Air Fryer Turkey Breast

I’m coming to terms with how 2020 is going to affect our holidays. I’ve caught myself describing Christmas as “sad” because it will different. We won’t be traveling, or going to parties, or hosting as many people. We have lost so many things this year, and the grief is real. This is not how things are supposed to be, and it is ok not to feel ok about it.

BUT. Like I tell Lucy when she is bored, “What a great opportunity to be creative!” While we can, and should, make space for those feelings of grief, I don’t think we have to stay there. I think we can find ways to *safely* celebrate with our people. Maybe it is making a smaller, but just as delicious, meal for those in your home or pod. Maybe it’s making a meal for a neighbor and dropping it off at their door. Maybe it’s getting creative about a Socially Distant Secret Santa (I’m currently trying to work this out in my head. If I come up with something I will share!)

If a small family/pod gathering is something you need, let me introduce you to cooking your turkey in the air fryer! I made this in less than an hour and it saves space in your oven for the sides, which I care most about anyway! The turkey was juicy, the skin was super crispy, and it was full of flavor! It was just right to feed our family of 4. If you have an air fryer, give it a try. You will not be disappointed!

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Turkey breast with a lemon garlic herb butter, made in the air fryer! Juicy meat, crispy skin, tons of flavor! All in under an hour. This is the perfect holiday turkey for a small, intimate dinner.

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Course Dinner, Holiday Meals, Meat+Fish

Equipment

• Air fryer

Ingredients

  

• 1 turkey breast
• salt
• 4 tbsp butter softened
• 1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground thyme
• 1-2 garlic cloves grated with a microplane
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of black pepper

Instructions

 

• Pat the turkey dry and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let it sit while you make the Lemon Garlic Herb Butter.
• Combine softened butter, sage, rosemary, ground thyme, grated garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• Pat the turkey dry one more time.
• Using your hands, gently pull the skin away from the meat, making a pocket. Place the majority of the Lemon Garlic Herb Butter under the skin and spread/squish it evenly. Whatever is left on your hands, spread over the outside of the turkey breast. You want most of the butter, aka flavor, under the skin so that it doesn’t just melt away under the air fryer basket.
• Preheat the air fryer to 400° for 5 minutes. Once it is preheated, spray the basket with cooking spray.
• Place the turkey breast into the basket, close it up and cook it at 380° for 28 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160°.
• Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy with your favorite Thanksgiving sides!

Notes

Make sure you get a split turkey breast, not the turkey breast that is wrapped up in a bag, and looks like a mini turkey. Otherwise, you will spend WAY too much time butchering your own turkey which sort of defeats the whole purpose here! Learn from my mistake 🙂