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Sometimes a smaller holiday dinner calls for something more modest, and this air fryer turkey breast delivers exactly that. In about 45 minutes, you get crispy skin and meat that stays tender and juicy throughout, no extra fuss required.
Let’s be honest: oven-roasted turkey breast is great, but it’s not exactly quick. Enter the air fryer. An air fryer turkey breast cooks in just 30-45 minutes and delivers exactly what you want—crispy, golden skin and juicy, tender meat every single time.
If you really want to go all out (and I recommend you do), make an apple cider-brined turkey breast before it hits the air fryer (a little extra effort, a lot more flavor). And because leftovers are half the point, this turkey is just as good the next day. Try it in a leftover turkey and wild rice soup or swap it in as the protein for a healthy burrito bowl.
A Few Good Reasons to Make This
- It’s fast. Ready in about 45 minutes, which is a fraction of the time a whole turkey demands, with no multi-hour roasting or oven-juggling.
- No oven space required. Frees up your oven for sides, like oven-roasted mini potatoes or hot honey roasted carrots. Especially useful on a holiday when oven space is at a premium!
- Perfectly portioned. Ideal for a smaller gathering, a quiet holiday at home, or anyone who just wants turkey without the work.
- Juicy, evenly cooked meat. Less surface area and more controlled heat means less risk of the dry, overcooked turkey breast that plagues a lot of whole-bird roasting.
Tips From My Kitchen
I make mistakes so that you don’t have to! Here’s what I’ve learned while testing this recipe…
- Let the turkey come to room temperature before cooking. This will help you get a more even cook. Raw poultry can sit out at room temperature safely for 2 hours, or just 1 hour if the room or outdoor temperature is above 90°F. With this recipe, you only need to let it sit out for 30 minutes.
- Leave the net on a pre-packaged turkey breast. If you’re buying from a butcher, the breast will likely come whole and intact. Pre-packaged breasts, like Butterball, usually come wrapped in a net. Leave it on until the turkey’s cooked, or it could fall apart.
- Let the turkey rest before cutting into it. Resting lets the juices redistribute back into the meat—slice it right away, and they’ll run out onto the board instead, leaving the meat dry.
Ingredients at a Glance
A quick look at some of the essentials before we dive into the recipe:
- Boneless turkey breast: that’s what we’re using in this recipe. You can easily swap in a bone-in breast, adjusting the cook time as needed based on size and weight.
- Carrots & celery: It’s optional, but I like laying carrots and celery on the air fryer rack and setting the turkey breast on top. They perfume the meat as it cooks, and once it’s done, you can slice up the carrots and serve them alongside as a side.
- Chicken broth: To keep the turkey breast moist, I pour chicken broth (rather than water) into the bottom of the air fryer basket for extra flavor and aromatics.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Step 1: Prepare the Turkey
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
Remove the turkey breast from the fridge, then use a basting brush or clean hands to smear the top (skin side) with olive oil or melted butter, working some of it beneath the skin as well. Rub the entire breast with your seasoning of choice (my homemade poultry seasoning rub is in the recipe card below), then let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Air Fryer
Pour 1 to 1½ cups of chicken broth or water into the bottom of the air fryer basket — just enough to cover it. Secure the tray in the basket, then layer in the carrots, celery, and fresh herbs. Prop the turkey breast on top, skin side down, in the center of the basket.
Step 3: Cook the Turkey Breast
Air-fry the turkey skin side down for 15 minutes at 350°F. Open the air fryer, carefully flip the breast skin-side up using large tongs or two sturdy spatulas, then air-fry for another 30 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F.
Step 4: Rest, Slice, and Serve
Carefully transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve It With
Potatoes are an obvious choice, whether you choose these perfectly seasoned oven-roasted mini potatoes or these awesomely creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes.
For veggies, I love these festive hot honey roasted carrots. You could also cook up some air fryer green beans while the turkey rests and the air fryer is still hot.
As for sides, my maple orange cranberry sauce is a huge win. And you can’t go without a good turkey gravy!
Make It Your Own
- Poultry seasoning: a classic, herb-forward blend of sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram, often with a pinch of nutmeg and black pepper. This is traditionally used on roasted turkey, chicken, and Thanksgiving stuffing.
- Rotisserie seasoning: a more savory, all-purpose blend, usually featuring paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. This is what gives store-bought rotisserie chicken its signature golden color and deep, savory flavor.
- Aromatics: Place fresh herbs (like sage, rosemary, thyme) onto the air fryer rack along with the carrots and celery.
- Butter: Tuck a few knobs of butter beneath the skin. It adds moisture and flavor, and helps the skin crisp up.
Storage & Freezing Tips
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- To freeze, transfer the leftovers to freezer-friendly storage bags. The turkey should keep in the freezer for up to 6 months, though it will retain its best quality up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
A turkey breast should be air-fried for 10 minutes per pound. Since this recipe calls for a turkey breast of between 3-4 lbs, the air fry time suggested is 30-40 minutes.
Yes, if you’re injecting a marinade into your turkey breast, do it beforehand—either several hours in advance or right before cooking.
Yes! The turkey breast comes out with a crispy skin and juicy middle, and it leaves your oven free for other fixin’s.
Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
- 1 7 Quart Air Fryer (give or take on the size)
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb boneless turkey breast, skin on
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 large carrot, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 ribs of celery, halved
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or softened butter
- 2 tablespoon seasoning, like poultry or rotisserie, Or 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp cracked black pepper, give or take
Homemade Poultry Seasoning (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
Poultry Seasoning (Optional)
- Mix all of the ingredients into a small bowl. Taste and adjust to your preference, then set aside.
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Preheat the air fryer to 350º F.
- Take the turkey breast out of the fridge and set it on a plate. Using your hands, smear the top (skin side) of the turkey breast with olive oil or softened butter. Be sure to get some beneath the skin. Then, rub the entire turkey breast with your seasoning of choice.
- Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
- Pour about 1-1.5 cups of chicken broth or water into the bottom of the air fryer basket (enough to cover the bottom of the basket). Secure the tray in the air fryer basket, then put the carrots, celery, and fresh herbs on top.
- Place the turkey breast on top of the carrots and celery skin side down in the center of the basket. Air-fry the turkey for 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Open the air fryer, carefully flip the breast over to skin side up with large tongs or two sturdy spatulas, and air fry for an additional 30 minutes or until the turkey registers an internal temperature of 160ºF with a meat thermometer.
- Carefully transfer the turkey breast from the air fryer basket to a cutting board. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing into it and serving.
Love a good, easy, air fryer recipe like this. This turkey breast is amazing and is perfect for a Sunday dinner or the Holidays.
This was fantastic and came out perfectly. I tend to avoid cooking turkey breast because I find it always comes out tough but tried this and it was super juicy and delicious.
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Turned out tender, juicy and packed with flavor! Definitely, the best way to enjoy turkey!
This is perfect for those of us who have a small gathering for the Holidays.
This was such a great way to cook a turkey breast! It came out lovely and moist and tender. Will be making this over and over, thanks for such a great recipe!
Bravo! A new recipe for my air-fryer! The turkey came out so moist and delish – will make again soon.
This was such a convenient way to cook a turkey breast! Crispy yet moist and tender.
I can’t believe how juicy turkey breast can be in the air fryer and so flavorful with all the veggies too!
Yesssss it’s so good!
Amazing idea, I have never thought to put a turkey in my air fryer but I can’t wait to try this!
It works so well!