Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast (Boneless, Juicy Recipe)
This Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is ready in less than an hour! A simple herb seasoning and SO much flavor, you’ll think it was deep fried.
What do you do when you don’t want to make a whole turkey for Thanksgiving? Well, in my case, I usually make a turkey breast recipe like this air fryer turkey breast. And even if you aren’t cooking for Thanksgiving, this air fried turkey breast can be used as a super easy lean protein for meal prep or even homemade deli meat!
“Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out excellent. I had a 3.79-pound turkey roast so I cooked it for 70 minutes, turning 1/4 turn every 10 minutes throughout and also basting with avocado oil. My family loved it, thank you for the recipe.”
– Jeannie
Cooking Methods for Turkey Breast
Here on Blackberry Babe, I have THREE easy ways to make juicy turkey breast.
Bone-in: If you bought a bone-in turkey breast, try out this Italian Grilled Turkey Breast recipe.
Boneless: If you bought a boneless turkey breast, I recommend the air fryer recipe below, or you could try smoking it using my or this Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast recipe.
Cooking a turkey breast in the air fryer makes for the perfect turkey dinner for a smaller Thanksgiving in just a fraction of the time!
“I will make this again and again. Thanks for a go to recipe for turkey.”- Tammy
Tips for Juicy Turkey Breast
The first time I tried to air fry a turkey breast, it was absolutely just a curiosity on my part. I did NOT expect it to turn out this good!
My curiosity was driven by the fact that I’m always air frying chicken wings and chicken thighs, so I thought with some added fat (oil or butter) and good seasonings, air frying a turkey breast could work and give me delicious crispy skin!
“Followed instructions to a tee. Seasoning is to die for.” – Lynda
And luckily, my curiosity paid off! This air fried turkey breast recipe was totally a happy accident. I ended up with a pretty crispy skin on the outside with the zesty spice rub, and juicy meat! It almost tasted like deep fried turkey; it was THAT tasty and flavorful.
The only thing I would consider doing differently in the future is injecting the meat for even more flavor. You can buy turkey injection liquid at the grocery store by the butcher’s counter or make my homemade turkey injection recipe if you want to try injecting!
If you do inject your turkey breast, do so right before you air fry. You could also inject the breast up to 8 hours prior to give the liquid more time to season the meat. Just make sure to keep it chilled in the refrigerator while it’s marinating!
Check out the other air fryer recipes on Blackberry Babe.
Serving Suggestions
I think this is the best turkey for a small get together! Serve it sliced with fresh herbs for garnish. I also love to serve it with cranberry sauce or gravy and a few of my favorite side dishes like green bean casserole or mashed potatoes!
If you need more suggestions, check out all of my side dish recipes on Blackberry Babe.
“Best idea for my Passover. Turned out deliciously. My oven’s air fryer performed well.” – Laine
Storing Leftover Turkey Breast
Store any leftover turkey meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Leftovers also freeze well! Freeze in freezer bags with all air removed for up to 6 months.
If you have leftover breast meat, consider using it in my awesome Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders or substitute it in my Chicken Stuffing Casserole!
“I made this for the first time and will definitely be doing it again. It was perfectly browned, moist and tender.” – Yvonne
I hope that you enjoy this air fryer turkey breast recipe! If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast (Boneless)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless turkey breast, skin-on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Before cooking, pull the turkey breast from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to remove the chill.
- Pre-heat your air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, mix dry seasonings together.
- Place thawed turkey on a plate. Pat dry with paper towels. Leave the netting on until just before you slice the breast.
- Next, rub or brush turkey breast with the oil.
- Season turkey breast on all sides with dry seasoning blend.
- Place turkey breast in air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning turkey breast every 5-10 minutes to avoid burning. If the outside of the turkey looks dry at any point, spray with cooking spray to help it stay moist.
- Your cooking time will depend on the power of your air fryer, so be sure to measure doneness with an instant read thermometer. When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer, it is done. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. I like to pull my turkey at 162 degrees F, knowing that it will continue to cook while it rests.
- Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. You can tent the turkey with aluminum foil to help it stay warm.
- Remove the netting. Slice the turkey, serve warm. Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley (optional).
Video
Notes
I love this recipe and it’s the best I’ve found. I have learned that flipping the breast every 15 minutes is ideal. I make this on the regular, changing up the seasoning. Two things I really like to add to the seasoning are Smoked Paprika and the zest of one lemon – game changers. Thanks for this simple and really good recipe.
I’m so glad you like this air fried turkey breast! Both the smoked paprika and lemon zest would be awesome adds. Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious! I marinated the turkey breast in buttermilk overnight. When I removed it from the refrigerator, I discarded the marinade, patted the turkey breast dry and followed the recipe exactly. This will be in the rotation now and I may never purchase deli turkey again.
That marinade sounds wonderful. So glad it turned out for you!
I had a 1.05 kg boneless breast. It took about 80 mins in my air fryer to get to 162F (Costco Gourmia). I live at 3500 ft, so maybe that skews the cooking time, but it was really amazing. I was cooking a fondant potatoe and wanted to free up the oven for the potatoes. Try this recipe, I was impressed.
So glad you liked it! Thanks Kelsey!
I followed this recipe pretty closely, except I added about 1tsp of Herbs d’ Provence (sp)?. The other thing I did was air fry this breast while cooking baked potatoes, so I started the temperature at 400 for 30 minutes, then finished it off at 360 for 20 minutes.
The turkey was moist and tender, the skin crispy, and the potatoes had a crisp outside and beautiful inside.
I was super happy with this recipe and will be using it regularly.
Hi Virginia! I think the Herbs de Provence is a wonderful addition to the rub in this recipe! So glad it turned out for you, thank you for letting me know!
This was easy and tasty….I like easy and tasty.
I do too!!! 🙂
Wow, it was so juicy and flavorful! Absolutely fantastic and do easy to make, I will always use this for turkey breast!
You made my day Sharon, thank you! So glad it turned out for you.
Great recipe! Very flavorful. We really enjoyed eating it.
So glad you liked it Nancy! I agree it’s a keeper!
Oh my goodness!!!! This was soooo moist and juicy, while crisp on the outside!
Glad it turned out for you Susan! 🙂
I have a small air fryer, the 3-4 pound turkey took up the whole basket, but it fit. It took more like 70 minutes but turned out great. Thanks!
Same for me, the turkey breast takes up every available inch of space! 🙂 Glad it turned out.
Can you use the air fryer with a half, bone-in turkey breast?
Hi Elcee! Yes, absolutely. I think you’ll still need close to an hour on the temp, but maybe check the temp of the turkey around 45 minutes to be safe!
Can you use a pre cooked turkey breast?
Hi Kathy! Yes, I think you could, but you would definitely need to drop the air fry time because you’re just reheating it!
So much flavor and so easy to make!
So glad it turned out for you Melissa! Thank you!
Delicious
This is my new favorite way to cook turkey breast! I usually cook a turkey breast several times a year in the oven or crock pot. It’s better like this in the air fryer!
I’m so glad you like this one Beth! I usually buy turkey breast when it’s on sale after the holidays and we will make this a few times throughout the year too!
Made this for dinner tonight and it turned out excellent. I had a 3.79 lb turkey roast so I cooked it for 70 minutes, turning 1/4 turn every 10 minutes throughout and also basting with avocado oil. My family loved it, thank you for the recipe.
So glad it turned out great for you all! I bought a bunch of frozen turkey breast on sale after the holidays, so we’ve been using this recipe to make cheap homemade deli meat! Thanks for reporting back Jeannie.
Do you put this on air fryer or roast?
Hi Aida! I used the air fryer setting. I think you could use the roast setting as well, as long as you set it to the same temp!
Turned out incredibly moist and flavorful! I loved how easy and quick it was, no stress.
Glad it turned out for you. Thank you!
The crispy skin was a particular highlight. Everyone loved it!
Thank you Krystle! I love the crispy skin with all the spices too!
This comes out so juicy!
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Yum
What do you mean by boneless turkey breast roast. Is this like the kind that come in the bag that you throw in the oven?
Hi Connie- Yes! The kind that comes in a bag, usually 5-9 pounds total, breast only!
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