turkey I've ever made! Very juicy. I followed the directions and after smearing on the mayo, I seasoned with a little salt and Bavarian seasoning from Penzey's. I also covered with a foil tent until the final browning at the end. Can't wait to make this again.



Great recipe. We used a 3.5 pound turkey breast (deboned). It was already oven browned/precooked and I followed it's instructions rather than this recipe's as far as cooking goes--350 degrees until it reached 140 on the thermometer, which took an hour and a half.

The recipe doesn't call for any herbs or spices, so I made my own combination of a little garlic powder and onion powder, and [more or less] equal amounts of dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram. I put them all in my mortar & pestle and ground it up pretty fine.
After I poured on the chicken broth/butter mix (I actually used Better than Bouillon and margarine), I rubbed the turkey breast with my spices, then rubbed on the mayo. The gravy turned out great as well. I brought the drippings to a simmer, took it off the heat, and in total I added about 1/2 cup of cold water and 2 tbsp of corn starch with a whisk. Then I put it back on the heat and it thickened up right away! The herbs I had put on turkey made the gravy amazing!! Definitely a keeper!

Complete hit with the family. Thank you for sharing!!!! The gravy is to die for. I will definately make this again.

Wow - I have to admit--the mayo didn't sound that appealing, but this was the best recipe ever for a holiday turkey. My family raved that it was the best they've ever had. Mayo??? Go figure.

This was amazing! I made a turkey breast which I am not usually a fan of as I find the dark meat is more tender. Well, this came out so moist and delicious! I used a full bottle of beer in it for the gravy and threw in an onion and some garlic. My boyfriend raved about the gravy! The only thing was that the mayo made it look a bit 'chunky', even after straining. Any ideas on how to eliminate this? Thank you for posting!