Grace your holiday table with the Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe out there! It’s quick, easy, and comes out juicy and tender every time.

Sliced turkey breast on a serving platter with cooked carrots and fresh herbs.

The Days of Oven-Roasted Turkey Are Over.

In just 30-40 minutes, you can have the most succulent crispy-skinned turkey breast ever. You’ll never look back! Much like everyone else talking about air fryer recipes right now, I too swore I wouldn’t add another kitchen gadget to my arsenal. But here we are—and clearly I’m not mad about it. There are some things I’ll never roast in the oven again, and a turkey breast is one of them thanks to this bomb air fryer turkey breast recipe. The cherry on top: you can keep the oven free for other things, which makes this recipe incredibly useful for the holidays.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe.

  • 3-4 lb turkey breast
  • Chicken broth
  • Large carrot
  • Celery
  • Leek or onion
  • Olive oil or melted butter
  • Rotisserie seasoning, or sea salt and pepper
  • Fresh rosemary, sage, and/or thyme (I use a blend of the three)

Pro Tip: Brine Your Turkey!

To ensure an extra juicy and flavorful turkey breast, give my turkey brine recipe a go. You’ll love it.

How to Cook a Turkey Breast in an Air Fryer.

In order to prepare my turkey breast, I did everything I’d normally do before roasting it, including brining. Brining is optional, but it’s a step I don’t skip when it comes to turkey since it promises a perfectly juicy and flavorful turkey every single time.

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 350º F.
  2. When ready, remove the air fryer basket and pour some chicken broth to the bottom of the air fryer basket base—just enough to cover the bottom.
  3. Place the sliced vegetables and fresh herbs onto the fryer basket, placing the turkey breast in the middle.
  4. Brush the top (skin side) of the bird with olive oil or melted butter, getting some of the oil or butter beneath the skin, then rub the entire bird with rotisserie seasoning or salt and pepper.
  5. Carefully flip the bird to skin side down, and place it in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 350º F. When done, remove the air fryer basket and carefully flip the turkey breast to skin side up with large tongs or two spatulas. Cook it in the air fryer for another 30 minutes.
  6. Remove, and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer—you’re looking for an internal temperature of 160-165º F.
  7. When it’s ready, place it onto a cutting board or serving platter to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into it.

Air fryer basket with carrots, celery, and leeks cut into planks.

Close up side shot of sliced turkey breast on serving platter with serving bowls of holiday sides blurred in background.

How Long to Cook a Turkey Breast per Pound.

When you’re roasting a turkey breast in the oven, the rule is about 16-20 minutes per pound at 350º F. A 3-pound turkey breast, like I’ve used in this recipe, would take about 48 minutes give or take. In the air fryer, I go for a little less time at 45 minutes. That’s 15 minutes skin-side down, and then about 30 minutes flipped to skin-side up. Remember that these timelines are only supposed to give you a ballpark time to work with, though. Any poultry is ready once it reaches 160-165º F. So be sure to keep an eye on the internal temperature above all else.

Sliced turkey breast on a serving platter with cooked carrots and fresh herbs.

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

  1. To guarantee a juicy, tender, and flavorful turkey breast every time, brine it! Even if you happen to overcook the breast, the brining process will help keep the meat juicy.
  2. If you do brine your turkey beforehand, be sure to rinse it off and pat it dry prior to seasoning it, or else it will be too salty.
  3. Include fresh herbs and sliced vegetables in the fryer basket to add aromatics and richness to the flavor.
  4. Add chicken broth to the bottom of the air fryer basket base to help retain moisture.
  5. Brush the top (skin-side) of the breast with olive oil or melted butter to get a nice golden crispy skin.
  6. For a more herbal flavor, you can add dried herbs to your seasoning

Have You Made This Recipe?

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Sides to Serve With Your Air Fryer Turkey Breast:

Sliced turkey breast on a serving platter with cooked carrots and fresh herbs.

Get the Recipe:

Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe

Yield: 10 slices
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Brining (optional): 3 hours
Total Time: 45 minutes
Grace your holiday table with the Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe out there! It's quick, easy, and comes out juicy and tender every time.
5 from 77 votes
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Ingredients

  • 3 lb boneless turkey breast, skin on
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 large carrot, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 2 ribs of celery, halved
  • 1 leek, sliced in half lengthwise, You could also use an onion, sliced in half or quarters
  • Fresh sprigs of rosemary, sage, and/or thyme (I use all three)
  • 2 TBSP olive oil or melted butter
  • 2 TBSP Rotisserie seasoning, Or 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp cracked black pepper, give or take

Equipment

  • 7 Quart Air Fryer (give or take on the size)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the air fryer to 350º F. When heated, remove the air fryer basket and pour some chicken broth into the bottom of the air fryer basket base.
  • Put the sliced vegetables and fresh herbs onto the surface of the fryer basket, and place the turkey breast in the middle.
  • With a basting brush or clean hands, cover the top (skin side) of the bird with olive oil or melted butter, getting some of the oil or butter beneath the skin. After that, rub the entire turkey breast with rotisserie seasoning, or salt and pepper if you're using that. Flip the bird to skin side down, and pop it in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 350º F.
  • After 15 minutes, open up the air fryer basket and carefully flip the turkey breast to skin side up with large tongs or two spatulas. Cook it in the air fryer for another 30 minutes.
  • When done, check the internal temperature of the turkey breast with a meat thermometer; you want an internal temperature of 160-165º F. Carefully remove the breast from the air fryer with the tongs and place it onto a cutting board or serving platter to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Calories: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 4g
Author: Dana Sandonato